There will be many children returning to school today who will be excited to learn that a fourth peregrine chick hatched very early morning (8th May). There will probably be many adults in the same situation, too! A gap of three days between eggs hatching is quite unusual, and it had begun to look as if the last egg wouldn't hatch, but finally it has done so. Obviously the last chick will be smaller than its siblings but peregrines are good parents and there's every chance they will rear all four. Video clips will be obtained during the day.....
The first photograph below was taken at 03:57am using an automatic capture technique which anyone at home can easily set up (using a piece of free software called Irfanview) to save pictures every 15 seconds.
The second picture, taken at 04:57am was taken by webcam watcher Phoebe, and uploaded to Flickr from where it has been embedded directly into our blog.
55 comments:
I am so pleased that number four hatched, I still haven't quite been able to determine all four but the white ball of fluff is definitely bigger!
Sunshine and 4th chick! What brilliant teamwork on the screengrabs too, wow. I don't have the regular time required to help with the monitoring project but wish you all well and really appreciate you doing this on everyone's behalf.
Last night I drove home through an hour of heavy driving rain here in the NW but was relieved to check in online last night and see that it was dry in Derby. Nott'm looked dry too insofar as I could tell. The Manchester peregrine was hunkered down in our rain but her 4 chicks are beefy now and this morning her back feathers were all puffed up in the sunshine with her wings draped over her cloud of youngsters.
Ah you can see the four heads quite clearly on the first picture!
A feed just took place but the falcon had her back to us.
It is exciting that all the chicks have hatched. We really want to see the male bring the chicks some food. We also want to see the chicks grow up.
How many of the chicks are likely to live to be grown ups?
Wow, so it did arrive, brilliant. That’s indeed a very long gap - 73 hours. Particularly when they’ve previously been quite quick, 24-30 hours. I think it has to be connected with that early incubation, they must have had a reason for doing it, I wonder what it was.
RJ
Next feed is due in the next half hour.
Feeding the four has started
Obviously Mrs P could sense that it was too cold to leave the first two eggs uncovered for long - we had snow on the Wednesday of that week, remember, and instinctively began to brood her eggs. Better the odds of the last chick not surviving against loosing the fist two eggs. She is a canny bird and knew what she was doing!
The falcon left the chicks at 11:10 and came back with food and plenty of it.
Feeding started 11:11 and ended at 11:22 - A very good feed for all four.
The chicks were left at 11:49 until 11:57 - it's a nice warm sunny day at the moment so they won't be cold then the Tiercel landed on the right-hand side and was messing with some food in the corner when the Falcon came and took it away from him and looked to be eating herself. The Tiercel then left and landed on the top looking down at her. He has since landed back on the RHS of the ledge.
@DianeL – yes, I think you’re right. I was looking back at the earlier posts from around the start of that week and it was very cold. I even saw a post from me from the weekend before: ”Next week is forecast to get very cold, I wonder how that will impact on the incubation.” Which I’d forgotten about! Yes, these birds seem to know exactly what they are doing.
RJ
im so happy to see the forth chick hatch on my birthday so im gonna treat myself to calling it harvey
Falcon has left the chicks, it's nearly time for the next feed.
Feeding started!
13.50 Falcon has arrived, food for four little chicks.
Congrats Derby. Hope the weather holds out well for you.
Happy Birthday theviking62!
One couldn't help but admire the very smooth chain- mail feathering of the peregrine's back since it happened to block our view while feeding the chicks just now. The prey had very long legs without webbed feet?
That was a long feed! The falcon had her back to the camera throughout so not much to see, but I put 2 pics on flickr.
Tiercel is on the ledge right side and looking very dapper!
The Tiercel has foound the stash and is tucking in!
We are very exited because the peregrines eggs have hatched.
Our class have nely all been on the blog wrihting comments.
The peregrine has to sit on the chicks umtill they get there juvnial feathers.
The female peregrine has been fetching som food for the chicks to eat when the female brings food the chicks open there beaks
When the chicks have got there juvnial feathers they have to wait ten weeks untill they have to get there own food.
The chicks are white and fluffy,we have just seen the female peregrine feeding the chicks.
They look very hungry at first
The Derby pair have done brilliantly to hatch 4 (and Phoebe has done brilliantly too and I award her the "most faithful watcher" award) I hope the weather continue to be kind, for all our birds. Notts should be well able to withstand it now - it is a MONSTER! Aylesbury first timers have done well, they've managed to hatch two, one egg remains, presumably infertile. I think they're still learning, but they're learning fast.
@ Sue Peregrino - thanks for the comment, I was just looking at the blog and thinking I don't want to monopolise it!
After the feed the falcon left the food on the scrape then the Tiercel comes in, goes to the food and starts feeding the chicks. After a few moments the Falcon comes back and Tiercel swiftly flies off, the falcon then removes the food and took her place on the brood. It was quite funny to watch, I have screen captures but too many to post.
Just a quickie to say that East Midlands TV viewers ought to be able to watch Derby's chicks on East Midlands Today - sometime between 6.30-7pm tonight.
Phew- what a day!
Thanks Nick M I just watched the chicks on the news, the little one had its head down while the other three fed. The little one is probably still feeding off the food in its belly when it hatched.
Wow the tiercel is in the scrape eating and feeding the falcon while she sits on the brood. It's been going on for a while now! Brilliant!
