Juveniles out and about

It was nice to see a juvenile visible close up on pud cam just now (Tuesday 19th at 10am).

Yesterday, about 10 miles north of Derby, I watched a juvenile peregrine flying with nine ravens. They were all enjoying the updraught by a hillside, swooping and soaring with very little effort. The peregrine repeatedly dived at the ravens, causing them to croak in mild annoyance and sometimes to turn on their backs to fend off the peregrine, which was clearly just playing casually with the corvids.

This display lasted at least 10 minutes before a light shower ended their fun and games and they all dispersed.

I suspect the bird was from a local quarry where they breed and probably not a cathedral juvenile since these birds seem to stay in the Trent valley as far as we know....though we don't really know much about the movements of the juveniles of course, having had no positive sights away from the cathedral since they fledged. One seen near Spondon a week or so ago could well have been a cathedral bird but unless someone glimpses the colour ring, we can never be sure.

The photo, by John Salloway, shows the moment back in July when a buzzard flew past the cathedral and was attacked by the female

peregrine - notice how the buzzard has turned

on its back to defend itself with its feet, just as

the ravens were doing yesterday - though they lack the sharp talons of the buzzard of course.

Nick Brown (DWT)