The clip below is made up of three sequences, filmed over a 10 minute interval this lunchtime. First we see the moment the egg is actually laid (notice the contractions of her body), and within 3 minutes the male flies in to inspect the "new arrival". But she was having none of this, and defended her position until he flew off again. After a few more minutes we get our first view of the egg.
It was a hectic afternoon today, made more challenging by the disappearance of the key to the cathedral's key cabinet. This put the tower out of bounds to us until late this afternoon when a relief verger came in to work, carrying a spare key. Then the process of capturing and editing the film was further halted whilst Radio Derby did a short interview for their news slot, followed by another with the Derby Evening Telegraph (local newspaper). Of course, it's great to know the wide interest in the bird's progress, and we'd just like to warn everyone not too get alarmed when they see the egg apparently abandoned on the nest ledge. Eggs will be laid at roughly two day intervals, after which incubation will begin in earnest. Until then we may see the egg or eggs left unattended for an hour or two. The parents will no doubt be close at hand -watching out for ravens if they have any sense. Note too that the red-brown egg appears completely white under night-time infra red illumination.
We had three people who suggested times closest to when our first egg was laid. But some made their predictions nearer to the start of our competition others – so I reckon they all deserve to win: Lyndsey, Chesterfield (1st April); Andy, Derby; (Friday 6am morning) and Veronia B in Cornwall (Friday morning). It’ll be a bit crowded on that rope when we abseil down in the autumn to clear out the nest! Well done everyone.
We've had a couple of YouTube video clips sent in by Ian Mackinnon, taken just after lunctime on Friday from outside the Cathedral, using a telescope and a mobile phone as a camera. Further video
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43 comments:
excuse me mr nick m, i think if you check again you will fing=d i was closest with the time and date guess, with 1st april, @ 00.45, that beats your guess of 1st april, 23.00 by almost a whole day!!
however, having considered the prize i am willing to over look it, hee hee
congratulations sir.
lyndsey,ches
Congratulations!! It's great a first egg, and it is a beautiful one indeed. They are very much in the mood now. Just watched a long head-bow-low ritual over the egg. They like eachother a lot now. Must be marvelous listening to them now!
Froona
Strange goings on indeed, 2:47-2:48pm GMT.
Both in the box, motionless, heads bowed. Dad being introduced to junior I wonder??
now eating something in front of pudding cam (2:41pm GMT), nice!
great days viewing!
Congratulations!! I'm very happy to have lost the competition!
Very cute...now let's guess how many eggs, how many hatch? ;) I've been on spring break this week, very considerate of your falcons to take care of this egg business while I'm free to spend my days watching.
Jan
think that should have been 2:37-2:38pm GMT :)
I kept an eye on the webcam this morning at work and no sign of any eggs but noticed that the female was on the nest and looked as though she might be about to lay (although I'm no expert!). I left work at 12.30 so just missed it by the sound of things. I'm at home now and just have my first glimpse of the egg. Thoughts for more competitions - How many eggs? When will first one hatch? When will first bird fly? I could go on...
Could someone (Nick?) tell us if any of the youngsters from last year have been sighted anywhere? It would be interesting to know. Thanks. Also will there be a Peregrine Watchpoint this year now that Cathedral Green is "Cathedral Building Site"!? Pam, Derby
Late last night - could have been 11 or 12 - one of them brought a kill back to the gargoyle ledge. I didn't know they hunted at night.
What's being built on the green, anyway? A shame to lose green space in the middle of a town.
I notice Dad (presumably) has been on the pudding cam each time I've checked today. Watching over Mom and the egg?
wonderful to check on here and see an egg! am i the only one who shouted out loud for all to come and see?!!
No Stephanie, absolutely not, I did too.
She seems to be doing a lot of standing up, over the egg. What's that about?
Pax 10.50am Canada
I gave a big shout too LOL
I thought it would be today, the way we can see the egg, it is like she is showing off to us :)
the way she is stood over the egg is how she looked earlier today when she was laying it, perhaps there is another on the way....watch this space.
glad to hear i'm not the only one to get excited! lol
i've been checking back a lot tonight as she did seem to be... well like she could possibly be laying another egg. how long is it usually between eggs?
I wouldn't expect anothe egg for at least a day or so. Don't worry that the egg appears to be unattended for a long time - this is normal with peregrines, where incubation only really starts in full when the last egg is about to appear. We can expect this and any other eggs to be left alone for up to one or two hours at a time.
I'm busy trying to upload some new clips to YouTube right now, so I hope to have something to show later on this evening.
Nick M.
Glad you posted about an unattended egg, too bad for me I read that after I'd been worrying for 5 minutes over no warm tummy on the egg :-) There is a parent on the nestbox edge.
now 10.20pm and i just looked on the cam and saw a lonely egg, was worried until i read the above posts. but then again, has she been back since? hope so, seems a long time!
11.25p.m. can see the egg but no birds! Wonder where they are
I got 2 nice videos of the peregrines today just after lunch. I used my Mobile phone through my scope.