19.48 Chicks were fed about five minutes ago and now the male has returned and is feeding Mum. I have been watching for years and I don't recall ever seeing this before!
Tiercel is feeding the falcon again while she is on the brood. she mut be exhausted with all the feeding and hatching today. Well done to him!
Just watched some interesting behaviour on the webcams. It looked like the male might have been feeding the female, although it was difficult to tell. I know other birds do this during incubation and when the female is brooding chicks but I'm not sure about peregrines.
I imagine both the adults are exhausted after today.
I do admire the tiercel for feeding his mate the way he did today. They have both done so well!
I think it's the tiercel on the brood and sleeping. The falcon is probably taking a well earned break.
The screen grabs on Flickr of the male feeding the female are great. Liked the ones showing where they stash the food too. Sounds like Nick M has been working almost as hard as the birds today ;) Sorry to be outside the broadcast area but well done!
Courtship feeding (of the female by the male) is well documented in many birds (eg robins) in order to 'fatten up the female as she produces the eggs.
Certainly in peregrines the male brings food to the female throughout incubation and beyond too but, as several people have said, I don't recall reading about or seeing the male directly feeding the female....will have to ask a few 'experts'! and get back to you.
Nick B (DWT)
@Helen, I too saw the feeding behaviour (tiercel feeding falcon) at about the same time as you, and have posted a screen capture in the flickr site.
As someone said, Nick M has been working very hard today - extracting video clips this morning and sending one to the TV, in a peregrine meeting all afternoon and then off to the radio to do an interview plus moderating many of your comments too.
Caroline: the East Midlands Today TV 'story' was very brief and not really worth chasing up on iplayer - but the video clip was good and gave viewers the idea of what is happening. The same clip is on the blog (thanx to NM of course).
Nick B (DWT)
The first video is great, I was watching the webcam during that feed. Thanks for uploading it!
There is a lot of material today that would make an interesting video to sell. I would buy it if it were made.
Well done Nick M, I should think you are exhausted too!
Nick B. has been working hard, too!
I've just uploaded a second video to YoyTube which I've embedded in the blog. Apologies for the cursory descriptions today, and for any un-answered questions.
I have to admit that I don;t recollect ever seeing the male actually feeding the female. Bringing her food and doing a runner, yes. But not actually passing her food on the nest.
The second video is Awww so cute! She is so gentle with them, aren't they just gorgeous?
Thanks for uploading Nick M!
Well done Nick B, didn't mean to forget you, I know you work hard behind the scenes.
Those videos are amazing but particularly the night footage of the 4th damp chick lying curled at the front and wiping its face with its wing and leg while the 3 fluffy ones are fed around it. Put the video full-screen on the best res screen you've got because the detail is astounding. The peregrine has to be so careful with its great big feet.
Nick M and Nick B you have done us proud once again and deserve large boxes of chocolates! :)
Absolutely brilliant videos! Many thanks to the two Nicks for making my day. Fond regards, Carol in SF USA
Good morning,
The tiercel did a good share of brooding the clutch overnight. The chicks had a good feed at 06:10am and
I the next feed will possibly be around 8:15am.
It's a nice sunny day again so we may see more of the chicks today.
we have been excited abut the eggs hatching . can the peregine turn there head all the way around layc a owl .i layc the little chicks.
we saw the chicks eat there food.
we wr exsatd the eggs hacd
we or excited to see the chiks group and fledg
Hi Anna and Zoe: no, peregrines can't turn their heads right round like owls. But with big eyes placed at the sides of their heads they can see almost the whole way round without having to turn their heads too much.
Their eyesight is SO much better than ours...and different too...They can detect objects and movement in the far distance much much better than we humans can.
I hope that helps....
Nick B (DWT)
Just back from holiday where I couldn't see the webcam and so thanks so much to the team for the video clips and photos.
Great teamwork on the nest just now as the falcon fed 4 bobbing white heads while the tiercel prepared more food next to them. Just posted a screen-grab on Flickr. Afterwards the chicks flopped into a sleepy heap!
That latest feed at 14:38 was very interesting. Both adults were with the chicks, the falcon feeding them and the tiercel mostly feeding himself. I think the tiercel is now on the chicks and the falcon has just left the tower top where she was feeding herself. I can see her tail hanging over the tower webcam. They certainly seem to be doing thing differetly this year. I wonder why? Age? a different tiercel?
Phoebe - not reason to think it's a different male/tiercel. he still likes to get out of the rain by sneaking into a small eroded space in the stonework above the nest at the top of the 'window'....
Incidentally, there was a stock dove in an adjacent space the other day...lovely bird but maybe a bit daft!
Nick B (DWT)
Just watched a feed, and the tiercel was again present (as Phoebe reported earlier), alongside the falcon, and was feeding himself, but also occasionally feeding one of the chicks at the same time as the falcon was feeding the others. This is the first time I have seen this behaviour (double feeding) at Derby, although I had seen it at Nottingham. Nicks – have you seen this before in Derby?
The rain is starting to show on the falcon, I hope it doesn't get too heavy.
@ Nick B, I think it is wise for one, be it the falcon or tiercel, to keep dry during the wet weather, there is no point in them both getting soaked. Then at least they can take turns brooding the chicks.
I have a lot of stock doves where I live, I was watching one today flying with twigs in beak towards a tree. They eat my chicken corn!
Was working on top of the assembly's rooms today and what a lovely sight it was to see them birds, I hope all four servive in the next few weeks, keep up the good work
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