Last Lap

The peregrines have a taste for Lapwing at the moment. As well as two uneaten birds currently lying on the nesting platform since last Thursday, another was found eviscerated below Derby Cathedral Tower on Monday. It's also understood that an injured lapwing was found in the same place at the weekend and taken to a vets on Monday afternoon, though it's not yet known what became of it. This may be our first example of prey being brought back alive and managing to survive. Despite this toll on our wild bird populations, it's encouraging to know that the recent camera installation work has not driven the peregrines away; an adult was actively flying around the Cathedral at 5.30pm yesterday evening, and our very first video recording showed that by this morning yet another lapwing corpse had been brought to the ledge. (Lapwing photo by Stuart Whitehead)