BBC TV's Autumnwatch gave our peregrine project an honourable mention this evening..
Shown below is our world-first video of a live woodcock being brought back late at night last December to which presenter Chris Packham referred. (Link to BBC iPlayer - for UK viewers only)
It's a fascinating story, which also involved a snipe being accidentally dropped alive some hours beforehand, and the woodcock itself remaining uneaten and frozen for 18 day on top of Derby cathedral before finally being consumed.
For new visitors who might like to read about the whole story, it's a tale told in two halves.
Part One explains the woodcock sequence and also shows it finally being eaten two weeks later
Part Two tells the story of how an incredibly unfortunate snipe was captured on the same evening.
Webcam changes
Multi-view: www.derby.gov.uk/dccwebdev/museum/peregrine/webcam.htm
Single view: www.derby.gov.uk/dccwebdev/museum/peregrine/webcam2.htm
Meanwhile the easy-to-remember link to our project homepage still functions at www.derby.gov.uk/peregrines
Our three webcams run 24 hrs a day, throughout the year. There's lots of action to be seen even at this time of year. Leave a comment on this blog to share what you've noticed. (All comments are subject to moderation, so won't appear immediately)
20 comments:
Oh dear, I missed a perfect opportunity to, legitimately, blame the Council. How slow am I. Don't answer that. I'm still using the old webcam pages without any problem.
:)
Thanks Nick, it's good to see the peregrines again, the new links are working!
I see there is s peregrine on the tower looking slightly hidden.
Phoebe
I spy a deceased bird - pigeon?- in the scrape.
Just seen on Autumnwatch the clip of the Derby Cathedral peregrine bringing back a live woodcock at night. Brilliant!
Congrats on the Autumnwatch feature (& indeed being the first to provide solid proof of night-hunting, iirc).
The initial focus on urban peregrines was in central London and I thought Derby's achievements were going to be ignored. So glad to have been proved wrong. :)
If anyone missed the 'Unsprung' follow-up, try to catch it on iPlayer before it goes. I admit, I am a fan of starlings but anyone who appreciates our feathered friends cannot fail to be amused by it.
I missed the first 30 mins of Autumnwatch, just watched it. Brilliant to see.
Never really watched Unsprung, first time I watched it in it's entirety. I've been missing a lot.
Hi Craig/Terry
I also missed the first half of Autumnwatch but, like you, also find the "unsprung" programme afterwards almost more enjoyable than the series itself.
Anyone in Derby wanting to see massive flocks of sstarlings should head for Chester Green this winter. Just on the north side, behind Chester Green Road there are some garages units just off City Road. There are around 15 absolutely immense conifer trees there in which between four to ten thousand starlings are known to roost most years. I put BBC onto them and they captured this footage last January: http://ow.ly/2R06h
In case you can't find it, here's the Unsprung link.
Available until 2nd December. Enjoy!
the links of webcam are correct? do not work for me
They don't work for anonymous posters :P
I haven't been able to get hold of the video feeds either. Perhaps the team are working on the cams?
Not only are our webcams not working this evening, but the entire Derby City Council website seems to be currently out of action. (www.derby.gov.uk)
No doubt someone will get it fixed asap.
Meanwhile its a very clear night tonight in the UK tonight. If you have binoculars or a telescope, take a look at Jupiter and its four brightest moons over in the east at the moment. It's incredibly bright right now, and with a bit of luck you should be able to see Uranus above it, too.
thanks, now the cam is ok
@ Project Member (Derby Museum):
Thanks for the info. on Jupiter & its moons - was wondering about those bright twinklers!
Haven't seen the peregrines for a few days. Could be they're star-struck from their BBC appearance or have taken a holiday on the back of their royalties.
Anyone?
No sign of them at all Terry & I've been looking every day at different times for what seems ages.
Terry et al: I was on the nave roof collecting prey remains on Monday with Tony Grantham. There was one adult peregrine in the tiny hole in the stonework above the nest platform before we went out. Also, the nave roof has been being repaired for the last four weeks so I suspect that has put the birds off. I'm sure the birds will return once the workers have gone.
Nick B
Terry et al: I was on the nave roof collecting prey remains on Monday with Tony Grantham. There was one adult peregrine in the tiny hole in the stonework above the nest platform before we went out. Also, the nave roof has been being repaired for the last four weeks so I suspect that has put the birds off. I'm sure the birds will return once the workers have gone.
Nick B
Thanks Nick & Annie.
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