Fledging Imminent? (updated 22:00)

No, they've not fledged today! The shot above was by local photographer, Colin Pass, taken in June last year when he captured this image of the last bird to fledge from the nest ledge. Around 21:00 this evening there was a moment when reports suggested one of our birds may have left the nest for a few moments, but this is now known not to have been the case. Over the nicrophone to which the team have access, we could hear losts of calling sounds by the youg birds, with a parent up above, calling to them in return. Colin has just got back from the green, and this is what he reported at 21:50 this evening:

"Just got back both falcon and tiercel doing there best this evening to catch tea without success.Young screaming hungry. At times I thought one would get dislodged by the scambling and flapping. Tommorrow looks like the day, weather permitting, for a first flight. I might be a day out with my prediction for the 10th :) Nothing hsd left the tray by 9.30pm this evening."

This is another of Colin's recent photos:



With fledging likely any day now, there was plenty of activity in the nest platform this morning. There were times when it was very difficult to tell whether one of the birds has already flown or not, so careful checks of both camera images were often needed. But here they all were between 9.00 and 10.00am, still calling and screeching at their parents, and very actively clambering around, especially when food was being prepared by a parent up above.




Whilst it’s possible that one might fly off at any moment, past experience shows they can keep us on tenterhooks for quite a few days. And after the enforced inactivity during last weekend’s rain, this is quite likely. Here's what local falconer, Colin Pass wrote about them this morning:

"Well I have to say I have never seen peregrines as wet and soaked to the skin as the young this weekend.Lets hope for some decent weather over the next week. It would have been a disaster if they had fledged and got soaked like they were, and rendered flightless, it would have left them vulnerable to say the least especially if grounded. I suggest they get their oil gland motivated and get preening. If the weather holds they can get some serious wing pumping done and build up their pectoral muscles. If they follow form, and none of them are pushed :(011 should attempt to take to the skies first. I was lucky enough to see a couple make their first flights last year, I hope I am lucky enough this year."

Of course, the Team are all one standby in case one should come down – and we’ve already taken our first call from someone who saw a sparrowhawk on top of a car in Derby city centre this morning and not unreasonably thought it may have been one of our young birds. A quick check showed that all four birds were still in place.

With all this nest activity, we’ve put the second nest camera full size onto what was our "multi-view" page, but we’ll turn this back once fledging has happened as there should then be lots of activity around the top of the tower itself. So for just a short while, there'll be no image feed from the top of Derby Cathedral's magnificent tower.

The picture below was captured by rejsharp earlier this morning: