After the busy breeding season our adults are now in moulting mode and I've already found a couple of moulted feathers below the cathedral.
No recent reports of the two juveniles but having recently made a trip round the area to the east of the city (Chaddesden, Spondon, Locko Park, Elvaston and Alvaston) I have realised just how many pylons there are in that area....perfect for peregrines to perch on! Plenty of trees too of course but whether they use trees or not is a moot point.
There is a theory that peregrines that have been fledged from an artificial structure such as a church, cathedral, commercial building, pylon or even a bridge also look for a nest site on a similar artificial structure...so maybe our cathedral peregrines have an aversion to perching in trees?
Incidentally, in case you're wondering, when they breed on pylons they use the old nests of crows - and only certain styles of pylons seem to be used by crows. I did see
one crow nest on a pylon in my travels...but no sign of either a crow or raptor there.
one crow nest on a pylon in my travels...but no sign of either a crow or raptor there. Meanwhile, the peregrine's smaller cousin, the hobby, is still feeding its young, two months after the peregrines were busy feeding theirs. Why the time difference?
Well, hobbies are migrants wintering in southern Africa (where they mostly feed on insects such as termites) and returning to the UK in late April and May. They also use old crows nests, nearly always in trees. Their breeding season is timed so that the young are growing up j
ust when there are plenty of young birds on the wing - in particular, the young of swallows, martins and swifts.August will see the young hobbies fledge and by mid September they will be on their long and solitary journeys south.
Hobbies are increasing in numbers in the UK and there are now about 40 pairs in Derbyshire.
They nest in farmland, using crow nests in lines of hedgerow trees or isolated trees in fields. They are very secretive birds and therefore hard to see. August is a good time to search since the fledged young can be noisy and, if you know of a swallow roost, hobbies will visit it at dusk as the birds circle round before flying down into the roost site (usually tall crops like maize, dense trees such as enery willow or reedbeds).
Nick B (DWT)
38 comments:
Thanks for the very interesting information on the peregrines and the hobby. The hobby is another of my favourite raptor; I had one land on a garden store in my garden a few years ago. I live very rural and have not seen a hobby here since that day. I will now be walking up my lane with camera at dusk to check out the swallow nests in the barn a few yards away from my house. There are cornfields behind so it sounds very likely that I may see one.
I really enjoy the threads full of interesting facts.
BTW are there any raptor that eat toads? I have a toad in my garden which I thought might be a natterjack but haven't been able to get a good view yet as my dog keeps wanting to play with it so it is in hiding.
Thanks again
Phoebe
Thanks also for the article, Hobbys were featured on Springwatch this year, beautiful birds.
Phoebe: no UK or European raptors eat toads as a regular part of their diet as far as I know. Toads are generally distasteful and most birds and mammals avoid them.
There are no natterjack toads in Derbyshire or anywhere nearby (nearest in Lancs or Norfolk) so must be a common toad...lovely creatures though!
nick B
Thanks Nick B, I know natterjacks are rare so I live in hope of seeing one sometime. I have since identified it as a common toad, I see one in my garden every year but it was late showing up this time. He did look very pale under torch light so I wondered if it was the common one or not. I have taken the liberty of putting him under an upturned broken terracota pot in the veggie plot in the hope he will keep the slugs under control :) I agree they are lovely creatures.. I look out for him all the time. My new dog was fascinated by him, she kept nudging at him and when he puffed up she was amazed! He will be safer in the veggie plot if he stays around.
I have been watching the falcon sat on the rhs of the scrape this morning, she is having a very relaxing day.
I was at Carsington last week and as usual I missed a peregrine sighting, apparently it flew past right in front of the Wildlife Centre! Wonder if it could be a Derby juvie...
Be careful please Phoebe because some frogs & toads can be extremely toxic to dogs, even if they just lick them (the dog licking the toad, that is!).
If you ever suspect your dog has bitten or eaten one, that is a serious emergency requiring immediate vet treatment.
at 22.47 there looks to be two peregrines on the stonework but it it is easy to see them in the dark. Anon
At 8am there is a peregrine on the stonework - its breast looks very white! Is that because of the moult or is it just the view I am seeing?
Both adults on the tower this morning (Sunday). Recent prey remains found by workmen included a lapwing and a common tern.
Anon: The moult doesn't really change how the birds look so it must have been the light iI think.