1. One having a feast from one of the top gargoyles – I thought it was the male but thinking about it, it did have a very red bit under its rear end – could this be after laying an egg i.e. it was the female?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kYqX5wIMI
2. I got a great short video of the same peregrine again dropping lunch from one of the top gargoyles. She(?)looked so annoyed and seemed to be very frustrated looking unbalanced on the edge of the drain. I think she was annoyed at herself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4-Y_-cJGO4
Feel free to watch, use, Post etc and keep up the good work everyone.
Ian Mackinnon
I can only visit your site just now because of time difference, I know something has happened after seeing our birdie sitting on the nest during night time. Congratulations! even though I have lost the competition. Hope to see more eggs coming! Jennie, Hong Kong.
Ian, those are two great videos. Thank you for the links and allowing us to share with others. Much appreciated. Veronica B in Cornwall
we was absolutely jumping around when we saw the first egg.
Just pity the poor male at this time. I think that he has to continue mating with a not always receptive partner, and then he is in for a hard slog hunting and feeding for a brood. No fun being a male :-)
And I wonder what Ratcliffe would have given to be able to see a video clip of a peregrine laying an egg... a dream to him I suspect
Hi Karen Anne - re your question about Cathedral Green, they are building a footbridge over the river, paving some of the area and hopefully leaving some of it green! However, at the moment it is an unaccessible a building site, hence my comment calling it "Cathedral Building Site". I see it from my office window when I'm at work. Hopefully when it's finished it will be an improvement but we shall have to wait and see. The peregrine watchpoint was there last year but I don't know what, if anything, is planned this time. We could stop the traffic by standing in the middle of Full Street (the road between the Cathedral and the Green)or from a boat the river?!! Pam, Derby
We do plan to hold watch points from mid-May and have an indication from the council that a small area of the 'new' Green will be available for us to stand on by then...so fingers crossed.
If anyone would like to offer to help us run these watch points, then please contact me via enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk for further information about what is involved.
Nick B
How long can an egg go with no bird warming it or turning it? I m getting the heebie jeebies seeing it by itself there.
Hi Karen Anne: as Nick M said in an earlier comment, the first eggs are often left for an hour or more uncovered with no problem, so no need to worry I feel sure.
Nick B
Even if she is sitting now she'll still have full breast feathers so the egg won't be getting warmed all that much. Birds' feathers are incredibly insulating - touch a Peregrine from the outside and they feel cold. She'll lose these feathers over the next week to develop 'brood pouches' so the eggs get direct skin contact.
Graham
Okay, but I have not seen a bird in it for some hours, although I have not been watching continuously...
How long can they go between each egg lay - it's been a couple of days now since the first egg?
Anna, Ripley
The gap between eggs is usually about two days but can be more.
Maybe a second egg by or during this evening?
Nick B
Why is it we can't see much on the new camera in the evenings? Brilliant coverage otherwise. Are they going to lay more eggs?
I would love to see the latest comments first rather than have to scroll down?
Honestly, some people are never satisfied! The five most recent comments are now displayed in a box on the left-hand side-bar. We'll trial this for a while - tell us what you think. (The sidebar is in danger of getting rather full and messy).
Nick M.
Pax B.C. 9.54pm
She will lay her next egg when she is good and ready, she is not there to perform for us, just be patient, as for the blog, I just zip to the bottom and scroll up :)
Thanks for the updates nick, and the videos.
Second egg just got revealed. It's about 8.45am. I captured a photo but not sure how to post here. Veronica B in Cornwall
Patience rewarded with a second egg! Hooray! Nick C
Imust agree with Nick Moyes comment about some people never being satisfied, i dont think some people realise how much work is actually put into the whole project, then all the project partners all still have there normal day job to to do as well. I think we should just be very grateful for the great job they are doing and appluad them all on that,remember they are all doing it free and its all free to us. Well done guys at the project and thanks. Andy Derby
Any more news on a second egg? Any more photos?
My remark about people "never being satisified" was light-hearted! In fact, it's a pleasure to receive suggestions, especially if we can deliver on them, as I've managed to do with the new comments facility. It's only by knowing what people find good and bad that we can improve - so keep the suggestions and positive criticism coming. It's a delight to throw so much of our own time into the peregrines because it's such an amazing project.
We try to monitor the cameras whilst doing other work, so we hope to have something to deliver fairly soon. Thanks for reporting the new arrival.
Nick M.
Froona has a picture of the second derby egg up, at:
http://falcoperegrinus-froona.blogspot.com/
12.25pm and someones having some fun with the camara. its nice to get a close up and then further away
I think some people get heated very quickly at just a slight comment about the order of additional comments! We ALL appreciate what is going on with this project and full of enthusiasm for it. I log on several times a day and especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night, even tho some of the night shopts are not as good - this is NOT a criticism before anyone else has something to say. Keep up the good work its fantastic
Glad to hear there will be some viewing space available by May! I'd been wondering what was going to happen, with the Green being a building site (though I walked up Full St. this a.m. and saw that some of the solid screens had been replaced with wire fencing).
Kate (Allestree, Derby)
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