Tuesday 6 March 2018

Mike Dilger visits our Project

This morning (6th March) Nick Moyes and I were joined at the top of the tower by Mike Dilger of The One Show fame, Simon Hare, from the BBC's East Midlands Inside Out programme, a cameraman and Alex Rock from Derby Cathedral.
Mike and Simon were there to film an interview with Nick Moyes about our project and how relatively safe urban peregrines are compared to their country cousins who suffer both from persecution and from the theft of chicks for the illegal but very lucrative trade selling them for falcon racing in Arabia.
The nine minute long piece is essentially about how peregrines nesting in rural quarries and on cliffs in the White Peak area of Derbyshire are being targeted by chick thieves and how steps need to be taken to catch them.
The Inside Out programme went out on Monday (12th) at 7.30pm on BBC 1. Now it is available to watch from anywhere in the UK on iplayer. HERE'S THE LINK:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09vp8bj/inside-out-east-midlands-12032018 . The peregrine piece starts 20 minutes in.
Nick and I were there to do the annual nest clean up and camera maintenance tasks that we do every year. I say 'we' but of course it is Nick M, both a mountaineer and an all round technically highly capable fellow, who abseils down to the platform while I act as his unskilled assistant/gopher!
Nick was interviewed by Mike on the top of the tower and then filmed abseiling down to the platform.

Nick Moyes and Mike Dilger discuss our peregrines on top of the tower 
Nick prepares to abseil down to the nest platform to
clean it up and maintain the cameras

Mike was already very well informed about our project, for example, knowing all about our world first video clip which proved that peregrines hunt by night - in our case using the floodlighting to see their prey flying over the Cathedral.

Very sodden prey remains found up there today included two woodcock, two fieldfares, a blackbird and a teal.

Update on 7th: good to hear from regular web cam watcher Kate in Devon that both adults have been back to the platform this morning in the sunlight!

Male brings an offering to his mate the day after the nest cleanup. Screengrab by Kate in Devon
And a view looking south....
Now, where can I hide this........ Screengrab by Kate
And another screengrab from Kate showing the male (and his ring) with the back of the female in the foreground.
Dare I approach her? Screengrab by Kate


Nick Brown
Peregrine Project DWT team member

Ps. If you want to see a white tailed eagle web cam there's one in Latvia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu7bChYGfiA . What massive birds and beaks!
Crossbills and black woodpeckers (making their 'telephone calls') can sometimes be heard on the audio feed and I gather a party of waxwings came to look at the nest the other day (while the eagles were away that is!). No eggs yet......but this Hungarian web cam shows a tiny chick (being fed a fish at the moment I watched it!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEYHrHPWVoA . Birds further south breed earlier.....and here's a Dutch goshawk nest web cam: https://www.vogelbescherming.nl/beleefdelente/filmpjes/bekijken/terugkeer-van-de-underdog .

27 comments:

kate said...

Brilliant coverage ,as always, Thank you Both Nicks,
especially Nick M for abseil and for allowing us to watch the clean up.

This morning Male brings prey and quickly leaves and after a few nibbles Mrs flies off with Prey.( couple of Pics as usual)good omen for the Season ahead,

Wendy Bartter said...

Look forward to opportunity to see this broadcast!
Miss the main event though so Nick M spared any footage I may have been able to get!
Do have some vid to edit of the Mrs perchedd then sleeping on scrape ledge overnight a coupke of nights ago ... thinking about eggs hopefully!
Thanks for all your hard work guys & thanks Kate for all your great screen captures on 'early turn!'

kate said...

Repeat of yesterday mornings scenario. waiting and bowing acceptance. pics as always on Flickr

Simon Hare said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Project Member (DWT) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wendy Bartter said...

Long vid of scrape action yesterday ... really had me thinking there could be an egg late last night ... til a sudden fly-off (which I didn't catch!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_WLE_TTjys

Hopefully all vid links should now work as I've fixed the 'bug'

Wendy Bartter said...

Mrs DP on the scrape late again tonight ... https://youtu.be/yxBAIure5Uw

looked back to remind myself ... first egg last year was 5th April but that was with the new (ringed) male (after mystery disappearance of original) who is still with her sooooo we may be surprised with earlier first egg this year??

kate said...

Another courtship before running away.Pics for anyone interested as usual.

Wendy Bartter said...

Great captures earlybird Kate, pleased to see them bonding after he all night vigil ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsWQvh_MdNg

Lisa said...

Was it just me or was there no mention on inside out last night???

Nick B said...

Hi Lisa: I've added the link into the post now. The piece starts 20 minutes in.
Hope you find it this time.

Nick

Wendy Bartter said...

Mr DP doing his death dive again! Lol ...https://youtu.be/THariJk4m6M

Wendy Bartter said...

Many thanks for that link Nick, just managed to call it up on iplayer to see the infamous Nick M do hs thing! Very interesting facts & views of your Cathedral & countryside!

Lisa said...

Thank you I'll look again, I recorded it and looked through but didn't see anything. I'll look at the link!

Lisa said...

No wonder I didn't see it the one recorded on my sky was about Dover for some reason!?

Wendy Bartter said...

That was likely the 'South-East' coverage Lisa, I had to make sure I chose the 'East Midlands' one! Hope you've seen it now, a great insight for those of us miles away!!

Vicky said...

Looking forward to a new season of fun and fear. Watching from Canada.

Anonymous said...

It is 10:30 pm here.

lisa said...

The funny thing is wendy i used to live in the south east but am now on the notts/ derby border! It should have been the midlands one! Oh well ive seen it now lol

Looks like Nottingham's Mrs p is close to laying her first egg of the year :-)

Wendy Bartter said...

So you are near to both nests then Lisa, how lovely! See Mrs NP has been getting you at it too along with Woking female & oour own Mrs DP on the scrape again last night ... just as we get excited they nick ff! Lol
Hi Vicky, good to have you back for the season ... thoe more eyes the better!

Lisa said...

Yes Wendy its great, i was just around the corner from Archie and Mrs Np the other day but didnt have time to see if they was there, walked about looking at the sky though lol and i pass near the Derby ones occasionally, well close enough i see the cathedral lol but never been close enough to see them. Maybe something i must do this year as my boys love seeing them too!

We also have our own pair in our town! They have been given a nest box this year and the webcams are meant to go live any day now! These ones im lucky enough to see flying over my house!

I see someone is home this morning, such an exciting time of year!

Wendy Bartter said...

Oh how lucky you are Lisa, please share the webcam link with us soon as, always room for more!

superbrad (Ian) said...

Looks like notts are sitting eggs.
a sad sight of the sitting bird in the snow

Wendy Bartter said...

Didn't realise she was back again but not at mo ... Bath have first egg @ 20.18 according to Nottingham FB page!

kate said...

Snowed scrape last night and this morning, but our Birds visiting and still touting for business ( Pic as usual )

Wendy Bartter said...

Shame that I just missed the bonding session ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h38SES8Dc7Y

Vicky said...

Oh no, snow! Poor Mrs P. Oh well, it will melt soon and she will get busy. Hi Wendy. I will keep an eye on things once we have something going on.