Checking the video recorders inside Derby Cathedral revealed the first chick hatched around 3 am this morning, though nothing was actually visible - just faint cheeps (for want of a better word) from under the female. A video captured around 4.15am today shows the first evidence of our new arrival.
This PC screen capture from rejsharp shows two chicks around 5.20pm this afternoon (Saturday).
Well done to those schoolchildren who have been watching so keenly these last few weeks. Some of you guessed correctly that the first hatching would be on 5th May. (This is what our past records suggested to us, too). Hopefully some of you will be watching with your parents from home this bank holiday weekend. Do get them to write in with a comment to let us know how you feel. Remember: ages and first names are OK - never leave a last name on any website (even a nice website like ours!).
Nick M.
84 comments:
yipeeeee well done Mrs P x
Great news Derby - I missed seeng it at the time of course, so thanks for all the captures.
I did just manage to see some action at Aylesbury:
08:38 Sat 5/5/12 Just seen the peregrines. 2 eyeasses still plus egg. No signs of hatching on the egg that I can see. Therefore I think we "just" have the two. Adult fed them, then (so far as it's possible to deduce from 15 second frames) took the remains away.
Hearing lots of news about "disasters to wading birds in the recent storms" which is awful. BUT, we watchers know it affected a lot more birds and wildlife than that, I don't suppose we'll ever forget what happened in Notts, I know I won't.
Well done everyone who guessed 5th May for the Derby "sweepstake". The children were absolutely right when they noticed the adult bird's behaviour changed to become very restless towards the time of hatching. Why would that have been, do you think it's because the adult can hear the young calling from inside the egg?
Good news! First chick out, there might be more when she finally decides to move and let us see.
Great news, only hope the cold weather coming in doesn't affect these like it did to the Notts young.
Oh dear it also means less getting on with jobs and watching - but this is ore interesting than cleaning etc. Well done Mr, & Mrs P
The tiercel came to see his chick but the falcon didn't let him.
Well, she is keeping us waiting isn't she?
A bit of info, the broken shell was visible at 04:15 this morning, in case someone is trawling through the video from last night.
Hi Phoebe. I'm up inside the tower of Derby Cathedral right now. You're right, the first clear evidence of hatching was at 4.15am I'll be bringing a video back later today.
Correction: First sounds of newly hatching chick were heard at 3am this morning.
I note that at this moment the male is on the tower rendering some good. He might well attempt to bring this to the nest at any time.
That's great Nick! Can't wait to watch it!
3 more 2 go
Hope the bad weather forcast for monday doesnt affect our chicks like nottinhams ! Sad news.
Congratulations Mr and Mrs P
I think we have the second..
RJ
I think wé Have 2 chicks now i can see egg Shells!
Am l mistaken do we have 2 chicks now?
Looks like two shells now. Are they empty?
It does look like another hatch but it could be the other half of the first shell. She is keeping all under wraps at the moment, before we know it they will all be hatched when we get to see them!
Tiercel just paid another visit, no food that I could see but he soon left again.
Actually is it the tiercel on the eggs now?
If eggs have hatched when does the feeding start?
The tiercel is on the scrape ledge right-hand side. I thought the falcon looked quite small but it is her on the eggs/chick.
First chance I've had to check in - am thrilled to see that 1 and perhaps 2 chicks have hatched. She's certainly sitting tight in this cold weather. Nick, another weekend of yours 'going to the tower' - thank you. Bet it is cold up there for you too!
Sue, I had a look at Aylesbury's Youtube videos (perhaps extra hits will help reassure your Council that this project is well worth it?) and there is some wonderfully clear video of the parents feeding the first wobbly chick - and also startling footage of a pigeon sauntering round the edge of the nest tray right before one of the peregrines! Good luck with the 2 chicks :)
Nick - I think you mean 'First chick arrives in Derby' as your title for today's blog entry?' Not first egg?
Apologies if you've had lots of messages telling you this!
(No need to publish this)
i have been watching the nottingham falcons and wanted to watch the derby ones as well, are the derby camaras not live like the nottingham ones as they seem to just refresh every few seconds instead of being on all the time like nottinghams
Nice capture of the eggs/chick/s you've put on flickr Helen, thanks!
Should this blog read 'First Chick arrives' instead of 'egg' ?
She certainly is sitting tight, but it looks like 2 and 2 now.
