{Update: The third was laid during the night or early morning of 8th/9th April.}
Herewith a screen capture of the first two eggs just a few minutes after the second was laid.
See lower down page for picture of all three eggs (the third was laid around 3am on Tuesday night,we think)
From comments on Twitter and on this blog, a number of you also managed to witness the moment live. And here are a couple of pictures from a little later on this evening.
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| Screen capture of all three eggs, caught by HelenSara |
On Saturday I went into Derby Cathedral to investigate the cause of our tower camera misting up, and managed to retrieve the video clip below showing the moment last Thursday morning when our first egg was laid.
Unfortunately the tower cam appears to be faulty, with condensation building up on the inside of the glass of this QVIS Outdoor Dome Camera. We are currently speaking to the supplier to get a replacement.
Polite request: If you're watching our Stream 3 (fully live video with audio) do please close your browser when you've finished viewing. This saves 'bandwidth wastage' and reduces the risk of us exceeding our data allocation of 1 Terabyte of traffic per month. We are working on getting our new camera fully live, too, but this will still take at least a couple of weeks to resolve. Meanwhile we will probably reduce the 15 minute play period down to ten or less, after which you will simply need to click 'play again.' to continue watching and listening to the live stream.
Ps. There is some very useful background information about the Peregrine Project on Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's website (both via the home page and also under 'What we do') - http://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/
Pps. And a big thank you to Lynda O who has sent in an unsolicited donation. It's never too early in the season to invite donations I suppose (Notts have just done it!) so I'll post something on how to donate shortly.
Talk Details: Nick Moyes will give an illustrated talk about the peregrine project to The East Derbyshire Local Members Group of DWT this Wednesday (10th April) at 7.30 pm at Riddings Community Centre, West Street, Riddings in Central Derbyshire. Just turn up - there is no booking system. There will be a small entrance fee.
37 comments:
Well done all you avid watchers! I was actually doing some work (for once) so missed it but I knew that there'd be the faithful and dependable watchers to spot it for me. I'm really pleased, but totally unsurprised at the capable and experienced performance of the Derby birds - there you are, I told you all would be well!
I been through my screen grabs and found one as the egg was laid eith an inset of the live feed showing the 1st egg in front of her. Posted to flickr :D
@phoebe I reckon that must be the moment! I was watching at the time – just logged on. I was switching between the two views, and it dawned on me there was one in front and one behind, around 17.47. Because I didn’t register it straight away, I assumed maybe it was a minute or so earlier, but maybe not.
Last year I worked out some average times between each egg laid for this falcon, to see if I could predict some times. But the times were a bit wayward – could have been something to do with the changeable weather (remember that?), and pretty much every prediction I made was wrong. But here’s something: the average time between eggs 1 & 2 from 2009-2012 was 60 ½ hours. The time between them this year? 60 ½. I’m making no predictions this year (she’ll just make me look silly again), but the times between 2 & 3 have normally been shorter than between 1 & 2, with a current average of 51 hours. Do the maths!
RJ
Interesting calculations RJ - and thank you for making them.
If your average between Nos. 2 and 3 are right, I make it that the third egg should be laid at 20.47 on Monday evening....time will tell.
Another cold night here, but, as yesterday, it should warm up and be a fine spring day. Thank goodness those bitter easterly winds have gone at last.
Nick B (DWT)
@Nick – after last year, all I’m going to predict is sometime late afternoon/evening Monday!
Over the years, the one thing you can predict, and they’ve been pretty consistent with this, from first to fourth is around 7 days, regardless of the time in between each egg. So, if there is a fourth, maybe sometime Thursday morning? And, though I’m really setting myself up here, that points to Saturday 11th May for a first hatch (they are very consistent with 30 days from last egg to first hatch).
p.s. Though, given my track record, and this is nature not computer circuit boards, don’t mark the diary just yet!
RJ, I had just started watching the scrape, I must admit I wondered if there was a time gap between seeing the egg behind and had to look to confirm it wasn't the first egg.
You time was about right. Good to hear from you again.
The egg laying times I think will be about right. I am away at the beginning of May but will be back just in time for the hatching.
