Watchpoints are now underway at Derby Cathedral's newly renovated Green - subject to reasonable weather of course. Follow this link for all dates on our Watchpoint Calendar. Do come down betwen 10.30-1.30 to see Derby's peregrines for yourself. They might even wave to you, as one did for local photographer, Colin Pass, recently!
Our four chicks really are growing rapidly. Ths mornng one went for a walk-about on the nest platform and gave a good display of its developing flight feathers.
It will soon be time to try and ring our own birds which we're hoping to arrange for later in the week (weather permitting) . Worcester's peregrines have just been ringed and have featured on BBC TV
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Here are some shots uploaded recently to our Flickr Group Pool
16th May :
by Karen Anne, U.S.,
by Jennie, Hong Kong
by Ann ( Canada ),
by Karen Anne, U.S.,
by Jennie, Hong Kong
by Ann ( Canada ),
15th May:
by k_15H0r3
by falconquester2001
by pocd1
by waynerawson84
62 comments:
Wonderful picture and great caption I just love putting captions to pictures. Still can't see how to upload my pic's to flickr. Where is everyone? Gone away for the long weekend? Keep up the good work all. Wish I could be there at the watch points. You can buy sounds on c.d.'s of Falcons. Hubby bought me one to-day. Hope the weather improves in Derby for the weekend. Mom and babies look quite content at the moment all tucked in for the night.
I think I have added a picture to flickr. Also managed to put it in the peregrine pool. Check it out it's listed as my first attempt at cropping and uploading.
will try something more creative as I learn. You may laugh but this is a first for me. We all had to learn right?
Wayne, the innertubes say peregrines can live twenty years or so.
That's a great photo, Ann.
@ Julie:
I retried the search, and it worked ok. I think you must be on the main page - or try this link.
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/search?q=pudding+cam
It is not the cam that looks like xmas pud - it was the polystyrene mock-up that was used to see if the idea would work.
@ Ann (Canada):
Well done on your first attempt. It looks as good as any of the others.
Remember to keep the black title strip in some, so that we can see the date and time.
@ Wayne:
Great photos on Flickr - taking such shots needs lots of tough elements to come together. Birds moving slow enough, close enough, enough light, big lens, lens-cap off, steady hand, ... and being there!
hi everyone, it looks like its feed time for the chicks again. although i am off into town to get my seat at the green. so hope to see everyone down there
@ Anon:
I hope you have taken your umberella - the pudding cam shows some very dark clouds.
Have fun on the green! We, who cannot make it, are expecting some exciting new reports and photos.
Feeding is over for the moment. Shots on Flickr as usual.
The 4 Worcester chicks were ringed last Thursday and there is a much better camera now. They are slightly older than the Derby chicks. Check them out at:
http://www.worcester.gov.uk/peregrine/
Its wonderful to see peregrines in our cities. These birds are magnificent.
Roger - thanks, yes I was on the wrong page .....sigh .....
Have the chicks doubled in size overnight? How fantastic to watch the growing and developing so well - long may it last!
Julie
I just logged on and said the same thing - they absolutely do look like they have doubled in size overnight!
Loved the pictures of the Worcester ringing - from the look of the hands with the blood and scratches it looks like the chicks put up quite a fight!
Thanks to everyone for the pictures both here and on flickr - much appreciate everyone's hard work.
Great video of the chick going walkabout ... and of Mum keeping an eye on what he is up to.
@Julie:
I think the webcam is zoomed in a little more today, making them seem bigger.
Yesterdays shots showed a bit of street in the bottom left corner, so it was zoomed out from the current image.
Sometimes if you are really lucky, you are watching when one of the team zooms right in - I have managed to catch one such shot this month.
Nick are reading? more tinkering with the zoom is required, especially if my finger is near the screen print-button :)
Youngsters just got fed again.
mmm zoom or no zoom they are decidedly growing fast.
You can see their feathers starting to develop, and the rascals are inceasingly mobile.
Ha ha! as I type, one has just peered upwards with head on one side - practicing Mum's look when Mr P has not brought anything for a while.
re "Mums look" - I would not have believed just how many facial expressions a peregrine could have until I watched this family! Guilt, concern, pride, exasperation, curiosity - the list goes on!
