Friday 8 December 2017

The hounds of winter....and a couple of Updates

UPDATE 24th December: well the hounds of winter have run away for the moment and it's extremely mild today with temperatures in double (plus) figures. Some local birds are singing and a few great spotted woodpeckers have been heard drumming so how long will it be before the peregrines are scrapping at the gravel, bowing and calling we wonder?
Meanwhile:
Season's greetings to all peregrine watchers from the Peregrine Project team!
UPDATE 10th December:
Wendy's video shows the snow we have had today (Sunday 10th):



And the female peregrine surveying the scene below her on Monday (11th):

And Kate also captured this screengrab of the snow:

Snowy scene Derby Cathedral 10 December 2017
by Kate (from Devon)

December 8th: a cold snap here in Derby, as elsewhere in the UK.
Snow on the ground...and the Snake Pass road over the moors in the north of the county shut as a result.
Wendy's latest video shows the snow on the ground as seen from the webcams:



No sign of our pair but they'll be warming their feet on the illuminated signs on Jurys Inn Hotel nearby no doubt!

Unlike our birds  that have produced young every year since 2006, a recent report has revealed that peregrines elsewhere in this county (eg up on the grouse moors) are faring very badly. In fact this year (2017) not a single pair bred....the first time this has occurred since the species recolonized the Peak District in the 1980s following their absence due to agricultural pesticides.
Evidence points strongly to illegal persecution as the root cause.

Read more about the story here: http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1055570/Bird-of-Prey-Initiative-2016-17-Report.pdf  and here:

https://markavery.info/2017/12/01/peak-district-hushup/

And do please read this inspirational blog post by a 13 year old lad called Dara McAnulty from Northern Ireland. He loves his raptors but is determined to do something about the widespread illegal persecution they suffer in his country:
https://markavery.info/2017/12/07/guest-blog-ramble-raptor-persecution-dara-mcanulty/ .

Inspired by him? Then do consider sending a donation towards his fund raising walk (the link is in his blog post).

The project team

21 comments:

Helen said...

Good to see a peregrine sitting on the platform this morning.

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs DP doesn't let a bit of snow put her off looking for lunch ...

https://youtu.be/qk-Gab4du3s

Wendy Bartter said...

Pleased that you managed to see Mrs DP Helen ... still perched @ 16.05 & preening in the gloom ...

https://youtu.be/ohwLIXZRdoE

kate said...

Pic of snow covered scrape this morning on Flickr, no one at home, so hope they are sheltering safely.

Wendy Bartter said...

Echo your sentiments Kate ... two cams offline now, this snippet for posterity ...

https://youtu.be/-bsWVy-NSh0

Wendy Bartter said...

Actively snowing again @ 20.14

https://youtu.be/_y8AnVsdw6w

Wendy Bartter said...

Couuple of vids today of Mrs DP on the snowy scrape ...

https://youtu.be/cxyMAiz2u04

Best viewed full screen ...https://youtu.be/TRBsAJ8FK9Q

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs DP on scrape ledge early hours in cold, cold snow

https://youtu.be/5hhhoSmM7Kg

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs DP preens & perches on scrape ledge this afternoon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDC-FJTUomY

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs doing ok for food today ...https://youtu.be/u1Lj96LV5cQ

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs DP tackles that prey item again, thank goodness she is keeping herself well fed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAf8vGt8q7o

Lisa said...

Just uploaded a screenshot to flickr of one sat there this morning :-)

Wendy Bartter said...

Great bonding session just happened, shame no sound as on tablet

https://youtu.be/HTLscESdcFM

Wendy Bartter said...

Here's the Mrs sharing her Christmas Eve lunch with us (albeit through a misty lens!)https://youtu.be/__5Haqjwt4M love watching her stash in corner & tamp down securely with her beak!
Happy Christmas everyone, healthy New Year filled with Peregrines, Kestrels & Swifts!

Project team said...

Hi Wendy: thanks for that and a merry time to you too!
Nick and Nick

Heather said...

Thanks Wendy for all your videos, very entertaining and nice to keep up to date with our special birds. Wishing all our armchair viewers and especially The Team a very Happy Christmas and everything you hope for in the New Year.

Nick B said...

Hi Heather: thanks for that and best wishes to you too!
Nick B

Wendy Bartter said...

Hi Heather, you're very welcome ... here's another from just a short while ago with the Mrs having Boxing Day lunch

https://youtu.be/dlAoX-S0olg

Wendy Bartter said...

HAPPY NEW YEAR to our dedicated team & all posters!
Mrs P didn't disappoint, shared her New Year's Day lunch with us plus bells in celebration!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfFYM28p-mQ

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs back again early this morning ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfrDfW6blcs

Wendy Bartter said...

Record vid of Mrs DP's afternoon visit today (recording dogged by problems!) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SewnO3Qluag