After keeping everyone on tenterhooks for days on end, Derby's peregrines finally have their first egg of the season. Around 10pm this evening she once again came down to the nest ledge and looked as if she was about to lay. And this time she did. The first glimpse of an egg was seen around 22.57 this evening.
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| First view - captured by webcam viewer, Jean Burton and posted to Flickr |
Our pair have certainly kept us all on hanging on, causing a flurry of comments and concern from everyone here in Derby and, indeed, right around the world. Under infra-red light that egg looks like a white chicken's egg, but when daybreak comes you'll see the rich reddish brown of its true colours. Do not be alarmed when you see this egg and the others that are undoubtedly on the way being left, apparently unattended for hours on end. This is normal, and we'll blog about why this happens this later.
I was able to put the project's brand new smartphone to very good use tonight, having taken it to bed for a much-needed early night, after an exhausting and life-changing week for me. I had seen our female well and truly ensconced in that typical egg-laying pose at 10pm, but simply had to catch some sleep. I woke at midnight, turned on the smartphone (an HTC Desire HD) and went online to view the webcam whilst still under the duvet. There was the falcon, clearly in an incubating position. If any excuse were needed to get out of bed to make a cup of tea and do a bit of late-night computing, then surely that was the moment. Flickr To capture and post your own webcam snapshots which we can then put into our blog, follow the link to our Flickr photogroup at the upper left of this blog. There you can join up to our group, or if you're not sure how to, you can read instructions on how to capture and load up those snapshots. Please don't turn off the "share this" option as it makes it harder for the project team to capture your best screen shots and embed them in the blog.
Nick Moyes
formerly Keeper of Natural Sciences
Derby Museum and Art Gallery Please bear with us during the immediate period following my recent departure from Derby Museum. Currently I do not have direct access to our networks to control the cameras and video server, to take images or remotely reboot our video server if it freezes. If the latter happens, please leave a comment on this blog and also email museums@derby.gov.uk. We're putting steps in place for the Assistant Head of Museums to try to restart the equipment for the time being, should a freeze-up occur.
78 comments:
Better late than never. She scared us there.
Nick, thanks for your update... much appreciated. Jennie, Hong Kong.
Mum's back on the nest. Jennie, HK.
Yipeeeeeeeeeegg number one, we can all finally relax and how typical of your dedication Nick to take your phone to bed - bless you -
christine x
I'm glad you said about the lack of colour on the night view Nick. Sitting sleepily on my own last night, it took me quite a while to convince myself that the little round, white, thing was indeed THE long awaited egg.
Sue in Wendover
Glad I'm not the only one to take the phone to bed.
@ Nick M
Thanks for the museum email address.
I have taken the opportunity to email them about the error they have made in making you redundant as all your work on the peregrins will have brought so many visitors to Derby and its museum.
How eggciting............ Good news and hopefully more to come.... It is so nice to see thm starting again this year.. Good luck to them
(and to Nick of course)
4.20 am. here. I woke up and had to check that I hadn't just dreamed about the first egg.Amazing how we are all behaving like proud new parents..still, it is the most beautiful egg ever laid! Over here we would be setting up a college fund believing that Harvard will come calling in the future; til then I'll just keep watching as the real future parents do their stuff. Helen
I cannot get camera 2 this morning. Anyone else having trouble? Will email council
10.40 Change over time, Falcon on the wall below. Still only 1 egg.
Tiercel started to prepare himself to sit on it then decided not to.
Camera went a little double pictured a few times, his tail in the way of a shot of the egg.
10.43 He's taking his time getting down onto that egg.
Tiercel has decided to stand on the ledge. Come on little Tiercel, It's behind you!
11.23 Still not on the egg.
Allelujah!!! but she's a very naughty girl to keep us all on tenterhooks until April Fool's day. Absolutely delighted now, it's made my weekend & probably there'll be 2 or 3 more to celebrate shortly.
Thanks Nick, without you I doubt if this project would ever have begun, you're a star.
11.54 Tiercel has flown off somewhere.
12.04 Falcon has also vanished from the wall below. Nevermind, she's on the right hand side of the scrape.
12.04 She's moved onto the egg.
Thanks Nick hope they let you have access to carry on doing these great things.
Mrs. P well done and congratulations, hope there are more to come
Bald Eagle egg hatched and another pipped in Iowa.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/bald-eagle-cam
Did we have the logo on the right- hand camera last year? It does obscure the view of the bird sitting on the lidge.
Mrs. P. has moved from the egg to the ledge & now I can see that longed-for egg in all its red-brown beauty. I seem to remember that there's usually a 24/48 hour gap between eggs, so maybe another one will appear tomorrow?
I hope Nick M. is enjoying a relaxed, sunny (if somewhat breezy) Saturday, & that he will take this opportunity to unwind 7 chill - it must be long overdue.
