Late note: there will be a formal Watch Point at the Cathedral Green tomorrow Saturday 9th May between about 10.30 and 1.30. Another one will take place the following Saturday (16th), same times.Further news of watch points will follow during next week.
DVD:Newcomers to the Derby Cathedral peregrine site may be interested to learn that last year a 35 minute DVD was produced which tells the story of these birds, has video clips of the whole breeding season and features not only the project team but also Chris Packham, the well known TV presenter (and now a BBC Springwatch presenter for the coming series starting soon).
By post you can get one (plus postage) from The Derbyshire Wildlife Trust by phoning 01773 881188 in office hours and using your credit/debit card. This method has been used successfully by many people perfectly safely, eg for making donations, paying for subscriptions to the Trust (we have 12,000 members) etc.
The price is just £6 (exclusive of P&P - please ask what has to be added to cover this). Also note that, thanks to the generosity of the producer of the DVD, £5 of your money goes straight to the project as a donation.
So you get an excellent DVD and make a donation to the project at the same time...a win/win
situation!
Please note that The Cathedral Centre and Derby Museum & Art Gallery both now have monitors showing the live web cams. So you can see what's happening on the nest either as you drink a coffee or have a bite to eat at The Cathedral Centre (or take it away with you!) or as you stroll around one of Derby's three museums - well worth a few hours of your time, especially should you be strangers to the city.
The Cathedral Centre is open 10 - 4 ......but is closed on Sundays.
The Museums are open 10 - 5 except just between 1- 4 on Sundays.
Tony G, Nick B & Nick M
Here are some recent pictures from our Flickr Pool taken by webcam watchers on (8th May 2009).
by nja1969:
by dave arrowsmith:
by crazeycoco:
by n1ck1ee:
Here are some recent pictures from our Flickr Pool taken by webcam watchers on (7th May 2009).
by cocotags:
by rejsharp:
by christineself32:
by cocotags:
by Dave Arrowsmith:
by k_15H0r3
206 comments:
1 – 200 of 206 Newer› Newest»Brilliant pictures uploaded to Flickr today. Thanks folks.
Can I ask one small favour for those who decide to crop the pictures? - could you try and add the date/time of the screen capture to the picture when you upload it? I suspect many folk might find this useful - I certainly do. We'll try and embedd some of the days best screenshots whenever we can into the bottom of the current blog entry.
Thanks
Nick M.
Pax Canada 1.29pm
yes he loves the pudding cam.
Ah yes all explained about the shadow I saw, I did'nt realise JURYS was in blue look black from the pudding cam view.
Mum just doesn't seem to be settling at all tonight, and where is Tiddler off too?? (I'm pressuming it's Tiddler, he/she is mighty small!)
Thr tiercel just left his roosting spot on the tower 05:52 WCT. I wonder if he has gone hunting? I think that the larder may be empty - judging by the few scraps that the falcon brought into the scrape last night.
For anyone looking at webcam 1 just now 06:43 UK time , you can just see a photographer in the bottom left hand corner. Very indistinct image popped onto Flickr.
Oh yeah, i wonder who he is then??
A very keen eye Roger!
Drat! I have a feeling that a breakfast delivery is imminent, and I must work in the office today. I hope some-one gets some nice screenshots onto Flickr.
So Fiona, it was the movement that caught my eye between screen refreshes. I think that there is more than 1 photographer now, but patient - been there for at least 45 mins.
Breakfast is served!
Clearly being Derby celebs, they now seem to have the paparazi in tow..........
Our paparazi is still there. Seems to be some movement in the bottom left hand corner.
...but more interesting than that is the fact that papa bird sitting in front of the pud camera. I think he's obsessed. Do the cameras make any sound? Maybe he's attracted to the sound if it does make any.
09:39 08 may 09
Feeding time, mum has a small catch.
Phoebe
Breakfast being had by all - gorgeous sight!!
Just watching the tiercel above – he was hopping from one foot to the other, quite comical. Pic on flickr
RJ
Brilliant pic on flikr, I think dad has cottoned on and wants to entertain!! He is lovely.....
Feeding time...
I take it back. They were acting like it was feeding time, but I never saw anything going into the babies beaks, and I couldn't see whatever the prey was. Perhaps it was tiny? The parent is now off the nest.
I don't like this. A parent returned, was messing with something invisible on the "floor" as though to remove meat from it, but no feeding of the chicks, and then the parent settled down over them.
The babies refused to go down after the last non-feed and mum took off herself after a bit of screeching, presumably at dad. He is now rooting among the pebbles for tiny scraps to give them. I wonder if the bad hunting day yesterday and today is due to a foot/leg injury? It would explain the hopping about and must affect the hunting.
I saw that too, but I suppose the parents also need to feed.
Phoebe
Sounds like food supplies are getting low and hunting is not up to scratch. Oh dear oh dear. Maybe someone could intervene by lobbing a few pieces of fresh chicken at the cathedral tower to help them along? :)
It is really windy in Derby today. I wonder if this is why they are struggling to hunt successfully.
Now i'm worrying about them all! I hope dad hasn't got a poorly leg that would be just awful....
peregrines dont have a great hunting success it could be 1 in 10 tries before they kill, depending on prey species available, and with them having to make more attempts because they have young, this could lead to injury. Give them time and they will master it as the parents look in good shape.
