Monday 25 June 2007

Unmoderated Comments and Fledging Video

Detective Dan, Jelly, and an incredibly large snake plus our model peregrine at Sundays BBC Springwatch Festival With 4,200+ hits already today, I've turned off comment moderation on this blog. This means your feedback should now appear instantly, and keep everyone up-to-date on what's everybody else has been seeing. (That includes me, who still hasn't caught up fully with today's events. At our Springwatch Festival I had to follow on from Detective Dan and Jelly (the green puppet) from a UK BBC children's TV programme - a worryingly tough act to follow! Notice how our peregrine just snuck in a bit).

I agree with the comments posted by one of our stalwart Cathedral Green volunteers (for which many thanks from everyone) that I've not heard of any foot injury, and tend to agree with his remarks. Tomorrow I'll watch the live audio/video feed (which I know will make you jealous) but will also confirm that everything's OK.

I passed a DVD of the fledging moments to a BBC colleague I met at the Springwatch event today, so this may be shown on Monday or Tuesdays "East Midlands Today" regional news programme. (I'm afraid that won't even reach Wigan, let alone Hong Kong or British Columbia!)

The Derby Evening Telegraph also have John Salloway's excellent first flight picture for tomorrow's local Derby paper, and here's a picture taken by John earlier today of Our juvenile on a nearby roof, Sunday 24our fledged bird.Meanwhile, I've finally managed to post the fledging video sequence below. There are three short clips - the first showing our bird flopping down from the camera post after tickling the microphone a bit. Then a while later at 7:09am it took it's proper maiden flight, and finally the remaining female doing some good wing-flappnig, but not yet daring to leave.


Thanks to all the watchers, both on the Green and on the web, who are keeping all of us updated.
Latest News: It's 8am and it's forecast to continue raining hard all day - with risk of localised flooding in poarts of the UK (not nromal summer weather at all, in case you were wondering). I'd guess that our birds will stay where thay are most of the day, sheltering from the worst of the rain. The webcams are correctly displaying local time BST=British Summer Time.
It’s 12 noon in the UK now and the Cathedral’s mid-day chimes have just ceased. The sun has been shining in Derby for a while, but it’s breezy, and our birds are drying out. Both young birds are on the platform with one flapping up to land on the camera and microphone, then flopping back down again. I’ve assumed this is our returned fledgling; the other has been perched on the black metal strap, preening itself. I’m assuming this to be our un-fledged bird.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Super video.

There are two birds there now, one on each side, 7:34 pm U.S. East coast time, which I think is 12:34 am Monday your time. Both standing on that kind of rim thing on the front of the box.

nan in west yorks. said...

Hi peeps, came on at about 12.30 tonight and saw two birds. Is the missing one back? Or is it one of the parents? If it's the chick I'm glad to see it's ok. Hope it is.

Anonymous said...

It is probably monday morning June 25 your time ,^:30 P.M. North america time june 24. Only see onefledgling in the nest but alittle earlier I saw one below. Not here now. I hope they are both O.K. This is the nail bite time for all nests.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes fleglings will come back to the nestbox. If anyone followed the netherlands cam this year they will have seen that Hope and Faith revisited and slept there a few times after they fledged.

Anonymous said...

There are two now. One on each side. 9:51 pm east coast US time, 2:51 am your time? I notice these entries are time stamped, but they seem to be an hour off from what I think your time is?

Anonymous said...

Hope and Faith, that's nice.

Do the Derby falcons have names?

The San Jose, California falcon parents are Jose Fernando and Clara de Guadalupe.

Anonymous said...

When it was 2am, one chick sat on the edge and the other was moving around quite a bit. It's now 4am, both chicks seem to spend time with each other rather than going to sleep. They must have missed each other as much as we missed them. Jennie, Hong Kong.

Anonymous said...

8.50pm B.C time (joy and pax) as I call them) :-) are both perched on the ledge together.

Anonymous said...

There's only one chick left on the webcam at 4:55am ! Where and when's the other one gone to? The remaining one is practising hard on her wings, very funny! Jennie, Hong Kong.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Jennie,

I have been peeking in every so often all evening, and It is sometimes hard to see the chick who has been mostly on the extreme left in the left camera. The goop :-) on the walls acts as a camouflage in the dim light on that side.

Sometimes I could only tell she was there by seeing two tails when her sibling was next to her.

Both are there now, no question, as it is quite light.

Anonymous said...

I see both now also. I could only see noe earlier. I guess it was because of the light or lack of.

Anonymous said...