@Phoebe - were you up all night watching for progress? :)
I have an hours advantage watching the early morning developments from Vienna
OH! I would love to be in Derby to see what that naughty tiercel is up to. He obviously has food but is not delivering it.
The falcon keeps peering up at him, it is amazing how they can twist their necks round so far!
The weather forecast isn't good, rain is forecast especially for Monday (inevitable for a Bank Holiday). But surely it will not be like the infamous Sunday 29th April? I was just watching Notts and the one survivor is a monster now, it seems to be thriving on the undivided attention of the adults. So, some hope has come out of the awful situation so many of us watched and agonised over. The female was just trying to brood the "monster" and I couldn't help wondering what on earth she would have done with four brutes like that. It's good to see. I've yet to catch a glimpse of the Derby hatch, looking forward to the video.
Great pic on the flickr site from HelenSara, and I think that shows two – that white fluffy lump surely couldn’t have squeezed into one egg!
Rj
There has been a changeover, the tiercel is on the clutch now and I missed it!
I've just seen a changeover and it looks like 2 chicks, with the third egg very pale & ready to hatch.
I am sure that there was only one egg left to hatch a few moments ago
Feed time, falcon arrived with food.
Definitely 2 chicks now - fabulous images
Just got in from work and checked the web cam just as the adults were removing food. It looked to me like three chicks had hatched and there was one unhatched egg on view - wow - three in one day, that's some going Mrs P x
Just seen 2 chicks beeing fed.
Could only see one egg left???
Two chicks :), just been fed
saw 2 chicks around 16.45!
saw 2 chicks around 16.45,not seen any feeds yet though.
Two Chicks :) Just been fed (1/2 hr ago or so), Nottingham chick looks lively today, feeding well too.
17.20 the 2 tiny chicks had a meal - lovely to see. Another of the eggs now looks very pale - maybe No. 3 will make an appearance soon.
Hi RJ, no I didn't stay up last night much as I would have liked to, I needed to get up in the night and I left my pc on with the peregrines on so that I could have a quick look. I set my screen capture program to take a pic every 20 mins but I messed it up ! I won't make that mistake tonight hehe.
Chicks haveing another feed and the tiercel is on the tower well he was, he's gone now..
Still two eggs but not sure if the pale one looks like it is cracking.
2 chicks feed at 20.10
CM
Chairman said -
looking at the webcam @ 04.12am 05/05/12 and the female hawk was removing an eggshell from underneath her, please check you vt footage. Was I the first to see the chicks hatch ??? Be interesting to monitor the next few days.
@ Chairman, I saw the egg shell at 4:15am, but did not see the falcon remove it. Nick M said earlier that he heard the chick at c.3am.
What a fantastic video clip of the first chick. The tiercel sounds so excited!
I missed seeing the chicks fed this afternoon so it was great to see the screen grabs thanks to everyone's sharp eyes and nimble fingers. After the wait, it really is amazing to see the chicks actually THERE. Thanks to Nick for the video of the first chick cheeping under the falcon too. Certainly announcing its presence :)
Is there any sign of. Third chick yet? Am so excited of wots happened today 2 chicks in one day ! !
Thanks for posting the video Nick - it was wonderful to watch.
It confirms the smart observation by the schoolchildren; when the falcon is wrigling about - then something is going on!
Thanks for the videos Nick M, it was really good to see the tiercel land on the scrape, he just knew what was happening! The falcon is now having a well deserved sleep... until the early hours again when another might start to hatch.
Oh they are so cute my mommy and me are going to the seaside tommorow to look out for seagulls i am very happy and well down birdie xx mrs p
well done kids for guessing
Just seen a feed at Aylesbury, looks like there is still one egg remaining, thought I could see it pipping but it is difficult to see, I wonder if this one will hatch now.
Any sign of number three at Derby ? She seems very fidgety again this morning
Just seen both parents with the chicks, the female went off for a little break but was soon back, tried to look at the remaining eggs and thought I could see one pipping - maybe we will have number 3 today -I've got to go to work but will be looking in again tonight as soon as I get home
Just saw the falcon move position and reveal that two eggs remain, but number 3 is on the way. A definite hole is visible in the shell.
07:28 -The falcon is wriggling again, so perhaps egg number 3 is hatching
Good pic on flickr RJ.