Derby feed time coinciding with Worcester feed time. This is not the first time....hmmm mind boggles
Quite interesting to watch the chicks eyes now. At first it was just "Open beak wide and hope" Now they have started watching parent tear bits off :-) How soon do they start helping themselves?
Which parent has the hurt foot?
If someone sees the chicks get really fed, please log it for those of us who can't watch 24/7 :-) Thanks.
Mum's left the nest.
I think it's Mum who's come back -with a tatty-looking carcass.
Just got in to see another feed, not very much though, it looks like a pigeon chick but something at least.
Phoebe
I think Tiddler is right at the front. They all seem to be getting something - but it's not much!
I've just added a pic of the feed on flickr
Mum is definitely feeding Tiddler !
Phoebe
It seems many of us are worrying about the health of the tiercel and his ability to hunt. Normally, he would not just be having to feed himself but also the falcon and her eyases.
Maybe I'm being a bit premature here but I have to ask the project team, at what point would you intervene (if any) by providing food, etc?
If the tiercel is indeed injured and impaired, what would happen in the wild? From some accounts, it seems that the falcon will go hunting if needs be but obviously that must put huge strains on her.
This might be controversial, so be it. If the tiercel is injured (and I don’t think he is) then the falcon will take over, whatever the outcome of that may be. I’ve noticed she has left the young ones alone for increasing amounts of time, which makes sense, they’re getting bigger. I suppose the point I make is that to intervene and start feeding the young would be against nature. These are wild birds, not captive. Yes, we have an artificially created scrape for them, and get a privileged seat at the action. But nature must take her course, whether that be an egg that fails to hatch, a chick who falls behind in the feeding, (unlikely from what I’ve seen, they are very attentive parents) or even a parent that gets injured.
I suspect the DWT have quite strict rules on intervention, and quite right too. Taking a fledgling bird back up the tower is one thing, stepping in to feed them might be something else?
Terry,
I think it was the Dayton, Ohio Dad who was left alone two(?) years ago to raise a brood. He managed, very heroically. But I would feel a lot better if someone brought a plump meal back... Anyone...
Nick(s), are the young old enough to regulate their body temperatures now if they have to be left alone while the Mom hunts?
Right, lets be positive, dad has spent a lot of time up in front of the 'pud' but perhaps it's just been a slow day, we all have them, surely nature does too..... It has been very windy up in these parts today, haven't a clue if this affects anything but you never know. At least the little ones have all had something to eat today, maybe not the biggest feast but something none the less. They all look contented enough at the moment, perhaps things will pick up tomorrow. Here's to hoping :)
Re. lack of food.living up in the hills to the north, maybe it has something to do with the inclement weather. I mean not many birds are aloft so not many to hunt
It look like the tiercel on the right cam is preening, I thought he looked like he needed it.
Phoebe
We had some worries about the tiercel last year. He seemed to disappear for long periods and sometimes didn't bring back food when we expected he would. However, the chicks all survived and I'm sure they will this year.
We hope that we are never faced with having to decide whether to do some supplementary feeding. Rescuing fledged young from the dangers of city traffic is rather different from providing the parent/s with extra food - perhaps dropped on the upper ledges and gargoyle tops...
The chicks are increasingly able to keep warm for long periods while not being brooded - especially if they huddle together.
Let's not worry too much..things should be OK and they are, after all, wild birds as has been said.
Nick B (DWT)
thanks for that Mick, I've been really concerned all evening and your comments are reassuring. Tracy
For the last half hour both parents seem disturbed by something higher up, they keep looking up. Is there anything happening in the area does anyone know?
Phoebe
The sitting parent (falcon?) is very anxious about something - she's been half-standing for ages & looking up as Phoebe said, as if there's danger, and the chicks haven't spilled out as they do when she's got up just to change position - they're keeping their heads down.
The Dad(?) is up by the pudding cam, though, surely he's on guard?
She got onto the ledge a few minutes ago, then went back & completely covered the chicks, with her back to the camera and at a slight angle to the ledge, presumably so the chicks are well out of sight. She's still very alert.
@ Karen Anne - yes, you'd think he would have gone out to see it off, whatever it is.
It could just be a rowdy Friday night in Derby, I wonder if there are any fireworks going off ?
?? how do I get my name on my posts instead of being anonymous?
Phoebe
@ Phoebe: re getting your name on your post, down where it says "Choose an identity", click on "Name/URL" and a couple of blank rectangles will appear. Just type your name in there - that's what I do, anyway, & it seems to work!
Just click on the Name/URL checkbox in the choose an identity section rather than clicking on anonymous, and type your name into the box that appears
@ Ann
Thanks I'll do it now :D
I see Dad has gone, let's hope he comes back with supper.
I'm sure someone is going to hate me for saying this - or for sounding like I'm lecturing you - but having read today’s comments you really don't need to worry guys.
These are experienced, wild birds, which as a species has evolved to live in the most windswept parts of mountainous and maritime Britain, capable of feeding on everything from swifts to small ducks. (41 species recorded in Derby, including a rat)
It's at the top of the food chain and food really isn't scarce - I just missed seeing the kill, but today at 14:30 I saw the falcon with a medium sized bird in its talons (starling/pigeon, perhaps) She was chased through the skies around the tower by the tiercel with one of them screaming at the other one. The female took the prey up to the top of the ledge and duly started plucking it. The male returned to guard duty above.
The east face of the tower is pretty protected, as prevailing winds are from the south and west. (I can speak from experience, having abseiled down with Nick E. on quite windy days. Sheltered below, but fresh up top)
I can't answer about how good the chicks are at temperature regulation, but the bigger they get the more warmth they retain. It's not been cold today - prolonged wet weather from the east is more of a concern, but when this happened in a previous year the adults were fantastic at protecting their chicks, even if they looked like drowned rats themselves for a few days. They start to get their real protective coat when their flight feathers begin to appear. They’ll remain as white, fluffy chicks for around 22 days or so after hatching, then we’ll see those feathers starting to poke through.
I do agree that both adults seem alert tonight- but we've seen this before many times. It may be there are potential prey birds moving through Derby using the cover of darkness and the female is sitting alert, watching as they move through, lit by ambient light from street lamps etc. Maybe there are extra noises out there tonight (I'm afraid sound is down at the moment, suggesting that one of our video recorders has frozen or been powered down inside the tower- this causes my direct connection to lose audio, so I cannot tell if that's the case.)
But apart from humans, peregrines have no native predators to fear, though I think Eagle Owls get them a bit bothered in other parts of the world.
Peregrines make an interesting school study, compared to, say, owls. Owls incubate eggs as soon as each is laid; the chicks hatch out at intervals, and if food gets scarce only the first-born may survive. Peregrines don't have to worry about food going scarce for their young, so eggs are left until they can all be incubated together, and they get fed and develop together too.
Because these aren't pet or tame birds, we would not propose to intervene if one chick had problems. Yes, it might be unpleasant to watch if something went wrong, but this is nature after all, and I just feel I'm privileged to be able to watch and learn more about how they live. Somewhere recently I think I read that two peregrine chicks had died in the nest, but were quickly fed to the others. That does sound horrific, but no more than what happens in nature all around us, but we rarely see it.
I hope this doesn't sound uncaring or patronising, but it's been another long day and I'm not sure I'm awake enough to go through all I've said above to check for more than obvious typos.
Thanks to everyone here who has helpfully asked and answered questions today.
Right, I’m off to embed some of your Flickr pictures into the blog. G’night all.
Nick M.
G'nite Nick M, thanks for the info. I do keep telling myself they are at the top of the food chain with few predators, you have reassured me and I expect most others who are watching. :)
@phoebe Glad you're reassured.
New pictures from 8th May now added to blog.
Both parent are gone now, possibly just out of sight. Chick are staying huddled together and look bigger than yesterday!
Mum is back and sitting. She could have gone to stretch her wings. I can go to bed now.
the male has gone again, i was not aware they hunted in the dark, unless he is stretching his wings
Nick m- No one will hate you for being extremely reassuring and informative, that's why we need an expert!
Mum is still alert but little ones all 'fasters' and tucked in.
Just had to get up and feed one of our 'little chicks', that's why i'm up at stupid o'clock!......
02:30 and shes been of the chicks and away twice, She still looks very unsettled and still looking skyward. Paul
Lovely pics. Up and running again on our own computer. Nice to be back on line again though did keep a check on our daughters computer once in a while. Lots happening and do hope none of the chicks have to be rescued from the pubs etc. again this year. Still unable to figure out how to crop pictures I capture using PAINT. If anyone has any easy step by step instructions I would appreciate it very much. Thanks in advance.
Just to remind those of you in or around Derby that the first Watch Point takes place today on Cathedral Green between 10.30 and 1.30. There are also monitors in the Cathedral Coffee Shop and the Museum. So come along if you can.
Pax Canada 12.18am
just caught a feeding, there growing in leaps and bounds.
some great clips of this mornings 8am ish feed on flickr is that tiddler up front?
can anyone tell me what the prey was?
8:55 Chicks being fed again, they look very relaxed now, ready for a long nap. Today is much less windy than yesterday so maybe breakfast was easier to come by. One question - Are the chicks vulnerable to other birds when left alone? Not that many other birds would choose to be hanging around looking for a meal near these two, more likely to be on the menu themselves.
Chris, Alrewas
Just a thought - is electronic tagging of the young ones beyond the realms of this project? I'd really love to see how/where they spend thier lives. I can imagine cost would be an issue as would constant monitoring.
I think the meal just now was 'leg of bird' just for a change. Couldn't make out the species from what I could see.
Chris, Alrewas
Feeding just started at Worcester. It just finished at Derby. Do these birds have some kind of timing when it comes to feeding?
Thanks to the experts for all the "technical" details, explanations, reassurance, etc., especially after your long day. You're very patient with us novices & it's really appreciated.
Ann,
Can you get the photos into Paint and the problem is just cropping them? Or is getting the photo in part of the problem?
If it's just cropping, there are two ways to do it:
(1) Pull down the Image menu and select Attributes. Fill in the height and width fields and click okay. This gets tedious because you have to guess and retry to get the photo pared down. If you overshoot and take off too much, you can back out of the last cropping by using the Edit menu Undo feature.
(2) The second method is to use the almost invisible little blue dots on the sides of the photo. There is one in the middle of the right hand edge, one in the middle of the bottom edge, and one in the right bottom corner. If you hover the cursor over them the cursor will change into different things. The one you want has an arrow on each end. When you see that, hold the left mouse button down and drag the cursor to adjust the boundaries. (It is really hard to home in well enough to get that double arrow thing to come up.)
Kishore, I've seen photos of the electronic monitoring things on cranes. They are cumbersome looking. I realize they have uses that are helpful in re-establishing endangered populations, but I always feel badly for the birds having those things on them.
