As the day of hatching approaches, it seems timely to offer a big, big thank you from the project team for the excellent donations we have received from around the world in the last few weeks since we put out a request for financial support .The running total is just under £800 which makes a really great start towards the total amount that we are likely to need this summer to cover all our costs.
There have been 17 individual donors so far - so a big THANK YOU to everyone of you. Your names are listed on the project home page, and new supporters will be added at intervals. Please let us know if we've missed you off or put in the worng details.
In addition, we received a donation of £150 from The Derbyshire Ornithological Society (DOS) for which we are very grateful. The DOS has been very supportive of this project since its inception, regularly printing news and requests for volunteers etc and a full account of the prey story (written by NB) in their Annual Report of 2007. The DOS website is at http://www.derbyshireos.org.uk/ and you will find much of interest there - latest bird sightings in the county, bird watching sites and details of their meetings and outings. Becoming a member of the DOS will put you in touch with the county's bird watchers......details on their website.
Finally, we'd like to thank our Tourism Office for offering help towards the cost of producing a new promotional leaflet which aims to bring more visitors - both real and virtual - to watch Derby's peregrine falcons. For more information on making a trip to Derby, go to http://www.visitderby.co.uk/.
Ps. The line drawing above is by Jackie Farrand who worked for DWT as
a graphics artist several years ago but whose art work we still use.This changeover was captured by Ruth in Grenoble this morning (27th) at 9.12 am......nice shot, thanks Ruth!
Nick B (DWT)
24 comments:
I'm back home safely after my trip "up North" and wanted to give Tony a big thank you for such a warm welcome into the cathedral (I made it with about a minute to spare before I knew Tony was due to leave) It was really great to be there (again) even though, to be absolutely honest, there's a much better view on the webcams at the moment than "in the flesh". I was interested to see that peregrine-related material has almost taken over the window display at the cathedral shop - quite right too! The cathedral green area is looking very smart too, as is the brand new bridge over the river.
We should see a hatching before this week is out - a tense time for us all I'm sure.
Sue, glad to hear you were able to make a visit last Sunday. Indeed, it was a bit quiet with the birdies during this period, I wonder if you saw the second bird. I was lucky to see one bird on the lower ledge when I visited the Cathedral in late Mar. Jennie, Hong Kong.
For those who have been concerned, both birds were visible - one on nest, one on tower - at 6.15 this morning.
Great to meet Sue yesterday, pleased you got home safely.
Oops, must go to work!
Tony
Whoaaaa!!! The mother (at least I think it is the mother) is feasting on something - can't clearly see what it is that she's tucking into, but its great to watch. Its on the pud camera. Having trouble copying/pasting images to upload onto image website. Perhaps someone could enlighten me.
Hi everyone, just a quick note to andy and friends, i will be down to see the peregrines in the usual spot on wednesday for the day. if you need to contact me email me your contact details and i will give you a call. note to John, i was wondering what lense you advised me to get for my sony dsc-f828 camera when i saw you on sunday.
hope to see you all on wednesday
regards
wayne.
email address is waynerawson_84@hotmail.co.uk
also i have to comment on the change over i witnessed before and the falcopn was happily tucking into what looked like a small pigeon or something of the sorts brilliant. cant wait for thursday and to see if colin's prediction is correct.
I was visiting friends in Chichester at the weekend and heard on the local news that one of their peregrine eggs had hatched. Well, all the plants are further forward down there too...
Kate in Derby
Pax Canada 10.44am
all looks well with mum,with the time difference here I may miss the hatching, but maybe she will oblige me and hatch one at night :)
Sue, glad you enjoyed your trip to Derby
Kishore,
I capture an image by pressing the Print Screen key. That's labeled prt sc or something. That puts the screen image into the "clipboard." (You won't see anything to indicate that that's happened.)
Then I open the Paint program and do Edit->Paste which should make the image show up in Paint. Then you can move it, trim the edges, etc.
