Everything went according to plan today. The three Nicks arrived on time and two of them were promptly interviewed for tomorrow morning's BBC Radio Derby programme (between 10 am and 1pm).
A few brave folk (including Mary T) turned up to watch from below. There was a cold wind!
Nicks Moyes and Evans sorted out and checked their ropes and eventually set off abseiling down to the platform before noon..
This year we forgot to disconnect the web cameras, so, judging from your comments to the previous post, many of you had a surprise when two very big intruders appeared on the platform.....
(It's for this reason that we always inform the police beforehand, lest anyone tries to report that someone is raiding a peregrine nest!)
(It's for this reason that we always inform the police beforehand, lest anyone tries to report that someone is raiding a peregrine nest!)
The clean-up operation itself took a couple of hours. Camera lenses were cleaned, a new supporting strap was fitted, soiled gravel removed and new
gravel put in its place, and the loose microphone that had been dangling down into view was glued back into place.
The corpse on the nest was a lapwing, with the remains of a teal beneath it. This was replaced so the birds are not deprived of their meal (although it was hardly fresh!).
The corpse on the nest was a lapwing, with the remains of a teal beneath it. This was replaced so the birds are not deprived of their meal (although it was hardly fresh!).
Later, a school party arrived and Nick B gave them a short talk about the peregrines and what was happening today.
In small groups the children made their way to the top of the tower where they admired the view, having watched
the web cam monitor in the ringing room on the way up. Here they met up with Nicks E and M who had just returned from their abseil out, but they declined the invitation from the children to do another one just for show.
The wooden nest platform (made by Nick E in 2006) seems to be in very good 'nick' and should easily last another 5-10 years....what more can you ask? The tower webcam will need some further maintenance, but this will be done one lunchtime when the weather warms up, and won't disturb the nesting birds at all.
The adult birds have already been displaying and nest scraping.....so the omens are good for the coming season....watch that (web cam) space!
The adult birds have already been displaying and nest scraping.....so the omens are good for the coming season....watch that (web cam) space!
Nicks B, M and E
Postscript 1: The final photo shows another lapwing (uneaten and therefore accidentally dropped). This one was found on the nave roof well below the nest.
Postscript 2: If you fancy a job working really closely with a peregrine, we learnt this morning that Derbyshire Cricket Club are looking for someone to dress up as their new mascot, Freddie The Falcon! He's named in honour of our world-famous birds and the club is looking to employ someone during the summer months to attend matches and take the Falcons out into the community.
83 comments:
Well it was interesting watching from ground level but I almost wish I had been watching the nest view - it must have been very strange to see. Well done you brave abseilers.
Good to see one of the adults back in the refurbished platform early this morning. Hope they appreciate the spring clean! Do we send the bill to the male or the female I wonder?
Nick B (DWT)
Now both parents visible (07.44 a.m. Tuesday 15th). Male on platform, female above him as viewed from newly cleaned up 'pudding cam'!
Nick B (DWT)
i cant wait for them to come back and have more young, i miss watching them.
Have just listened to Nicks B & M on BBC Radio Derby iPlayer. Two great interviews! If anyone else wants to listen, they are on the Aleena Naylor show, 15th Feb. Nick B appears after 45 minutes and Nick M after 1 hour and 43 minutes. Time very well spent!
Nick B, thanks for letting us know that you have seen both adults. I have watched on and off and have not spotted them yet.
Hi...12.45pm Wed....Mrs P (i think) on the nest. 1st time i have seen either of them since the house was cleaned, started to panic a bit. xx Mo Cole Belper
? Mum on the nest platform, I was getting worried because they hadn't been about too much! I know I shouldn't worry but I can't help it!!!!
I have always had this Peregrine Project in my favourites but don't seem to be able to access it from this site this year, have you changed? Many thanks
@Joy
If you stored the webcam address in your favorites, please note that the addresses changed last autumn.
Follow the links on the left side of this blog, then add those to your favourites and delete the old ones.
Hope this helps.
Nick M.
? Dad on the nest platform. Looks like he is trying to woo Mum!
A peregrine has spent the past 10 minutes scraping a hollow in the gravel.
Morning all,
Long time no type; although I have been watching. Thought I'd give you a break from me.
@Nick B
Send your cleaning bill to the male, he's the one that has to bring home the bacon (or some other meat).
Speaking of bringing in the meat, do you know which of the two actually catches more?
13.33 and the Falcon is on the scrape, probably looking at ways to mess it up again (best way it seems is to have chicks).
Mum on platform too! Looks like courting has commenced!
14.05.10
Apologise, it was the Tiercel on the scrape. I know that because the Falcon has just flown onto the nest box. They now have their heads bowed to each other on opposite sites of the box.
Short time passes, about a minute and the Falcon makes the first move in she goes, and out he goes.
Poor little birdy, that big birdy is a bully!
The new support strap is being inspected and nibbled!
14.12
Not sure what the Falcon is up to at the moment. Trying to eat the metal thing in the centre of the scrape? Trying to get some bug out of the wholes in it? Sharpening her beck for when the Tiercel comes back?