As far as I know, the "tiny item tracks things" we see so often in movies is an exaggeration. Or maybe only the spooks have them :-) They have big things for people who are worrying about their dogs getting lost, but they are all too heavy and cumbersome for even a cat. I would love to put a tiny lightweight tracker on my cats' collars in case they get lost, but no one seems to have those little ones yet.
Hi: the chicks have no worries if left alone. As Nick M said above, the only bird that might take peregrine chicks elsewhere is the eagle owl..but we don't have any in Derbyshire or nearby now (there was a single owl a year or two ago...possibly an escapee... but it is long gone and was never close to the cathedral,anyway).
As for electronic or satellite tagging, this has been done with adults in the USA but is difficult and expensive. Difficult because you have to catch the adults or the young when they have feathers (ie you can't attach anything at the time of ringing because they have no feathers then, only down)...so we are not considering it at Derby and it hasn't been attemted anywhere in the UK as far as I know.
Nick B (DWT)
09:39 am It looks like dinner is waiting in the wings! There was a pigeon perched - seen on right cam. Pigeon's back again!!
Thanks Karen and Nick. I thought in this world of technology there might be something out there.
Just busy watching and thinking..... Are these birds monogomous? What would happen if a pair of peregrines were to become single (so as to speak),would they go on to find another partner?
And how far do they actually travel to find prey, do they have a large territory?
They all look very contented this morning, and big! I think Dad must have brought a pie back!!
Feeding time again! The chicks are all waiting and looking interested. Wonderful!
Feed time - can't see whats on the menu. Could be left overs from previous feed.
Looks like another feed for the chicks just a shot one.
Fiona,
In the nests I've watched, if a mate disappears another one often appears very shortly. Although not always, ref the Dayton Dad who raised his chicks alone.
I am wondering (Nicks?) if the time of year wrs the breeding season has an effect on this?
Sometimes an intruder will try to drive off (or fight to the death) an existing bird and become part of a pair. I'm not sure how often that succeeds, but I do recall (I'm a little hazy about this, since (of course!) the Derby webcam is the one I watch 98% of the time :-) one instance where it did and another instance where it didn't succeed but the resident bird was injured for awhile.
I would guess this happens mostly where territory is scarce compared to the population.
In one case (memory come back to me) the intruder had some reason to think she had a claim on the territory, she might have been a previously resident bird who lost a mate and was displaced the next year by another pair.
Nothing lives forever, so inevitably one bird will die first. (I hope not for a quite a while). We have seen other peregrines moving in over the skies of Derby at various times, so it's very likely that the bird left behind wil pair up again.
Karen Anne may be remembering the North American situaiont where pereginres are a migratory species, and in one instance a new bird took up residence in a nest site and everyone was expectantly awaiting the return of the female bird whose site it had previously been. I can't remember the outcome - I think there was a huge fight over the city skies and one of the birds was badly injured. But once again this is nature at work - the fittest surviving.
@Ann, Birmningham. Forgive me for removing your post. I don't want to start suggesting ways online that our birds could be harmed, even though your idea wouldn't actually work. Sorry.
I birds do range a few miles out in search of food. I've seen them hunting over The Sanctuary Bird Reserve at Pride Park, a few miles from the cityy centre. I went there this morning and there were Wheatear, Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, tons of nesting Sand Martins and a pair of Buzzard. The buzzards would e safe, but any of the rest could be fair game. It may be a bird reserve, but I've no worries if our peregrines targetted any of the species we're trying to conserve there. Again, this would be nature in action.
@ Paint users. Ditch the programme - its awful. Download and install IrfanView for free. it's stunningly easy to use. Drag mouse across area you want to select, then Ctrl+Y to crop. Then jsut save it. Easy peasy. Or use something like Photoshop Elements, but this is a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.
Thanks so much for the suggestion to ditch Paint. I am new at all this and did not know what else to use. Will try your suggestion and see how it goes.
Pax Canada
I am going to see the glass half full and believe that all will go well with the chicks, that they will continue to thrive and eventualy leave the nest safely, after all is'nt that what any parent does with their child? raise them and when they leave the nest hope we have given them the tools to survive out there in the world.
@ Project Member (Derby Museum): mea culpa.
Mum's been away for a few minutes now, presumably hunting?
Pax Canada
group hug :)
Feeding time it looks like another small bite.
Another moorhen?
The "Runt" at the back isnt getting too much of this meal ....
That ain't no runt - that's Tiddler!
Pax Canada
Ann Birmingham LOL re tiddler
Unless he gets some more food .... he will soon become a "Runt".... opps sorry Tiddler.
An after-snack snack...
What a good Mum .... that was like watching "Tiddlers Tea Time".
Its quite fascinating wtching this family ... Im totally hooked.
Dad's cosying-up to the pudding-cam again.
I'm sure the parents won't let Tiddler down he is the last born and they will make sure he catches up, they are brilliant parents. I feel honoured to be able to watch them!
Pax Canada
Dad back on the pudding cam, reminds me of that movie "Sunset Boulavard" "I'm ready for my close up" :)
If I’ve got this right I think the pudding-cam is located to the left of the left cam and higher up, which means he could be looking in on mum and chicks.
Is that right Nick?
@Karen Anne/Nick M?