Thanks all so much for the comments about my first picture added to flickr. Sorry I forgot to add the date and time. Was so excited about it forgot that part. I have done another with a heading on it but now I can't remember how I got it into the pool. Will keep trying. Mom looks very wet and ruffled to-day. Hope they are keeping warm. So many deleted comments are we having troubles again? Well everyone enjoy the watchpoints inspite of the weather.
Afternoon Tea time - yummy!
Hi everyone,
just a quick note to say that the male is back to his normal self of not supplying food, he was flying about this morning trying to find any scraps of food left by the young, then flew off. he did not re appear untill after the female had brought some food back. but even she had to have a few flights before she got anything. but when she did come in it looked quite big. this happened just as the official watch point were packing up. once the female had fed the young, she went to store the rest of the catch. but the male then followed her and retrieved it. Much to the discust of the female. apart from getting wet, a few times it was a good day all considdered. quite alot of passing interest at the watch point today. and a good day was had by all.
Feeding time again, very healthy looking youngsters!
Feed time
Is that Dad feeding, and Mum supervising?
Yes I think so how good is that?
She has probably told him he has to give the feed being as she had to hunt for it!
You get the feeling .... there is more grub to come !!
Mum or Dad is back on the ledge and looking very busy, so maybe 'seconds' is on it's way.
I've put pix of Dad feeding chicks onto Flickr
LOL that's it. He's off to find his own supper.
That was strange. The feeding with a new dinner item started, but after 5 minutes was broken off.
@ Phoebe:
Nice shots of "feeding whilst under close supervision".
Who's that in the scrape I can't tell if it's Mum or Dad? Looks small enough to be Dad to me.
Dad is sitting patiently with the chicks bless him...
Do you get the impression that Mum has read him the riot act and reminded him that they are HIS kids as well? He looks very contrite to me!
Feed time again
Mum fed the chicks till they collapsed, then tucked in herself. Dad was dozing above and saw her take the leftovers, the look on his face was a picture. I bet she will hide it away. she left some in the scrape, he will go get it lol
Soon after the falcon took the leftovers to the food cache, Mr tiercel vanished from pudding cam view. One guess where he has sloped off to! Probably just taking the dog for a walk. :-))
I suspect that by the time these kids leave home there might be a visit to Marriage Guidance on the cards :-)
Karen Anne Thank you so much about my comment about my first attempt at posting on flikr and my attempt attept at cropping. I have several pictures on my files and I would like to post them. Especailly from last years pictures. I Do not think I can remember how I did it. Must have been a fluke.
will keep trying though. How do I post a picture on my comments like you do. Please e-mail me on maritime_lovers@hotmail.com. Thank your Karen Anne xxxx
@ Roger
Yes I seen him rubbernecking when the falcon flew off with the cache then disappear ;-) typical! I put some screenshots on Flickr
can anyone tell me the last time the male was seen bringing in the food? i know i saw him early on in the week but i was wondering if anyone has seen him since. im not worried or anything just curious about his hunting habbits
@ Wayne - He could be catching and passing the prey on to the falcon to bring back, as we cannot see what they are up to when out of sight of the cathedral. I have some screen-shots from late this afternoon of the male feeding the chicks, I'll have a look through them to see who brought that prey in.
i feel there is more to it than that as he disappears for long periods of time and returns empty handed, a question for colin, is it possible he is hunting and eating what he is cathing and then trying to get more for the chicks and not being able to?
3 am and looks like mum is having an early breakfast whilst the babes are sleeping ... posted on flickr.
She was crafty thre ... I thinkk she had a food stash for when everybody was asleep and dad was down the pub ...
pax Canada 8.26pm
Falcon hugging the pudding cam
Ann (Canada),
I am not sure what you are asking how to do?
I added some photos to my area on flicker of the critters who visit the feeding area on my deck and some neighborhood horses. You can see them by clicking on my name under one of my photos in the peregrine group.
pax Canada 11.35pm
falcon still hugging the pudding cam
@Ann (Canada):
I have made a few screenshots of how to upload to Flickr, and from there how to add to the group pool.