14.15 She's lost interest in the metal thing and is sitting on the scrape, getting right down, maybe making an indent for where the eggies will be laid.
14.20 Flown away.
14.49 I just read my post and noticed that I can't spell. Whole should be hole. Beck should be beak. In my defence I am ill today!
Hi Craig, was worrying about you as much as the birds as you haven't posted lately. Almost put out a post wondering what had happened to you last night!
Glad to know you will be helping to keep the rest of us up with events over the next few months - I take it that the boss hasn't discovered that you spend your working days watching peregrins yet?
Hope you feel better soon.
Another bit of courting this morning....9.15 am... Bless xxx
Both birds on the tower, tiercel tucked up behind a pillar feeding, looked like he was offering food to the falcon.
@Kerry
Thanks for the concern, feeling a bit better, but no-one can seem to get rid of me that easy!
"I take it that the boss hasn't discovered that you spend your working days watching peregrins yet?"
I'm all alone in the office so what they know won't kill them. As long as the work rolls out they don't care (I hope). I usually see poeple around here shopping on the internet during work hours (something I don't do). I'm sure a birdcam in the background won't be a concern.
Now before someone tries to blackmail me I would remind you I've not told anyone where I work so don't try it (or do, it's amusing) :P
@ Craig,
No one wants to blackmail you, you are much too useful giving us updates!
Keep up the good work!
One peregrine is perched on the nestbox ledge, lhs, on this damp and dismal morning.
Morning
12.52 The Tiercel has been sitting on the edge of the scrape for a short while before deciding to jump in and have a look around in the gravel on the right hand side, going round in circles, I'm getting dizzy watching him.
12.58 Gone back to sitting on the ledge, puffed up feathers. I keep expecting the Falcon to fly in.
13.00 Dinner time for moi. TTFN
(Forgive me if this is a duplicate post - I got an error message saying service not available on the blogger loggin.)
Mum on the platform, dad on the tower.
Looks like falcon on nest platform and tiercel on tower.
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Peregrines, Starlings, and Red Kites soaring
These are a few of my favourite things
:D
With apologies to Mr Hammerstein
@ Terry
Love it Terry!
Tea time and again one on the nest platform and one on the tower!
Come on Team, surely we can get our poetry to rhyme better ;-)
So can I suggest a slight change to Terry's most welcome addition. . .
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens
Peregrines, Starlings, and Red Kites on wings
These are a few of my favourite things
One peregrine on the tower.
In that case Anon,
my Red Kites are far more interesting than your Red Kites. Yours merely have wings. Mine soar. No contest.
And. It isn't a poem.
:P
One peregrine on the nestbox ledge, lhs, the other on the tower, and a fine stash of food in the rhs front corner of the nestbox. Earlier there was a pigeon on the ledge that side looking round anxiously (actually it seemed more like a stock dove but I couldn't be sure).
Both peregrines sitting on the hotel sign this afternoon enjoying the sunshine!
9.20pm......Saturday night take away on the tower x
Yes Mo...more evidence of night time feeding - though I missed the action....seeing the bird (the falcon I think) looking round and then back with prey 20 minutes later.
Nick B (DWT)
Annie F - stock doves do use the tower as well as feral (rock) pigeons so you might have been right!
Looks like tiercel on platform.
PS. I'm watching peregrins at this time of night because my delightful neighbours have been screaming at each other outside my front door. Thinking of moving in with Mr and Mrs P on the nest platform, it would be quieter!
@Kerry
I don't think moving in with the Peregrines in a good plan. It will soon be noisy with little chirps (hopefully).
GL with your neighbours.
15:42 The Falcon has been sitting on the edge of the scrape for some time. She's either had a bath or it's been raining because it looks like the top of her head is wet... or perhaps it's just a bad feather day.
Anyway, she's finally moved into the nest box and has been walking around before finally getting right down onto the scrape, head and chest down, you can presume she's getting those talons in to the gravel to make a nice resting place for the little eggies.
@ Craig
Thanks for the advice, I suppose you are right!
The only thing is, I would be pleased to hear chicks alive and squaking, the same doesn't go for the neighbours although they sound much the same!
Falcon, I think, perching on the nestbox ledge, lhs.
Both on platform, falcon on lhs, tiercel on rhs, "bowing" to each other.
One just left platform and was visible on the wing in the tower cam view.
Mum has swopped sides, but is still on platform.
Dad just landed on tower.
Morning all,
Perhaps it's not been posted yet but the multi cam is stuck.
09.18 The two birds are on the tower. Looks like the one further away, perhaps the Tiercel, is eating.
10.38 Just realised that the other camera has frozen too.
Going to be one of those days isn't it!
Thanks for the heads-up on the frozen cameras.
This has enabled me to quickly check the problem and restart the video server. Unfortunately tha hasn't resolved the problem, despite the fact that I'm sitting in my museum office watching all three live cameras working OK and hearing sound, too.
So I've asked Network Webcams to check their end, and also to analyse the logs from our equipment to see where the problem lies.
We hope normal service will resume as soon as possible.