Thanks for the info on the marital status of peregrines, and answers to my other questions. It's all fascinating, i could sit and learn about them all day, i love it! :)
I too thought that Tiddler didn't get too much at the last feed but then perhaps he's just full, he/she is normally first in the queue! The Derby and Worcester mealtimes do indeed seem to coincide which makes watching very difficult!
Mum's popped out, Dad's asleep in front of the telly, the kids are in bed ...Saturday evening UK?
Hi again, you advised us to ditch PAINT. I tried to check out this other thing IrfanView but discovered it's not free as you suggested. Any other ideas please? I need something that is easy and free. For now I guess I will have to do the best I can with Paint. It's just the cropping I can't figure out. Mom and her children look so peaceful right now. I see Dad still keeping close to the pudd. cam again. Really nice pictures everyone has sent in. Thanks for taking the time to share.
@ Ann, I tried it too but didn't use it. I use Picasa 3 and that is FREE but I haven't tried getting screenshots into it yet. Give it a go, I use it for all my photos.
Ann - IrfanView should definitely be free. Don't know where you looked for it? But just add the .com to find the right website.
To Anne, google irfanview, All free downloads, cnet, tocows. irfanview.com. latest version is 4.23
Ann
Use "Srip32" .... its easy to use and free. Im sure you will like it.
Follow this link;-
www.esnips.com/doc/226effc2-20dd-4313-aca4-ba64528f9079/srip32
OOOf i'm glad i leave all the uploading of pics onto flickr to my husband, it all sounds a bit complicated!!
I think the chicks could do with a bigger duvet!!:)
@ Ann (Canada) I'm pleased to say that you're wrong. Go to www.irfanview.com where you can download it for free. I'd suggest downloading and installing all their plugins too, for access to a variety of file formats and tools. (EXIF infor, viewing emf file etc etc) This is what their website states:
"IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative FREEWARE (for non-commercial use) graphic viewer for Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista."
There are lots of good, freeware image editing programs out there, but I've sworn by Irfan view for a long time now and thinks its really nifty. - useful for screen captures too.
Dad seems to be asleep right now in front of tower cam. (=pudding cam)
Yes, pudding cam is directly above the nest ledge on the east face, right at the top of the tower, sitting on a gutter and looking sideways (ie northwards)towards central Derbyshire.
Could Dad get any closer to the pud?!!
Mum seems to be watching something high up, it looks like she is skwaking too, I wonder if the tiercel is flying about?
Is that Dad on the ledge (other camera)? If so, he doesn't seem too bothered. I think Tiddler's right underneath Mum's tum, I just saw a small head poking out from under the side of her right wing, then a leg.
Yes I think it is dad, he's not been there long and he doesn't seem bothered with anything. He is obviously very capable. It is probably noisy in the city on a Saturday night, it might be calmer in the week.
There was one chick sticking out from mums side for quite a while.
They seem settled.
They all seem to be getting little dark dots on their "elbows", from what I can see.
having sat with the watch point all day today, i found my time well spent. female bullied male out of food first thing. he then flew off only offering brief glimpes for the rest of the day. female sat with chicks most of the day until she decided male was not bothered. so she went off for a good ten to fifteen mins, going right up high then stooping over towards chaddesden area, unfortunatly returning with nothing, but giving some brilliant views in flight in and around the area.
@ Ann, yes I've noticed that too, I think it may be the bone joints growing on the wings.
@ Wayne, that was a brilliant time you had, I must try to get over to see more and for real. Thanks for sharing that with us!
@phoebe,
it was a great showing from both parents today, there is another watch point on saturday i believe, from half ten till half one i should be there unless i am admitted into hospital by then with my knee, but hopefully i will be there, and on all other days during the week aswell, oh what a life it is to be off work ha ha
Mum seems a bit edgy. I wonder whats goin on.
Pax Canada
both falcons on the pudding cam
From what Wayne1984 posted earlier it seems they could have had a 'tiff' LOL, both parents are now sat in view on the pudding-cam. They must have made up.
They have just both flown off, the none are on the chicks.
Just added a pic on flickr of both falcons sitting on the ledge above. The four below look like they’re having an illicit late night poker game.
RJ
That's mum on the pud-cam the tiercel is not in sight.
A parent was with the chicks, then flew off, in the next minute or two a parent landed on the pudding cam ledge (looking for cached food?) then took off and a parent reappeared with the chicks. The chicks had open beaks but no food was present. Now they're getting cuddled.
Falcon flew off at 6:45 ... no sign of her yet, or the tiercel. Breakfast must be elusive this morning.
Wrong! She has just appeared on pudding cam - looks like she has "surprised" a big juicy pigeon.
Sorry no pics - I am visiting Horndean,UK and don't have any capture or upload tools.
Pax Canada 11.17pm
someone is having breakfast on the pudding cam
07:25 she has dropped down to the scrape after plucking the pigeon in a storm of feathers, watched for bit by Mr P .. whose tail sometimes crossed the pudding-cam view. Oh dear! Now the tray is full of feathers too.
All 4 chicks seen, but 95% of the time you can only see 3!
This is SO bad - there are such wonderful shots to get and I am in a hotel! Grrrrr!
07:50 WCT .. Feeding over, they will need a good long nap to digest that lot! Tiercel is in favourite pudding-cam cuddling position.
Just logged on to see that they have all claerly had a 'full English' this morning....... Super!