Look for the Using Flickr Set in my photostream. Click on the name rejsharp under any of my shots to get to my stream.
This may get you there more easily.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909590@N05/sets/
I think that you also wanted to know how to embed a link to a photo in this blog text. I don't know - but I bet we have the answer in a short while!
@ Anne (Canada):
Big viewing - from the set view, choose Detail, rather than thumbnail. After selecting the shot, choose "All Sizes" icon to get a big fat view where the text is easier to read.
Chicks all hunkered down while parents off foraging. They'll be doing their best to keep warm I expect if the weather in Derby is like here in Bucks (cold and wet). There's an adult at pudding cam but doesn't seem to have anything for them, despite their occasional hopeful looks up from the huddle.
I was idly wondering, prompted from the logo at the top of various pages, what IS about Derby and RAMS? (sorry to be so ignorant, but I am a mere southerner!)
@Sue in Bucks:
Wikipedia he say...
Derby's emblem is the Derby Ram, about which there is a folk song entitled The Derby Ram. It is found in a number of places, most notably in the nickname of Derby County FC of "The Rams." A stylised depiction forms the logo of the City Council's services. but the logos seems more complex I agree.
Watchpoint Report for Saturday 16 May
A quiet day in all respects. We had around 60 visitors during the session.
The female peregrine spent quite a while perched on the waterspout by the pudding cam or on the pinnacle above giving good views between rain showers. The male was absent for most of the session being seen briefly at around 11.00 escorting 2 buzzards off to the Northeast. He returned briefly during a rain shower at around 12.30 before heading off to the North. From about 11.30 the female spent most of her time brooding the chicks to protect them from the inclement weather but at around 13.00 she too flew off purposefully over the Assembly Rooms before returning from the North with a pigeon, followed closely by the male – the assumption being that he had caught the bird and passed it to his mate out of our sight.
We left with the female feeding the chicks who could be seen quite clearly.
Hopefully, by next weekend, the chicks will be big enough to be regularly seen well from the watchpoint rather than the brief glimpses we have been getting.
Thankyou to all those who turned up to see these birds in such indifferent weather and a big thankyou to Celia and Helen for their help running the Watchpoint.
@ Sue in Bucks - LOL I take it you have no interest in football.
The youngsters have been fed, and are resting. They are tucked well into the corner, away from the inclement weather.
Hi everyone, just been down to the cathedral, the male spent most of the time hugging the pudding cam. the female then came down to the lower roof t upto the gargoyals before the male flew off. she then went below the ledge to get some scraps and went back to feed the chicks. i dont have any idea where the male went but he did not return while we was sat there.
@ Andy and Chris M
It was good to meet you on Saturday, we thoroughly enjoyed the day despite the rain showers. I was wonderful to see these birds in life! It was my first time and I am hooked already!
I would like to thank you, Wayne and everyone else there for your information and use of scopes etc.
@ Wayne - If the weather is good I will be at the cathedral on Wednesday, hope to see you there.
Just seen Mum look up from the nest then on the pud cam something fell down, possibly feathers so Dad may have brought lunch!
ther's a chick gona walkabout on the other side of the scrape!
Has anyone seen a feed today?
LOL Just added the pic of 'trouble' playing hide and seek, and took so long working out how to do it that Phoebe got there before me!
Back to the drawing board!
@Phoebe:
They were fed at around 10:120, later I do not know as I have been out.
@ Kishore - what's football? Just kidding - but sadly, no, I have zero interest in that noble sport. Actually, I WAS dimly aware that the football team have that nickname - but which came first - naming the city or naming the football team? Why would a football team just get called "rams"?
@ Roger (AT) - good thinking to ask Wikipedia, didn't think of that. Maybe it'll answer my remaining questions - or maybe even Derby City Council's website - or, come to think of it, our intrepid Nick Moyes, custodian of Derby City Museum. If he can't tell me, I'm a banana!
Well, Wikipedia tells me that the Derby ram was a fabled creature of english folk story. It was of gargantuan proportions and the associated folk song told of the difficulties of butchering it. In 1855, the First Regiment of the Derbyshire Militia adopted a ram as their mascot. There, who needs a museum curator and expert (just kidding)
Feed time...
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