Peregrine Watch Points will occur on Derby's Cathedral Green off Full Street every WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY between 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. between now and the end of June 2012 (weather permitting).
Here are some recently retrieved videos from our equipment inside Derby Cathedral's tower.
The first was recorded on 16th May and shows our adult female in the midst of her brood.
The video below shows the chicks on 12th May - see how much smaller they were then.
47 comments:
The falcon, I think, is on the tower top plucking fresh prey. A feed may be imminent. I haven't watched the videos yet and look forward to them.
There was a steady stream of visitors at today's Watch Point includng people from Vancouver, San Diego, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Gateshead and Leicester, not forgetting Derby of course! For some people it was the first time they had ever seen a peregrine faLcon. What a treat! The female remained on the nest platform for most of the morning, taking flight on a couple of occasions giving everyone great views of her. The tiercel could be seen close by on the hotel lettering and was briefly joined by the female at one point. Their calls to each other could be clearly heard on the street below. The chicks were given a good feed around noon time after the tiercel brought in some food. It won't be long before they are wandering around the platform and looking out over the edge.
Antony, Ian and Helen
Fantastic to hear about all your visitors today, Helen. Phoebe & REJ have another interesting chart on Flickr too... and then there are Nick M's new videos! Who needs bells when you've got a nest full of hungry chicks serenading ;)
@ REJ's Q re peregrine chicks shuffling for so long whereas chicken chicks run around... I wonder if it is because peregrine chicks have few predators as long as at least 1 parent is around and so they haven't needed to evolve much early get-up-and-go? Though one chick seems to have got a taste for going walkabout now... or is it different chicks going walkabout just to keep us guessing...
Sunday 20th: the chicks are certainly not going hungry this morning. They have been fed almost continuously for the last 90 minutes. I counted 5 deliveries.
They must have heard about my "tidiness" comment, as some leftovers have been in the tray since yesterday, and the fresh meal delivered at 06:42 was plucked in the tray. Feathers everywhere. It does indeed look like the chicks are getting some lessons.
@Caroline: I thought more about mobility. Peregrines naturally nest on cliff ledges, having scampering chicks would not be a good survival strategy! Whoops! There goes another one.
Blogs are great for airing unsubstantiated theories - I hope an ornithologist is not sneering somewhere!
It seems that Mrs P has been doing some housework, the ledge looks very tidy this morning! I've just come back from camping in North Wales for a week and have had a taste of what these poor birds must have gone through with the wind and the rain - Bless Em ! Glad to see that they are all doing well
The chicks were just offered food (by Mr.P I think) only one seemed at all interested. After the mammoth feeding session earlier this morning I expect they would prefer a couple of Rennies!
Do we have any ideas about the gender split of the youngsters?
I guess at 2 female and 2 male. The youngest seems to me to be a male, as he is still quite a lot smaller, more than just age difference would make, and certainly does not look starved.
More tricky to guess is the 3rd largest. When is ringing planned?
The falcon has just landed on the scrape with a large prey which was not plucked, I think she wanted to give them another lesson on plucking but the chicks took no notice of her. She has now landed on the tower and stashed the food behind the water spout. the tiercel has just landed briefly on the right side of the scrape then left.
The chicks are sure getting a lot of feeds today!
Looks like the falcon has fresh prey - she is plucking it on the tower.
The chicks are getting another feed.
By the way the videos are brilliant thanks for uploading them.
I think that must have been the tiercel plucking as the tiercel has just fed the brood.
I have just watched the videos again - the 12th May video is really delightful - what a racket they make!
I had to laugh at the smallest one, who begged and begged for food and then fell flat on his beak as soon as he had some.
The parent was very careful to help them get bigger morsels down, correctly positioned to slide down their gullets.
Thanks to the team!
What's this??? Who is this Bucks person who visited because it wasn't me! Just kidding, although it wasn't me I'm delighted to see your fame is spreading. And San Diego and Vancouver too, that is impressive - and Norfolk too, where I hear they have pretty good birds :) I can't be with you every time, sadly and Saturday, wild horses wouldn't have dragged me away from Bucks because we had our ringing! :)
All asleep together with their heads tucked in, they look like a puffy white duvet left rumpled up at the back of the nest platform.
09.25 21st May - the "Notts Monster" has hopped OUT OF the box!
Indeed he did Sue - then back in then out again for a toddle along the ledge! Scared the daylights out of me, but after contemplating hopping to the high ledge, with the big drop, he returned to his corner for a sleep. Nail biting stuff in Notts at the moment though!
the Norwich birds have just been ringed.
The chicks are all collapsed in a heap taking in the lovely sun we have here today. The adults are both on the tower top... one just flew off over the hotel. I can see a bird that was flying across the in front of the hotel, maybe the adult that just left the tower.
Ah there are feather flying - there is an adult plucking prey on the tower top. Feeding could be imminent.
Hi is there ne plans for ringing the chicks this year? .
The chicks have just had a 10 minute feed, the falcon has stayed with them and there are feathers flying on the tower as the tiercel is plucking more prey. The falcon keeps looking up.
Phew! What a shock - I just looked at the webcam picture and saw the scrape was empty! Cam 2 showed that they had migrated to the other half for a holiday.
One little rascal has just toddled back to the "normal" side.
Oh dear - they are very mobile now aren't they? Rej, I also had a shcck to see an apparently empty nest box, but they are all over the place at the moment! I hope they stay away from the edge, I had enough heart stopping moments yesterday with our Notts chick hopping on to the ledge!
