With the Watch Point now at an end for 2007, I would like to thank all the volunteers who have helped down on Cathedral Green since we began back in mid-May. My job of organising the rota has been made easy, having such a splendid team who so willingly have given up their time to stand for hours on end, helping visitors to see and learn about the falcons.Here's the list of helpers and I trust I've not left anyone out! In no particular order, they were:
Brian & Margaret H, Celia H, Sue J, John B, Sue and John H, Allan H, Ian & Judith F, Lizz D, Margaret K, Steve & Ann R, Andy & Chris M, Dave R, John B, Malcolm H, Tony G, Nick M, Tony S, David P, Ian H and also Wildlife Trust staff Sarah D, Sarah S, Nell T and Philip P. Plus a further note of thanks to Andy and Barry, regular watchpoint attendees, for their help on many occasions.
I'll post a total of donations received early next week - there's still some to bank yet.
I'll post a total of donations received early next week - there's still some to bank yet.
We've certainly had a very wide range of people visit us over the six weeks. Local people have predominated but we've also had visitors from all parts of the UK plus tourists from Italy, Spain, New Zealand and Holland, to name but a few. We've had people aged 2 to 90, people on crutches and in wheelchairs, people who have never seen (or in some cases never even heard of) peregrines before and others who have seen them all over the world.
Add these thousands to the web cammers and the TV, radio and newspaper audiences and we have already engaged with a huge number of people across the world, giving peregrine conservation wide coverage and also putting Derby firmly on the global map!
Keep the blog comments coming won't you? Tony G, Nick M and I have tried to answer your comments and questions but no doubt you'll have more yet....
In return we'll endeavour to keep you informed of any news of our falcon family. We just need some better weather don't we? It has rained all day today without ceasing! Perhaps Sunday will be better......
Keep the blog comments coming won't you? Tony G, Nick M and I have tried to answer your comments and questions but no doubt you'll have more yet....
In return we'll endeavour to keep you informed of any news of our falcon family. We just need some better weather don't we? It has rained all day today without ceasing! Perhaps Sunday will be better......
Nick B
29 comments:
Could I just say on behalf of Andy and myself the pleasure we all ours.
We not only enjoyed passing on some of the knowledge we have gained over the last 2 years, We renewed some friendships and met some new and interesting people.What a shame the hats have only just come out !!! But thinking about it we would not have had time to cut and colour them, Also they may have restricted our vision.
We shall continue to visit the green and are happy to support vistors when we are there.
Looking forward to next year
Chris and Andy M
Thinking about my mention of New York, and I'm from New England, it occurred to me, is there a New Derby?
The best google maps could come up with in the U.S. is a New Derby Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Yes, there is an (old) Derby Street there also.
I heard someone on Cathedral Green saying it would have been nice to have had the name of the peregrine falcon in many different languages for visitors to see. I personally saw Iraqi people struggling to understand what the bird species was. Perhaps bloggers here can suggest the right names and countries for peregrines? Oh no! - I've just invented another quiz: how many names can you find? Aaaah!
No idea what the Iraqi name for peregrine might be, let alone the Kazakstani name (we had an asylum-seeking young man from that country visit the watch point one day incidentally). No doubt someone will successfully find these on the internet.....
European names include French - faucon pelerin, Dutch - slechtvalk, German - wanderfalk and Swedish - pilgrimsfalk, names which allude to the bird's wandering habits, like those of a pilgrim.
Derek Ratcliffe's book states that in N. America the bird is known as the duck hawk (still true?) whereas J. J. Audubon, the american bird artist who lived between 1785-1851, knew it as the great-footed hawk.....
1952 and a bird is eating her or even his supper in a now very deserted nest!!
A duck hawk? Never heard that, it is a peregrine falcon here in the U.S.
Is that Mom on the nest surveying the world?
the following proves one of two things. I have a very inquisitive mind or I am more eccentric than previously thought!!
the following according to google are definitions of pereguin falcon
coko pereguin- russian
pereguin valk- dutch
pereguin yepaki- greek
falcodel pereguin-italian
pereguin falke- german
faucon de pereguin-french
hakon de pereguin- spanish
fakao do pereguin- portugese
So should any of the above visitors should call at the watch you now know. The iraqi definition is beating me at the minute but tomorow is another day!!
Good night to one and all!!
to our iraqi visitor the word could possibly be falco peregrinus!!
If I am right can I volunteer some one to clean out the nesting box ready for next year!!
7.05pm B.C. Canada time, spotted one of the falcons just underneath the left hand side of the nesting box
Yes, looks like someone's tucked in for the night there.
07:13 An adult bird on the nest - looks too big to be 'dad'.
John
"Dad" was still on the nest, looks like he's trying to find the girls. Jennie, HK.
813 gmt and there is one of the family on the edge of the box.
8.30 Could Mum possibly be feeling broody as she spends so much time at the nest - I don't imagine peregrines have more than one brood a year as rearing there young takes up so much time and energy??
Anna, Ripley
0828 and the lone periguin is still sat there. Do you think he/she is capable of missing the family? I know when one of our two pet birds passed away the remaining one was really subdued for a good few weeks. And if one was out and the other in the cage they would shout to each other as though they were telling each other off!!
Maybe it is thinking of happier times when it was all go or possibly enjoying the respite now they havent got the responsibility of the others to fend for. yesterday who ever was on the box was screeching like mad and they kept craning there neck round and looking above the box as though they were trying to communicate with who ever was out of camera shot
This project has really proved to be facinating and once again many thanks for all involved and roll on next year!!
clive matlock could the bird be useing the platform to look out for pray ? still there at 9:30 am
thats a thought though it has got his/her back to the out side world!! 9.40 am and still there!!
maybe with it being a sunday morning it is waiting for pray with the cathedral congregation!! ha! ha!{pray/Prey!!}
1055 and it is still sat there quite happily preening!! If it could join in the service would it be singing All things bright and beautiful!!
Is this mum or dad? Looks like it is the same bird, has been here for 3 hours? I wonder why other birds are not using this nest when it's empty. Jennie, HK.
!3:55 and still there...........
Min
Gorgeous falcon in the nest box still...
looks like mummy in the nestbox 17.22 local time, such a pleasure to see her
I'm just back from visiting "The Somme" (91 years on from "the big push" this day 1916) and first thing I did was check this website!
So glad to see all is still well. Birds played a big part in my Somme visit - larks singing their hearts out over beautiful countryside, tranquil after the horrors of WWI. ".. and in the sky, the larks still bravely singing fly, scarce heard amid the guns below" Looking forward to visiting Derby in the autumn and coming to see what you are up to at the museum.
Oh yes, I was rubbish at "spot the birds" - although it's just sooooooo obvious now you point them out!
20.05 Aaah! Mum's back at the nest box.
Anna, Ripley
evening all
There has been one of our feathered friends on the box for about an hour now. Strange cos same happened last night.
21:53 and one bird is in residence at the box.
We were down on the green on friday
evening about 7.30 mum was on one gargoyle and the two girls were tucking into a pigeon on an other,
one of the girls must have lost her balance and tuck off carrying the pigeon but then dropped it, you should have herd mum playing hell at her.no supper that night.I had look at the pigeon it was all thare except for the head and part of the breast.yummy!
S&H
Someone is spending the night(?) below the box, hard to see clearly who it is.
Post a Comment