Nick B
Nothing fishy at all anon. Every bird that has been ringed on the cathedral (and elsewhere in the UK) has a metal ring put on one leg which has a unique number on it and a short message asking any finder to report the ring to the Natural History Museum in London. They then report the details to the British Trust for Ornithology who are in charge of the UK ringing scheme.
Colour rings are additional and put on the other leg. Even if the numbered colour ring falls off (as with 008) the unique number on the other leg identifies the bird absolutely.
Hope that clears that one up!
Nick B (DWT)
Thanks for the update and for the interesting info on hobbies
Well, I finally made it to Derby over the weekend (I live in London but am from Derby) On Saturday afternoon I went into town, and thought I'd walk past the Cathedral. Really this was just to see 'in the flesh' so to speak, the Cathedral tower, which I have been watching on the internetover the recent months. And there, sitting on the ledge, was a Falcon (though I know no more than that as it is a long way up!)Amazing
19:07 Just came on and see that there is a dove on the scrape, probably scavenging for food or remains of a loved one. How very cheeky. I wonder if its the same one from last week.
Pigeon rooting around in the debris on nest box. Better watch out or he might be on the menu
12.22p.m. Peregrine on nesting ledge, preening away!!!!
Mum and Dad both on the tower about 2.40pm. Meal prepared by one of the adults and they both flew away, with prey. Wonder if the youngsters were waiting for a late lunch? Or do you think that the young will be self-sufficient by now?
Some great action on the pud cam 14.15-14.45 today. A peregrine landed with a large prey, which it then expertly plucked and consumed, closely observed by a second peregrine on the adjacent gargoyle. Both birds were clearly initially distracted by others flying past. The back feathers of the peregrine with the prey had a distinctly brownish tinge. Could it have been one of the juvies?
23.08 I think two peregrines on stonework/tower but just as I blinked my eyes one flew away.
As follow up to 23.08 comment the one that flew away is back at 23.12
1 on the nest ledge
08.40a.m. Peregrine on nestbox ledge surveying her/his territory!!
Anonymous, Anonymous. Why for art thou anonymous?
:)
I have been staying in Spondon for the last 7 days and returned home last night. During my stay I am pretty sure I saw a peregrin behind my mothers house. She backs onto the by-pass at Spondon. The first time it perched on a lamp on the central reservation and I was able to get binoculars out and look. I also think I saw it fly around on a couple of other days. The area is Gravel Pit Lane
Hope that helps!!
A peregrine was sat on the tower near the spout then the next time I looked it was gone. Now there is one plucking prey!
@Terry thanks for the info on toads, fortunately my dog is fine and the toad has not been seen since I put it in the veggie plot.
A lovely close-up of the falcon on the tower and the tiercel on the scrape, it's a damp drizzly morning in Derby.
At 11.25 on this dull, dreary dark day in Derby two peregrines are watching life on the streets; one is on the nest ledge and one on the towerAnon
11.38a.m. Peregrine on nest ledge, surveying her/his? domain!!
Peregrine on nest ledge 11.40a.m.
one on the nest ledge
Some great images on the tower cam this morning. At around 10.30am the falcon (I think) was eating prey, whilst the tiercel waited in the background hoping to get his fair share! After around fifteen minutes his patience was rewarded as the falcon flew off, leaving him to finish off the rest of the prey ... followed by a good preening session! Interesting to see lots of pale patches on the back of the tiercel, perhaps the result of going through a moult.
one on the nest ledge
9.15 to 09.20 a peregrine on the nest appearing to be doing something to nest bottom - I wonder if there was the remains of food? Anyway it flew off at 09.20
re my previous post there is a peregrine back on the nest ledge a few minutes later - don't know, of course, if it is the same one
I say, I say, I say. Why have you got a bird of prey sitting on your hand?
It's my hobby.
Ho Ho Ho
At 9am there are two peregrines on view one on the nest ledge and one on the tower and this one's chest feathers looked a little ruffled or is it wet?It is nice to see them again anyway and one must hope that the youngsters are doing OK.
@Project Member:
What a talented & imaginative 8 yr.old you have! A chip off the old block? Thanks for showing us the picture - I love the egg-spression on egg's face!
One adult on the nestbox rhs, the other on the tower near the camera. It looks very breezy in Derby today.
They're still there - looking slightly bedraggled.
peregrine eating on the nest ledge, adult by the looks of it great to see.
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