Good Morning Fiona. I think Mr P is raiding the larder
Absolutely, Fiona. By looking at the size of the feathers, the pigeon shouldn't be a small one. Jennie, HK.
If the teircel is injured does the falcon have to feed him as well as the chicks?
WATCHPOINT REPORT - Saturday 9 May
A nice, bright brrezy day saw about 100 visitors to the first watchpoint of the year.
We were treated to quite a good session with the falcon chasing her mate off a food cache at about 11.00 and feeding the chicks for a good quarter of an hour. Several visitors had very good views of the chicks being fed (some a bit too good and gory).
The tiercel flew off eventually and was seen occasionally throughout the session, once flying past us with a small prey item. At around midday, he was seen high above the Cathedral with a Sparrowhawk below him. Both drifted off in opposite directions.
Around 13.00, the falcon became restless and left the nest for a short hunting trip, never losing sight of the Cathedral, and we were treated to her stooping onto two pigeons about 1/2 a mile away to the North. She was unsuccessful and eventually returned to the nest and fed on the remains of an earlier meal which had been left in the nest tray.
As Nick B mentioned earlier in the blog, and as regular visitors to Cathedral Green have thought for a couple of years, this tiercel doesn't seem to be the best of providers which is probably why the falcon has been seen taking squabs from pigeon nests around the Cathedral this last week. However, they are experienced parent who have successfully fledged every chick hatched, so there is no reason to think this won't be as successful!
All in all, a good day with pleasant and useful company throughout from Wayne and Colin (see earlier posts).
If you live within striking distance of Derby, I strongly recommend you visit one of the Watchpoints and see these marvellous birds for yourselves. We will definitely be in attendance on every Saturday throughout May (10.30 - 13.30) weather permitting and on other dates to be announced - see the diary pages for updates.
Just logged on to catch up and I see the chicks have all had a good feed this morning but they haven’t fallen to sleep yet. Thanks to the posters. Feathers are still in the nest.
Looks like a little morning stroll around the nest box........
Is it Mr P doing the sitting this morning??
Mum is back with more food!
A little morning snack, come on tiddler!!
Wel I think Tiddler got a good fill there! Bless him.
Have just watched a prolonged morning feed at 9.46. Tiddler was at the back (facing the wrong way but over a series of pics (which I will try and edit) managed to manoeuvre himself to front stalls position. The chick top left appeared to be getting most of the food to start with but then the rest - plus Tid - got in on the act. One of the last shots was of the top left greedy guts stretching his neck towards the prey as if to start helping himself.
Finally managed to get an unfortunate pic showing the legs of the prey - with rings on both legs .... ummm ... oh dear ...
That pigeon on the pud-cam was risking it then, I got a pic of dad on his way in but pigeon has flown now!
Oh my goodness, the nest is in a right state this morning, what a complete mess! Pigeon feathers and peregrine poo! It's all been kicking off since I last looked in on Friday night (been away) and it's taken me ages to read through all the blog comments, well done guys.
That must have been some breakfast - they've all crashed out like it's the morning after the night before! And aren't they growing fast?
@Terri
Absolutely right, what a mess! Looks like they’ve had a pillow fight.
RJ
Every Sunday evening, apart from the first Sunday, the Derby Cathedral Bell-Ringers attempt to ring a Quarter Peal. Tonight's Quarter Peal, if successful, will be dedicated to the memory of Froona.
It will start about 17:00, last about 50 minutes and consist of over 1,200 different changes of Yorkshire Surprise Major.
Roger (in Derby)
@ Roger
If you go to
http://www.progency.com/
You will find a very useful "Screen Grab32 ", that is very portable and can be put on a memory stick, it does not need to be booted up on a PC ... mearly dropped on the Desk Top. I carry it every where for times like this.
Good luck
Sorry Roger .... that was meant for Roger(AT)..
Lunch time for the chicks, I just caught this but don't know what the prey is or how big, but they certainly are getting plenty of feeds!
Yes they are growing fast! Mum and Dad are going to get busier, I hop Dad pulls his weight a bit more.
Hi all
I'm reading the comments after a break of a few days when I've been busy on other jobs. Lots of comments with worries about food provision/suggested intervention/hunting abilities of the male etc.... I'd just remind everyone that all we are permitted to do by law is passively watch - peregrines are on the protected list of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1976 (think I've got my facts correct?) It would be an offence to interefere with them in any way ("rescues" being an exception and ringing only allowed by people with hard earned licences) Artificial feeding, apart from being unnecessary, might well cause interferance. Nature knows best - but it sounds like a good thing that the falcon is "on the case" when the tiercel is sometimes a pretty useless provider! Now, I must go back to my law degree homework (honestly!)
Could that have been dad feeding the chicks?
I think the falcon is now rossting on the pud-cam.
Roger,
That is really nice about the Quarter Peal.
Maybe dad is more web literate than we give him credit for.... I swear he was trying to line himself up with pudding cam earlier so it was looking over his shoulder... I can just see him thinking "if I can just get myself lined up right here, I might finally work out what it is that you lot are obsessively watching from this camera"!!! LOL! Good to see the little ones have had a good breakfast today - must have been a huge pigeon looking at the feathers in the scrape - those babies have visibly grown since yesterday!!!
Does anyone watch this live without the screen refreshing evry 6 seconds?
If so how do you do it?
Also will the sounds be on in time for the 5pm bell peal?
Wow another feed! they doing well.
Phoebe - You won't be able to watch live streaming of the peregrines thorugh your own computer. The project team did experiment with live streaming last year but there were quite a few problems with it. I think it is also a question of funding. However, I think live pictures are shown in Derby museum and the cathedral coffee shop. And there are always the watch points of course!
Phoebe, I went to youtube and searched for
bell peal
to get an idea of what this will be like. Very beautiful.
Phoebe - might be wrong about the live feed in the museum/cathedral shop...tried to find previous comments on the blog about it but couldn't. Sorry!
@ Karen Anne,
Thanks for that I will take a look.
@ Helen,
Ok no worries I plan to visit the Cathedral in the next week or two. Need to find out where the watch points are.
Thank you again for the suggestion and I hope indeed I am wrong. I was disappointed when I thought I had to pay for the download. Maybe I was on the wrong site, will try again and let you know. Thanks for your patience with me. Computers are wonderful especially for this experience with the Falcons, but sometimes they frustrate me yo no end (Computers) not Falcons :)
Roger (AT)<
I haven't used a hotel system, but couldn't you do screen grabs, use the deprecated Paint :-) or whatever program you like, but save the resultant file to a flash stick, then email it to your home address, post it to flicker, etc.
For the moment I am doing Screen prints and saving to a Word document - (Alt + Prt Sc) copies the front open window.
Don't know how I will get them into my photo editor but at least I have the pictures.
The monitor in the Cathedral Coffee Shop uses the same web feed as your own home/work computer and is not actual live streaming. We did try to offer live streaming last year but ran into several technical problems and a funding shortfall(!!).
Nick M would be able to advise on the Museum Monitor.
Tony
@ Tony
Thanks for the info. I will be visiting Derby to see the Peregrines.
Tea is leftovers, I think.
Perhaps this is just a snack before the main event...... I'm sure they are getting bigger by the minute! Little tykes!
I have to say they didn't looke over eager for another meal!
quarter of a million visitors bravo derby
@Karen Anne & Paul: Thanks for thoughts about how to get screeenshots from the hotel system. That system was locked up tight. Only browser, only 1 window, no minimising, no ports. I guess hotels must get fed up with scroats leaving mal-ware installed.
Thanks to those that left shots on Flickr and/or posted comments - now taht I am home in "Gruß Gott" land, I can check up on the days events.
Sunday 10th May 2009,
All Saints, Derby Cathedral,
a Quarter Peal of
Yorkshire Surprise Major,
comprising 1,280 changes, was completed in 50 minutes by bell-ringers from the Cathedral and St Peter's, Derby.
In memory of Froona Veldhuis who died 4th April 2009.
Immensely enthusiastic about peregrines, Froona was a very good friend of the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project and will be sadly missed.
Well downloaded the irfanView ok. I must have gone to the wrong site before. Now all I have to do is figure out how to use it. Oh boy thick as two planks of wood. Thanks for everyone's suggestions on what to use. Will try them all and see what I find easiest. Had a wonderful Mother's Day gift to-day.
TEAM, SEE YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER YEH :) When are you doing the rings on the babies?
A final look at the birds before my bedtime and it made me smile - Mrs peregrine is sooooooo struggling to get her rapidly growing brood all under her. A final look at the blog, and a sudden tug at the heartstrings to see that some lovely bellringers have done a special and skilled piece of ringing and they've done it in the name of dear departed friend Froona. God bless you, ringers, thank you for your kindness.
This is a bit off topic, but a few have had questions about how to add a picture to the flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/groups/derbyperegrines/ or follow the link on the top left of the blog main page). This is a bit longwinded and will probably be patronising to many. But if you are new to this, here’s the simple way to do it. (I do simple..)
A lot of maligning of ‘Paint’ but if all you are using it for is to grab some screenshots and add them to flickr its easy, its free, and its already on your PC (Mac users, dunno!). Depending on your version of Windows it should be: Start > all programs >accessories >paint. Once you’ve got round its idiosyncrasies, its fine.
So, you’re watching the pudding cam and some daft pigeon turns up. Alt + Prt Sc to capture the image, go to Paint, then Ctrl + V. Since the whole image of your screen is there, use the right hand scroll bar to centre the image (far right one – the image will have one!) Click on the dotted rectangle on the batch of icons, left mouse click and hold from the top left of the ‘Derby cam’ image, drag to bottom right. If you are not happy with the result, click back on the rectangle icon and start again. Then Ctrl + C. Then File > New. If you are confident all is well, say ‘no’ to whether you want to ‘save changes to untitled’ (you could save it in case you mess up!). Then Ctrl + V again, and the cropped image should be there. (Sometimes the default ‘white’ image is bigger than your cropped image so just hover over the bottom right of it till you get the double arrow thing (--> ish) then left click and hold, then drag to fit.) Then File > Save As and save the image to wherever on your hard drive. When you are doing that and have added a name, also select from the “Save as type” = JPEG. A lot smaller file size than the default ‘BMP’.
To upload it to flickr (on the assumption you have signed up as a member - painless, honestly - and joined the ‘Derby’ group) and I’m sure there is a quicker way to old hands at flickr, but this is how I worked how to do it last week when I signed up. If you are signed in and looking at the Derby pics, at the bottom is a whole load of links written in blue. Click on ‘upload’ in the ‘you’ row. Step 1 is to ‘Choose Photos and Videos’. Select from where you have saved it. Then the file name will come up on flickr. Scroll down a bit, make sure you have selected ‘public’, then click on ‘upload photos’. Now navigate back to the ‘Derby’ group. I go to the ‘Groups’ drop down and then select from there. Above the pics there is the number of photos (currently 340!) and also ‘add photos’. Click on that. Click on the photo in the left hand box and it will appear on the right. Click on ‘add to group’. Bingo!