Cheers, Karen Anne! Not sure if they are going to fledge if the rain doesn't stop. Both chicks are all wet now (6am).

I'm peeking in and out too... on a Monday morning at work. Jennie, Hong Kong.

Anonymous said...

1033pm B.c. time, they seem to be having a heart to heart talk, but I think they are just trying to stay dry

Anonymous said...

Rain - ah, I wondered why they looked a bit like they were having a Bad Hair Day :-) That must be why they're huddled at the back of the box.

I really have to log off and get some sleep :-) Thank goodness they will all be fledged soon and I can actually resume my own life.

Anonymous said...

The weather looks foul with the trees in shot waving madly. I don't know if it's raining there but it is down here in Bucks. "Our" birds are just enduring it, huddled at the back of the box. It can't exactly be ideal for them but then it can't be good for any wildlife.
Changing the subject, I'm sure I woke up to the news that police somewhere in Wales are looking for the owner of a 15 foot escaped python. Having seen the main picture on this site, I think I may be able to help them ........?

Anonymous said...

7.30 Don't think our girls are going anywhere today if they've got any sense. Fantastic video - many thanks. This whole project has been a life changing experience for me, for which I am deeply indebted - not good for my nerves though.

Anna, Ripley

Anonymous said...

9:10am. Two little chicks still huddled at the same place. I wonder if they have made a single move in the last 3 hours. They seem to be keeping each other warm. Jennie, Hong Kong.

Anonymous said...

I call the girls May and June myself even though most birds are born around this time its just a name that has stuck with me, it would be good to give them names for future years chicks, which is better than 001 and 002 etc so why not do it.

Anonymous said...

I know just how those chicks feel. The forecast is a little better tomorrow so let's hope they'll be cleared take-off then.

Anonymous said...

This videoing is fantastic. Will be sorry when they fledge have thoroughly enjoyed watching them and so have my grand children

Anonymous said...

The birds look to me to be doing the best they can in the circumstances - keeping their heads down and weathering the storm. I'm sure they'll be fine - far better than attempting to flap and flop around. On a more serious note, no this weather certainly isn't "normal" for us at this time of the year. Yes, one has to took at long term trends, blah blah blah, ..... but it scares me. I believe it's because of global warming and climate change. We're all pretty much insignificant little individuals, but what we do DOES matter. We can and MUST take on Springwatch's slogan "DO ONE THING".
(I hope you'll all be kind to me when I get sacked for watching peregrines instead of working!!!)

Anonymous said...

Ive spent nearly 24hrs down on cathedral green this weekend, watching our birds, hunting high and low when 001 decided to go sight seeing, but i tell you what its all been worth it.

Anonymous said...

As John Denver used to say:- "If you do what you can do, and I do what I can do, we can make the world a lot better place."

John

Anonymous said...

11:56 a quick flight on and off the left side of the nest.

Anonymous said...

One bird has flown at 11:59. Alan, Crawley

Anonymous said...

The bird that flew was back inside two minutes. Alan

Anonymous said...

12.03 and one bird only then I assume parent bird came in with food. S

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

Just after noon the chick flew up on top of the camera, clattered its talons over the microphone for a moment, before crashing down. It then flapped from side to side pasts its sister. I've also added these comments to the bottom of the blog as an update, and will try and capture a good picture off the video server and post it on a new update later today.

Anonymous said...

12:30 and they're both looking dry and lots happier. The trees look to have stopped thrashing about so kinder weather by the look.

Anonymous said...

It is 13:34 and I cannot see any Falcons. Have they both left? Alan

Anonymous said...

I looked at 13.29 and 1 peregrine was there then looked again at 13.34 and it was gone and nothing on the nest.

Anonymous said...

It's been amazing watching the Falcons and the whole project has been very well managed. Very well done and thank you. Proud to be a Derbian. PS. maybe the birds could be called Derby and Joan.

SkipF said...

Any chance of a THIRD web-cam, one of ALL
the spectators in the courtyard?

Anonymous said...

Pleased for them they have gone, hope they will bve safe. Now what shall we do with nothing to follow. This has been truly amazing and thanks very much to all concerned, please do it again. Sandra

Anonymous said...

Hi,just writing about a sighting of a peregrine in Ilkeston on friday 4th of july. I was walking along Beauvale Drive when it flew from the noth going south out of or over Cotmanhay Woods. It was soaring and suddenly found a thermal, quickly rising to several hundred metres and then quartering the sky in a south-westerly direction. I followed it's flight till it was out of sight. I hope I will be believed, as I know a peregrine when I see one, especially as it was so close (50 metres at it's closest). Was it one of the young?