Monday, 12 February 2007

More prey and an alternative roost site

Recent visits to Derby Cathedral to look for prey remains turned up the beak of a jack snipe (the first record of this species this winter - we found two last year), the wings of two teal and a wood pigeon and feathers from magpie, lapwing, woodcock and black-headed gull.
On one visit, the female was busy plucking food on the nest platform on the tower's east side. On another visit, the male was sitting high on the south side of the tower. Later he flew off to the east over the river and was re-located on the top of the tall aerial mast at the new police headquarters in Chester Green.
The female was sitting a few feet away from him, her back turned to the sun. Neither bird took the slightest notice of a lesser black-backed gull which was circling above them making alarm calls. After a while, and getting no reaction from the falcons below, the gull drifted off southwards.

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