13.59 See the cameras are back up. Thank you Mr. Project Manager.
Hi.....11.45am Lunch is being served on the tower xx
The feathers are flying on top of the tower ledge right now as the female tucks in to a meal.
It's a very long lunch! Good to see Mum and Dad together - hope he gets a morsel!
They're still up there, facing each other - one on the stonework, one on the guttering/spout. A much pleasanter day here, though still cold - what's it like in Derby?
Not Peregrine related but this is one the BBC website today:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12634698
Not the greatest indepth read, but interesting.
The falcon has been having a very close inspection of the scrape & is now perching on the ledge.
It looks as though one is taking in the perspective of Derby but I can't tell if its
um or Dad. It is good to see them again.
Dear project team, sorry to report multi view camera frozen again at just after 8pm.
Both birds on tower cam which seems ok at about 8.30pm.
Both birds remain on tower, they have looked very alert all eveing, don't know if they are watching other birds or if something is bothering them.
PS. one of the birds has just flown from the tower.
I was wrong, the falcon? has just flown from one perch to another, hasn't flown off.
? falcon,has just flown off again.
Sad that I have nothing better to do on a Friday evening than watch peregrins!
? falcon by spout having supper and tiercel? watching something very keenly.
Anyone who may be suffering peregrine withdrawal synptoms due to that frozen cam might find solace at Worcester Cathedral!
http://www.worcester.gov.uk/peregrine/#
I'm afraid there's little I can do about the frozen webcams this weekend. I learnt last week when we had a similar problem that this is a common issue with many of Streamdays' other clients.
Whilst it may need our equipment restarting from inside the Cathedral, Streamdays themselves also have to delete a TEMP file on their servers which causes blocking of all further uploads of our pictures until they manually delete it.
So let's hope they can resolve it on Monday - I've emailed them to request it. Otherwise it'll probably be fixable until Tuesday lunchtime.
Meanwhile, I've swapped over the camera feeds so that our "Quad View" of three cameras and a logo appear on the stream that is still functioning.
Sorry I can't do more at this stage.
Nick Moyes
@ Nick M.
Thanks for the info. (no criticism was intended!), the quad view is showing a peregrine on the tower and another on the scrape ledge. It looks as if we could be in for some exciting times soon, & it would be so frustrating to miss anything!
And approx. 30 minutes later, they're both in exactly the same positions.
Whilst we are waiting for the action to really get going in Derby, Beatrice, a Scottish osprey has started her migration. You can follow her journey and, hopefully, the other tagged ospreys in due course, on Roy Dennis's site www.roydennis.org.
BTW, thank you Nick M for getting the cameras rebooted. The hollow in the scrape looks a bit deeper than it did last week.
They're both on the tower looking relaxed.
One of our friends is on nest ledge and one on the tower - good viewing!
9.00a.m. both peregrins taking in the sun
They are enjoying the Derby sunshine at 9.17 am- lovely to see them
09.26 The Tiercel is on the tower having a nice clean and groom. Just after he finished the Falcon, sitting on the nest box, starts her cleaning.
10.22 The Tiercel has flown from the tower to the scrape. He's jumped in and getting down into the gravel. The Falcon is on the wall below the scrape.
10.25 The Falcon getting down into the scrape again, his little leg visable under him, and if it was in real time streaming we'd probably have seen him kicking the gravel out.
10.42-10.45 More leg action from the Tiercel on the scrape. Falcon is still on the wall below.
Lovely clear day like today and they're staying in... pitty.
p.s. The time above relates to what's shown on the camera. It appears to be different from the actual time. Is this a mistake in the clock or are we viewing a delayed by about 8 minutes camera?
10.57 Falcon has arrived on the nest box. Tiercel is still on the scrape. Little head bowing to each other. Little camera zooming on the Tiercel. Falcon is moving on. She's right over him and then flies off.
At least I think it was the Falcon which flew the nest. She's now on the Tower.
Yes, lots of scraping and eee-chupping/headbowing activity this morning just before 11am.
There is no more than a few seconds delay between what's happening in Derby and what you actually see on the public-facing webcam feed. Thanks to @craig for spotting this. I've resychronised our video server to reflect a more accurate time. Let me know if it get's out of synch again.
You'll be pleased to know that Streamdays who host our webcameras wrote to me this morning and assured me they were investigating ways to change the way their systems operate so that there should be less frozen images in the future.
I do hope that's the case as it's your generous donations that are helping to keep these webcameras operating.
hi....4.45pm afternoon tea served on the tower xx
A peregrine was sitting on the tower, pecking!
10.12p.m one on the high camera
Falcon, I think, on the scrape ledge for several minutes now, & peering up as if expecting something.
I forgot to mention the very large piece of prey up on the tower. It's brown, mostly - a duck?
Morning all,
@AnnieF
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/form.aspx
Useful tool :)
I've had a butchers and I'm still not sure.
That may be it's beak at the bottom of the camera, in which case RSPB says it might be a Water Rail. But the feather pattern doesn't really match in my opinion and the beak doesn't have much red on it.
Have fun.
The prey on the pudding cam looks like a woodcock or a snipe perhaps.
My first visit to the webcam for a while. Looking forward to another enthralling breeding season!
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