That egg is definitely hatching!
A piece of shell has just appeared from under the falcon on the scrape. Possibly the third chick has hatched?
I wonder how the tiercel knows when the falcon is ready for a changeover? He has been perched on the tray for a while now, and she ducked her head when he arrived - looking determined to keep sitting. Ahh as I write I see fresh eggshell - looks like #3 is out.
Morning people...... another egg shell another chick how good is this on a sunny day.... Mo x
Tiercel has just gone over to the falcon and is now on the ledge in front of her. She is not getting off the clutch just yet.
Morning All. Looks like we definitely have another – rejsharp’s flickr pic shows that, and I’ve just seen the other bit of the empty shell, still underneath.
RJ
p.s. And not rejsharp, with his very quick photo capturing!
Did I just see her check the third damp chick under her breast feathers? Any of you get it? Some of you are so fast at the screen grabs - wow! We're so lucky here with the two Nicks and all the sharing :)
@ RJ, I wondered if REJ was you, now I know you are two different people. Sorry for any confusiom.
~This is brill, two to go!
Nick B/ Nick M
Have you any information on what prey you’ve seen so far? There’s a long thin green foot at the front of the scrape (left as you look via the webcam), and I was wondering what that was – I was thinking a Snipe, but if it was, what’s that doing in the area of Derby, is there somewhere nearby that would fit? If its not, what is it?
RJ
@Phoebe, no probs, and I can usually be identified by wildly inaccurate predictions..
Hi Phoebe - Correct RJ and I are two different people :)
I am Roger from Austria.
I have another question for anyone that knows - the falon quiteoften pecks at something in the gravel - what is she finding? spiders / flies / maggots or ??
@RJ I think the long green foot looks like that of a moorhen.
Snipe are in the Derby area - you just have to walk for 15 minutes to reach The Sanctuary bird reserve next to the football stadium at Pride Park. This is a good habitat for snipe, and yesterday there was a ring ouzel there (very plain to see) as well as wheatear and little ringed plover. So peregrines do have a choice of interesting food. However, they also take advantage of the river corridor which runs north to south just 200m away from the cathedral. Many birds would use these corridors to move across country, often at night. It's this that has resulted in the birds taking woodcock, snipe, and many other species not found immediately on the ground in Derby.
Thanks Nick (M) – a Moorhen is quite a big bird, no? That would be a pretty good meal for (hopefully) four hungry mouths to feed!
RJ
Occasionally in summer we've seen the peregrines snapping at passing flies. However what she seems to do on the nest is simply pick up stones and move them. I suspect this is some form of residual nest-building instinct. The stones are all far too large to be taken in to aid digestion, and anyway I had thought this was a feature of seed-eating birds, not meat eaters.
I might consult with the oracle - Derek Ratcliffe's 2nd edition of The Peregrine Falcon.
Thanks Nick M for the answer, better re-arranging stones than dealing with pesky insects!
Interesting about the river corridor, Nick M. I live in a small industrial town in Cheshire which might not otherwise lend itself to wildlife, but wildlife floods into town with our river.
The river also provides a fantastic resource for nearby schools. A few years ago, we managed to fund a project where children visited the river. In response to the wildlife they saw there, they created an animal/bird/insect mask parade to a Saturday riverside wildlife fair where pride of place went to a Year 5 play performed with puppets built and operated by teams of 4 children. They'd worked with an environmental educator who really knew about helping children articulate the bodies of different animals to create huge puppets. Their teamwork and artwork was stunning.
I know that children have been inspired to draw and paint the Derby peregrines and am sure that we will see more of their fantastic artwork on the blog as time goes on :)
I have just seen a changeover, and there is one egg still unhatched. Two chicks clearly visible but I think No. 3 was tucked in behind the other two, so just one more to go I think!
Ohh it's feeding time for the three chicks!
Three little upturned faces having a good feed, magic!
Lovely to see three chicks enjoying lunch!
@ Team, probaly Nick M, thanks for the zoom-in on the latest feed. :-)
Fantastic news that three chicks have hatched and are apparently feeding well!
The first two were a bonus for me, arriving on Sunday which was also my birthday!
Enjoying the viewing, thank you.
Big thanks to Phoebe who seems to have been up all night and who was the first to see the last chick.
Her flickr photo will be posted soon.
Nick B (DWT)
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