Here are a couple of excellent photos taken by Graham Whitmore and although they have been used on this blog last year I make no apology for using them again. The upper one shows the male indulging in a bit of preening and quite by chance, looking as if he is waving to the admiring watch point viewers below.
The second is a flight shot of the female leaving the tower and was used on
the cover of the DVD which continues to sell well. Click on the link in blue at the top left of the blog to see how to obtain your copy - or just come down today and buy one at the watch point between 10am and 4pm.)
the cover of the DVD which continues to sell well. Click on the link in blue at the top left of the blog to see how to obtain your copy - or just come down today and buy one at the watch point between 10am and 4pm.)All the worries expressed by commenters on the blog recently are understandable and it is always a possibility that one of the chicks could fall or get knocked off the edge of the platform, but these birds have a very strong instinct to stay 
put and to cling on!
put and to cling on!Fledging won't happen for awhile yet hopefully. The youngsters need to get much more strength in their flight muscles and there will be days of flapping before the most advanced one attempts to take off.
Those of you around in 2006 may recall that one of the three young that year failed spectacularly on its maiden flight and came down in a car park close by. Fortunately it was rescued, taken up to the top of the tower and performed better on its second attempt. This photo shows that bird in the my hands...and quite a handful it was I can tell you (its talons are firmly embedded in a leather gardening glove)!
Note that this bird has no white fluff and looks a lot more advanced in plumage than the young in the platform now.
Nick B (DWT)
17 comments:
Great pics, but why is there no sound on the live cam with sound ?
Just watched youngsters feeding themselves from a carcase in lefthand scrape. Parent sitting on edge of rhs. There was no squabbling, and they are clearly not starving. More perchng on the edge by the older youngsters. One of their discarded fluffy down feathers has stuck to the camera lens. We are just getting ready to catch our multipe buses to come and see them in real life. xxx Penny
Yes, to add to Penny's comment, I noticed a day or two ago that at breakfast the young were not as ravenous as in the past.
The stream was working for me for awhile. I am grateful for the camera transmitting stills, but what a difference the stream makes. You can see all sorts of things that the stills miss. The four and a parent were on the nestbox, and the parent was stretching and displaying his or her wings, and the still camera was clicking just so as to miss all that wing display.
It's also easier on the stream to tell how many of the young are in a pile, for those of us with paranoia :-)
Is the 4th chick ok? I only see 3 but it looks like one of the bigger chicks is feeding on something in the corner of the left camera view?
Hi, mim,
I see four, I think. Two are on the edge. I mistook one of those for a parent, but on closer inspection I think he or she has some down left.
Had me worried for a while there Min as it was number 4 in the left corner looking decidedly inert. Seems like it was just nap time.
I hope you will have a wonderful and succesful day today! From the pics the weather looks great. Hope you sell all the copies of the DVD because it is superb. Everybody watching the great cams of Derby should have one!
The juvies are fine and OK, all of them. They have such strong feet with mighty talons, no one will fall off. The talons close automatically. They have to do an effort to open them.
Yesterday I managed to catch a lot of spectaculair wingflapping! On my Blog of course!
Have a great day with lots of juvenile sightings!
Froona
Hi Karen Anne and John b, Glad all is well with them, I had sat watching for a good length of time and a couple of the bigger chicks seemed very interested for quite a while, looked just like they were eating! I too saw one sitting on the edge in the right camera and thought it was a parent to start with. Relieved they are all fine then. It's my first port of call every time I open IE, just haven't used the blog this year. Nice to meet you anyway :o)
Min
Good to see the live streaming back up and running...thanks to all concerned. I agree with the delightful Froona, and hope you manage to sell lots of the DVD's, it really is a delight (mine will soon be worn out!!) also that the day goes well, just wish I lived nearer!!
The birdie sitting on the edge starts flapping a little bit just now, can't believe they have developed strong wings at such an early stage, it won't take long for them to fledge. Hope they will be okay. Jennie, HK.
I have just been down to the Watch Point to-day and Nick and the team are doing a grand job introducing passers-by to the delights of the peregrine. Meanwhile 2 of the eyasses sit upon the tray ledge and look down on us all with imperious eyes. Mother, seems to be sheltering from the sun but also keeping a watchful eye upon the human hordes. The male was out hunting.
The webcams, whilst excellent, can not compete with the sight of a peregrine in flight,.. truly a majestic spectacle.cpfcd
We came to Derby today, and saw not only the chicks, the mother wheeling round and round the tower calling to its mate, but also (I think judging by the size of the telephoto lens) Colin! What a day! The helpers at the telescope point were friendly, and even I with my tiny cameras got some pics via their telescopes. Those of us on the Green also had some live action in the form of a brown rat attempting to drag off a poor baby pigeon. I also had a fab visit to the delightful Pickford House Museum, where I fed the tame robin. xxx Thank you. Penny
19.22 uk time and one of the chicks seems to be doing a lot of wing flapping and 'hopping' along the edge of the nest. even perching on the piece of angle iron!! really 'heart in mouth' moments....
Eyas #1 is certainly a very brave one. I was watching the live stream at about 520 this morning and he/she was on the ledge flapping like crazy, going from side of the ledge to the other and leaning right forward to see what was going on below. Gulp.
I think there's going to be many more scary moments in the next few days!
Mind you, who of us wouldn't give a great deal to have been Nick's position last year & be able to hold one of these birds in their hands and see them at such close range?
Does anyone know if the #1 eyas is a male or female? My money's on the latter :)
yep....i think you're right with your guess....i too think #1 is a female. great to be able to see them on the webcam...i won't be in the uk midlands till october so this is the only chance i get to see them .....many, many thanks to all involved for giving us this fantastic opportunity.
Almost 8.00p.m. just watched chicks live but without sound. Can't believe how quickly they are growing. It's wonderfull keep it up but would be lovely if there was cound. Not complaining.
Penny a friends dad borrowed me that lens, boy was it heavy. I think it would have been a good idea to use a tripod.
Regards
Colin
Post a Comment