Looking at the last two years, it took around a week from the first egg to the fourth. Here are the gaps between them, rounding to the nearest hour:
2010:
1-2: 57 hrs
2-3: 45 hrs
3-4: 67 hrs
2009:
1-2: 70 hrs
2-3: 45 hrs
3-4: 70 hrs
On those two times between #1 and #2, egg #2 this year could be any time between 8.00 on Monday morning to 9.00 pm later in the evening. Monday at work is not going to be very productive!
As an afterthought - hapless predication time: Need to see when the third egg arrives, I seem to remember that its after that when incubation will start to ramp up to full on (and I think Nick is going to give us more detail about this) but looking at the timings now, a first hatch would be around the 9th May, give or take a day, and all four (if there is four) will arrive in about 48 hours from the first. Book your days off now!
15.09 The falcon and tiercel have been away from the egg for quite some time.
Tiercel as just arrived up on the tower, he has food.
15.39 Meal has been finished, nothging but feathers remain... still not on the egg.
16.43 Falcon is thankfully back on the egg, not too sure for how long, been busy
17.03
Mum looking proud on the edge of the nest platform.
Could some one post the link for the Brighton pair, having trouble finding them?
@KerrySuffolk
Try this URL:
http://www.justin.tv/brightonperegrines#/w/1033411504/8
The youtube video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PClOIMd7i0
Terri
Hi Kerry, you can watch the latest videos for Brighton on the youtube link below:
http://www.youtube.com/user/brightonperegrines
OR they are on Justin tv where you can watch livestreaming on this link:
http://www.justin.tv/brightonperegrines#/w/1033411504/9
Phoebe aka MsMarski :D
Hi Kerry
I think you can find info on Sussex Heights, Brighton here http://sussexheights.co.uk/peregrines/ - or (not knowing where you live) why not just go down there with your binoculars/telescope? Looks like the flats have to have work done but it'll be after this year's breeding season and with a licence from Natural England.
Isn't it great that peregrines are doing so well nationally? I now know of loads of sites - off the top of my head can say Slough power station, Rainham Marshes, Tate Modern in London, Houses of Parliament in London, Aylesbury, Chichester Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral (birds of pray?) Dunlop building, Birmingham and the Clifton Gorge, Bristol. All sites that I've discovered directly after the best project of the lot (DERBY!) sparked my interest :)
Oh, and by the way Nick, I don't agree that the night view of Mrs P's egg looks like a hen's egg, I thought it looked for all the world like a ping pong ball! It didn't help that Mrs P just stood there for what seemed ages. I began to think I was hallucinating due to extreme tiredness.
Sue in Wendover
@Craig
I think we were told last year that incubation doesn't start until all eggs are laid, so don't fret about the egg being left alone at the moment.
BTW - I love your minute-by-minute reports and you have me chuckling to myself when you talk about those eggies!
I, too, am having trouble finding the Brighton pair--however I waited for someone else to say so, since I feel so grateful that Mrs P has finally come forth with her first egg--can't have everything, can I. Cheers from Carol in San Francisco!
@ moderator
Sorry, was it wrong of me to put up the links asked for by Kerry?
My apologies
Seems strange to just see the night light shining down on the egg all alone....
Sue, Derby
It's not a matter of her/he incubating them, its the fact that they are left alone. What if a gull or crow was to come along and see a free meal?
07-08
Tiercel sitting on scrape.
08.23
Breakfast on platform, not sure what it is.
Both there - one on tower one on egg but also a pigeon living dangerously - Aah!8.30am
Hi KerrySuffolk. I did try posting the links for you last night but my post got lost in the ether somehow. Try again.
The Brighton peregrine webcam is at:
www.justin.tv/
brightonperegrines#/
w/1033411504/8
(this URL is all in one line of course, but I've broken it up cos it's quite long and the end gets cut off if you're not careful)
And the youtube video of their 1st egg lay is at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PClOIMd7i0
Terri
Kamikaze pigeon sitting on ledge on right camera view 08.37 with tiercel in full view just behind!
@ Phoebe & Terri:
Thank you both for the Brighton link, I'd been using last year's & getting so frustrated!
This morning at Loch of the Lowes Lady's mate from last year, 7Y, turned up & she accepted him. He has been positively identified by his rin. They're both on the nest, which Lady has been tidying & refreshing fo days.
Isn't Spring just magical?
I have been busy cutting out a dress pattern and got the laptop in front of me but I missed the tiercel getting on the egg Duh!
The falcon has just arrived on the tower.
Domestic bliss in Derby. Mum sitting and Dad keeping watch from tower.
@ Phoebe and Terri
Thanks for the Brighton links.
15.55
Dad on the scrape and Mum posing for the camera on the tower.
Falcon is back on the egg. Tiercel is not in view.
The falcon has been very spooked for the last few minutes. She rushed to the scrape ledge looking up and around, eyes fixed on something, then flew off. Clearly whatever it was got too close.
Tiercel just got on the egg and the falcon returned on the tower, she is having a good preen.
We had a sudden hailstorm, Annie, so that's maybe what spooked the falcon. It certainly set off our window alarms!!!
tiercel still nicely setled on the egg, and falcon's up near the pudding cam looking stately.