Be sure to save it from Paint as type jpg. Then you have a file you can upload wherever.
I've started watching the Birmingham BBC web cam as well now, where there is a pidgeon incubating one or more eggs in an abandoned falcon scrape. I'm getting so worried that a falcon is going to arrive and turn her into a meal - I'm really willing her to survive and bring up her chick/s safely. It was brought to my attention by another blogger. You can find it on http://is.gd/pPQo
@ Karen Ann - thanks very much for the tip, I'll give it go. :)
Has anyone noticed the multi view has disappeared.
Pax Canada 12.05am
Kishore I have the multi view ok
Pax Canada 12.07
Oops Kishore, now I see what you mean, maybe someone wants to get a good shot of a falcon on the pudding cam :)
Is today the day for the first hatch? I read somewhere (was it here?) that the first hatch is normally 30 days after the penultimate egg is laid. That was 28th March, so 30 days was actually yesterday. Perhaps someone (Colin?) can confirm?
RJ
Yes, I was just wondering the same thing. Hatching will be any day now, maybe even today, fingers crossed for 4 healthy chicks god willing. Is it true that the mother can hear the chicks chirping just before they start chipping away from the inside?
As for the Fort Dunlop webcam, is it likely that the pigeon is incubating eggs or is it just taking shelter? Fingers crossed the peregrines won't come back this year. You actually have me quite worried now too!
Peregrine eggs pip at around 31 1/2days, the process to hatch can take between 48 and to up to 72 hrs.When the chick is ready to make an appearence it cuts its way out the shell in 30 minutes or so. So a rough guide of 33 days from the start of incubation, should see chicks. As a rough guide I said thursday, but it could be a day or so either side. So anytime soon :)
Regards
Colin
yes the eggs will be talking and calling to mum several hours after pipping the egg, and breathing air.
Regards
Colin
Terri: yes, the chicks do cheep just before they hatch out so it may be possible to see the female getting a bit fidgity and looking down at the eggs more than normal prior to the first one hatching.
Also, just to remind everyone that two years ago, only two of the four eggs hatched...the others were presumably addled/infertile though we didn't manage to collect and examine them - the adults broke them before the guys went down to ring the two chicks.
Re. Fort Dunlop; the pigeon would be very unlikely to be attacked by a returning falcon - they only usually kill birds on the wing. I would expect the pigeon would fly off leaving/abandoning any eggs/chicks and the peregrine would just let her go and not bother...but who knows? Nature is stranger (and much more interesting) than fiction!!
Nick B (DWT)
Thanks for the info Colin/Nick. I had a look starting at around 11.55 and the falcon (I think) was paying very close attention to the eggs, constant head down, fidgeting etc. Around 12.08 the tiercal (I think, or was it the other way round) turned up, moved in for a possible handover, and unless I missed it, was told “no!” Still constant fidgeting and inspection - 12.19.
RJ
5 past 1 Tuesday lunchtime. Just got a good look at the eggs - thanks for the close-up guys! I could have sworn I saw a couple of cracks appearing in them, but it's probably just wishful thinking. When the falcon came back to the eggs, she gave them a good close inspection before settling down on them again, so she definitely appears to be getting fidgety and expectant.
A plea for the multi image view to come back? A (slow) changeover at 13.10, but the action appeared to be going on to the right of the eggs. Was there a prey exchange? Its not on the ‘pudding’ cam. I think that’s the tiercal on now..
I’m a bit glued to the action again: work productivity = 0
RJ
i see there is a lot of movement today maybe the golden hour is approaching.
she looks very uncomfotable today is there movement below?
Caught a brief glimpse of all 4 eggs at 14:00:33 (camera time).
All intact.
Just witnessed a change over - the male literally got pushed out (I like the way she dominates). The eggs were exposed just for a brief moment. Couldn't see any obvious signs of crack in any of them.
Post a Comment