Hope that helps
OK, so I've not managed to drag myself off to bed yet .... "Anonymous" blogging at 10:40, don't apologise, I for one have been meaning to try to get to grips with the mysteries of Flikr for AGES so I'm very grateful for the guide. I've saved it on my PC for a detailed study when I've had a good nights sleep (it really should be bedtime now!!)
Roger
What a wonderful tribute to Froona.
Congratulations to the ringers on making the Quarter Peal.
A
What a lovely compliment to froona, the bell ringers have done.I still think of her while I watch the falcons. Oh and by the way, what an absolute star is Mrs P. Cheryl Taylor Derby
@phoebe i know there is another watch point on saturday and pretty sure that the times are from 10:40 until 13:30 but i am not 100% positive. i am sure that the project members will correct me if i am wrong,
@ Wayne
Thank you, I'm not sure if I can be there on Saturday but I will try. I was going to visit in the week.
Re Froona, I didn't know who she was, but what a lovely thing to do in her memory. I was unable to be on my pc at 5pm for the bell peal but was thinking about it.
@phoebe, i am sure there will be people around during the week if you pop down
The watch points, are these the cafes and pubs with video in them or are they places outdoors where you can use binoculars?
They all seem more settled so far tonight, the parents didn't look to have had much sleep over the weekend. It's good to see them resting.
Hi Phoebe the watch pionts are where you sit on the cathedral green area and you can use binoculars, telescopes etc. i for one am down most days at some point aswell so i am sure there is always someone about
Since Im up and about, thought I would have a little peek.
No sign of Dad ... and hasnt been for the last half hour. Mum seems to be "cat napping", she must be tired poor thing. But all quiet on the western front. Another busy day today I suspect !!
HI Paul, i hope you are right with your prediction of a busy day today, oh gosh is that the time i was planning on going to have a look this morning as well, i suppose i should get a cat nap myself.
@ Wayne
You are as bad as the Mum .... Dont fall asleep when your watching them to-day, you might not get another chance. Enjoy ... and tell us all about it when you get back. Sleep well.
Looks like we're all awake and wanting breaky!
07:27 May 11th Breakfast - looks like they are getting plenty of meals from that pigeon. Falcon changed position 4 times, feeding them from different angles. All chicks looking lively and well fed.
Pax Canada 11.43pm
just saw the breakfast feed
They seem to have double in size overnight! If thats what the pigeon diet does to ones weight - I think I will be steering clear ....
Have the two parents been seen today? I looked on at 0030 this morning and the sitting parent was very distracted and edgy, there was no sign of the other bird on the Pud cam, when I looked back at the nest view the bird had gone and appeared on the Pud cam, a few minutes later it returned to the nest, hope both are OK.
Feed time - looks like they're feeding on little scraps.
@ Anon: Yes I did see both birds, falcon on the nest and tiercel on the gutter spout at about 07:00 WCT this morning. I went to take a screenshot of him, but he had flown.
Another feeding. First some scraps that were already in the tray, then she brought back something small, but obviously a bit more meaty.
I just watched that feed and it takes about 15-20 mins each time so they must be getting a fair share, I see Tiddler got a good bit. I wondered where the tiercel was last night and when he wasn't around this morning...
@ Roger Thanks for posting your glimpse of him.
@ Phoebe: Last time we were fretting about not seeing Mr. P we were informed by Colin that he had taken to perching in another place out of camera-shot.
I saw both Mum and Dad in the scrape with the babies this morning about 9.45am. Only for a minute or so.
Thanks to AT for comments about seeing both birds, second parent (Tiercel??) just visited the scrape for literally 10 seconds and then was gone, maybe for some food.
Looks like it's scraps for lunch, but Parent's being scrupulously fair.
I think another racing pigeon has just bitten the dust - saw a foot with green ring on just now (12.15)
Oh dear...... I'm sure racing pigeons are very tasty though, if that's what it was. Lookslike they are all having a good dinner. It's my first proper viewing today as i'm at work, it's most frustrating!
It's about time for the next feed I would think, been 2 hours now.
A rundown on what I have seen since the last feed.
14:30 Mum moves off the chicks. Three minutes later she is back with a snack. After about ten minutes she seems to be scratching around the scrape for titbits. Tiddler didn’t look to get very much that time. Then Mum is staring directly up. The chicks huddle together aw mum watches over them. Feeding time is over.
14:47 - On the pudding-cam I saw the tiercel land with some prey (mum is looking upward again) possibly seeing him land. He appeared to be struggling somewhat but then it was clear he was plucking as the feathers could be seen floating up against the wall. It took him quite some time I imagine the next feed will be a good one. Mum keeps looking upward.
15:01 - I’ve just captured a good shot of the tiercel flying off in silhouette and a shadow thrown across on the Jurys Inn!
15:15 - I missed mum leaving the nest but she is back with food, must have been what the tiercel left for her.
Another feed this time a good one Tiddler got his fill now.
15:20 – Mum quickly covered her chicks without disposing of any leftovers. All snuggled up now and mum is trying to sleep.
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