Norwich have been ringed see here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18161708 It's still FASCINATING to speculate on how intuitive the Derby birds were in the lateness of their breeding. There are so many stories coming in of nesting failures down to the cold wet spring. And I guess most of us watched the sad situation at Nottingham - although hat surviving "monster" continues to thrive. It hopped out of the box yesterday and was doing some tearing at prey. I guess it'll be fledging soon?
The chicks are sunning themselves on this warm sunny day. A pic on flickr of the sleeping beauties!
I can't decide if it is the falcon or tiercel feeding the chicks right now. Whichever it is they have a white stripe of something down its tail feathers from top to tip.
Any ideas if it's the falcon or tiercel?
Notts is wandering about again. It would not have been noticeable from the web cam but "real" watching revealed one the Aylesbury two peering over the edge. Heart stopping stuff.
In the night vision it's hard to see the falcon sitting on the ledge, I can just see her lower half and tail. When she was with the chicks a moment ago it looked like she had a large white duvet to snuggle up with.
@ Sue Peregrino, it is exciting to watch them peering over the edge at you watching them. That is what I enjoy seeing!
07.19 Just opened up the cams to see the chicks had all vanishes. They've decided to change sides. Falcon is on the town keeping an eye on them.
Just look at the tiercel and what a fine job he is doing shading one of his youngsters. He has been very active this year both weil sitting and feeding. The pair have got such a close bond.
The falcon is on the corbel below and I think I see food stashed there too.
@ Team - thanks for the close up view of the right side scrape!
After a lethargic morning in the heat, they've now perked up enough to explore the rest of the nest box. How confident they look!
They've had a good long feed and have flopped out again.
It's only now I see the beaks are starting to turn down at the end into the classic falcon "hook".
As AnnieF said, they are more confident now and starting to look around and take notice of things, their minds are inquisitive. They are having lessons and learning how to be a peregrine falcon.
'mum and dad' have gone for past three hours it seems ? Bit dark now - so am surprised they are not back!
The youngsters were left alone from 8:30pm last night to 4:50am this morning. Then both parents arrived and fed them 3 times within an hour!
It is just amazing for fast they change, now with touches of colour as proper feathers develop. It will not be long before they have food delivered for "self service" feeding.
Wednesdays Watch:-
Great to catch up with you Tony and glad all is going ok with the new venture.
Meeting up with Hillary was really good your enthusiasam for our resident pair and all the other Peregrines that you watch was so enlightening.
You can find a link to my shots of the day below some good and some not so good I would normally remove poor shots but as a representation of your Watch yesterday I have left all apart from the total missed shots in the collection.
I hope you enjoy them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/117609255447297066648/0523Peregrines#slideshow/5745995243506256866
Regards Ian (superbrad)
Mid-morning snacks are being served.
It must be hotter in the scrape today, as the tiercel is trying to shield his brood from the sun even though they're all in the shady corner.
Hi Ian,
That is a stunning set of photos! you obviously spent a lot of time taking them.
Very enjoyable!
Thank you so much for sharing!
To Ian (superbrad): Great pictures! What camera are you using so that you can record so many shots in quick succession, as with the peregrines flying in to land on the tower?
Ian (superbrad) - what remarkable and beautiful pictures! There wasn't a bad one among them to my untrained eye, lol. Thank you so much for sharing them - I truly enjoyed them.
Hi Ian aka Superbrad. It was great to meet up with you and everyone else at the very hot watchpoint on Wednesday. Your shots from that day are amazing, I have seen them all. I'm learning a lot from everyone and may even learn how to put up a telescope! It was a lovely day and thanks to Tony, Joyce and our Peregrines. Look forward to seeing you all next week.
@ Phoebe
Thanks for the comment
The pleasure is knowing you have enjoyed the shots.
@ Deb (from Canada)
Again thanks for the comment
As for the kit I was using on Wednesday
I was using my Canon 7D mounted with a Canon 100-400mm lens
Most of the shots are taken at 400mm.
The high speed burst mode rate of the 7D is 8 frames a second.
The low speed burst mode rate of the 7D is 3 frames a second.
I think I was using low speed burst mode for those shots.
@ Penny
Thanks for your flattering comment.
I am so glad that you have enjoyed them "even the poor ones"
Regards Ian (superbrad)
@ Hillary
Really glad you enjoyed my shots of the day.
Your enthusiasm for Peregrines will always win over the assembly of spotting scopes.
Regards Ian (superbrad)
I watched your superb shots as a slideshow, Ian, and found myself incredibly moved by the detail of the peregrines' flight against the tracery of the cathedral. How fascinating to see how they rise onto the grotesques at the top... those huge feet are stowed in flight and then swung well forward at the last minute to grab the perch. This movement is even more dramatic when the falcon brings prey onto the nest platform. What an extraordinary business it is having a pair of those wings... as the chicks are about to discover! The shots with brief glimpses of the chicks peering over the edge are irresistible. Thank you for giving us a very different perspective from the webcams. I know I'll be playing the slideshow again...
@ Caroline
Thank you for your comments on the shots from Wednesdays Watch.
I am rather pleased that I can in some way give you and others an insight into the lives of the Derby Cathedral resident pair of Peregrines.
The web cams can certainly get up close and personal but to see them when they are flying with prey in close proximity to the Cathedral is in a word Awesome.
Regards Ian (superbrad)
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