@ Joyce S:
That's probably the answer then Joyce. We had a downpour about an hour earlier but thankfully no hail to flatten the spring flowers!
Both falcon and tiercel are on the tower now.
Both are on the tower with the falcon closest, she has been looking down at something for ages, I wonder what has caught her attention - people maybe?
A couple of days relaxing, now we await the second egg. I think RJ has it worked out so an early start tomorrow! for my pc anyway lol
2.28am. derby time 8.28 pm night before Arkansas time. Egg is well protected. strange how that initial sigh of relief after the first egg has quickly become anxiety about the next! We,here in Arkansas, feel so close to events in Derby it's almost like I don't need to call my mother about stuff anymore, MA! read the peregrine blog to see how your grandkids are doing!!! So grateful for all who keep me informed[makes me look good when talking to the locals re. our peregrines] thanks and so much more to the team and bloggers ,, Helen far far away in Aransas
Come on Mrs P - Concentrate, I'm sure number 2 is on the way!!!
Is this the second egg on its way?
We can see the female peregrine that's layed one egg that's brownishred.She keep's turning it around so the chik grow's propley inside. we were exsited and astonishd to see the egg this morning. We think she mite lay another egg now. We hope she does!
I missed what happened then, did she lay an egg?
Nope!, she has settled down again, looks like she will continue to keep us on tenterhooks
Christine
Is there a video of the first egg being laid?
11.10 The Falcon has either had enough of sitting on the egg, or she's expecting another. She's been looking a little uncomfortable (moving around a bit, standing up) for a while, can you blame her laying on the egg for hours. Lets hope for another.
p.s. while nothing's been happening at work. I did a list of a few eggie words, which the PM could use in his posts instead of the usual Egg-cellent:
Egg-citing – Exciting
Splend-egg - Splendid
Egg-tastic - Fantastic
Meggnificent – Magnificent
Egg-stounding – Astounding
Egg-stonishing – Astonishing
Meggestic - Majestic
Looking forward to what others can add.
:)
11.18 EGGCELLENT NEWs - ANOTGHER EGG
HOORAY!!!! Christine
Hurrah! 11.18am Egg Number 2!
Just watched egg two being laid. Just as magical as the first. Well done Mrs P
Egg #2 just laid photo on flickr
Ooh, just spotted two eggs!!
YIPEEEE! Mrs. P just layed her 2nd egg! Thank you for giving us a good show... amazing!
Only just logged on, pleased to see TWO eggs!
Woo hoo :) am I seeing things is that a 2nd egg :) 11.20am :)
Just checked and egg number TWO has arrived bang on time !!!
Egg two in scrape
Two eggs now! Exciting - or should that be "Egg-citing"!
Hi...2nd egg spotted at 11.20am well done Mrs P it's now Derby 2 Nottingham 3 (come on Derby) xxx
We were jumping up and down because we saw another egg. We saw it happen.It was very exciting.
11.18.36: SECOND EGG !!!
Second egg some time between 0930 and 1130 here in Derby.
Pam - Derby
Someone wake Nick up, lets see some posts :)
2nd egg laid at 11.20-she looks very pleased with herself!
Hi, we have just started to watch the peregrine falcons, and were lucky enough to see the second egg being laid this morning. We are all very excited and pleased to see this happen. Hopefully we will watch the falcons develop over the next few weeks
Two years ago, on this day, Froona left us, to soar high and free.
May her spirit guard this egg and this nest.
Well done Green Class for seeing the egg being laid, and letting us know what you saw. Please keep telling us what you see and what you think about it. We all love to hear from you. You might also like to remind everyone here roughly how old you all are.
And thanks to everyone else posting whilst my back was turned, too. (As well as a big thank you to everyone for all your kind messages of support for me recently. They were very much appreciated in a difficult week)
A new post with Craig and Marski's screenshots have just been posted, and thanks to @TheatreParadise for contacting me via Twitter with an image, too.
Dutch Eagle Fan has reminded some of us that a dear friend, Froona Veldhuis from Holland, passed away two years ago this week. Indeed, it is here little graphic that we still use on our webcam pages, and her last post on her own blog was about the Derby Peregrines. Poignantly, that March 2009 post is still visible at http://falcoperegrinus-froona.blogspot.com/
Nick M.
It is such eggciting news that egg no 2 has just arrived. I was watching until 10.20am when it seemed likely something was going to happen but had to switch off computer because I was going out! Good for you Mrs P
A second egg! Great, I wish I had as much luck predicting the lottery. The gap between the 2nd and 3rd eggs in 2010 and 2009 was the same – 45 hours (which compares to a much longer gap between 1 & 2 and 3 & 4). If it kept the same gap that would give #3 at around 8.00 Wednesday morning. I’ve no idea whether the shorter gap is normal, but I have a suspicion it isn’t. So I’m going to go with the third egg arriving Wednesday afternoon, say around 4.00 p.m.
Truly amazing thats the only way to describe it I watched the second egg being laid at school now on my iPod
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