Your data is really interesting, RJ. I wonder if anyone is collating such data across the various peregrine webcam projects. Make a good student project for someone perhaps if this hasn't been studied. I've been working today for my sins and therefore had the birds for company on screen 2. Good to see the changeovers. Is the falcon still hunting for herself, I wonder, with her payload of unlaid eggs? And is it my imagination or did the tower cam slowly clear? Perhaps we've got the replacement mentioned but it seemed less misty this morning and when I looked up at one stage this afternoon, a pigeon was sitting there in mist-free high definition!
@Caroline
The tower cam lens may be a little clearer today as I cleaned the front of it yesterday. But the problem lies with internal moisture, which appears to evaporate during the day and recondense, depending upon the amount of the prevailing conditions. But this isn't acceptable for an IP66 rated device, so I'm speaking with the supplier.
I think RJ's figures of timings would be very interesting if collated across various projects, or presented graphically just for Derby's birds. So, we'd be happy to put a table on our blog, RJ, if you wanted to send us the fruits of your collations. Ratcliffe (The Peregrine Falcons) bemoans the lack of data on exactly when eggs were laid in wild birds.
Read more here: http://ow.ly/jPhwR
I see the tiercel is doing a good share on the eggs.
Is it my pc - I have no sound on stream 3? anyone else got the same?
No Phoebe it's not your pc, I can't get sound either.
Three eggs!!
Morning people.... What a wonderful score Derby 3 Nottingham 3... well done Mrs P x
Good to see the third egg! I don't know what time it was laid. I did some overnight 10min grabs it could have been around 3am or a little before. Hope this is helpful. Maybe RJ has more info..
If you go to the BBC News website here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/derbyshire/ the first article is titled "Hot water bottle helps falcons breed". It provides a nice summary of recent events and four photos, including one of the first two eggs.
Delighted Derby have a third egg - maybe still time for a fourth?
I would think a fourth will be on it's way. Fingers crossed...
The tiercel just came off the eggs for a short time. Could this mean full incubation has not yet started? So another egg may be on it's way?
I've just seen the three eggs, after the sitter (falcon?) flew off. The tiercel(?) was on the other ledge, presumably ready to take over. These two are a fabulous combination. I'm hoping for a fourth egg, and going by RJ's calculation we should know by the end of Thursday. To think we ( well, I anyway) got so anxious earlier! Should have known - Mrs. P. always does it her way...
Just tuned in again and see things are finally moving along in my old home city. 3 eggs now that is wonderful news. Here's hoping for the 4th. Looking good for another lovely and interesting season. can't wait to get there in June. This time the new arrivals will hopefully still be around. Also due to a late start this year chances are good. xxx
A third egg, great. As I understand it, even if there is a fourth on the way (and only the falcon will know!), full incubation should actually start now-ish. But the fact that it didn’t between 2 & 3, and the weather has been fairly stable, would sort of indicate a fourth anyway. It would be interesting to try and narrow down exactly when that egg was laid - @phoebe, you think around 3.00 a.m. or just before? That would make it around 57 hours from the 2nd. Which I think is the same gap between eggs 2 & 3 as last year, and the year before. But still less than the average between 1 & 2 (60 ½).
I’ll collate all my timings (which I did last year) and send them to the Nicks – though probably not till the weekend. They were all based on reading through the various blog postings over the years.
RJ
All being well, am still planning to come to Nick Moyes "gig"! Save me a seat someone.
I posted a pic to flickr including an inset capture at the same time from the other webcam. The falcon was sitting up so I am wondering if that was when the third egg was laid. Hopefully to give a time of c.3am if there are videos to look through. There are no other comments or pics of the third egg to show when it was laid.
Though I'm a mere "fledgling" viewer of the DCP project,which I only discovered about a month ago -I have now become hooked! I sat up all night watching the female getting ready to lay the third egg. She appeared to be making contractions and egg No.3 seemed imminent. I kept awake until 5.45am before I reluctantly had to get some sleep. However, just before I went to bed, the female stood up and I managed to capture an image of just two eggs before she sat back on the nest. She then continued to flex her back and so I feel sure that the 3rd egg still hadn't arrived yet.I have only just learnt how to capture pictures by using my snipping tool (I followed a very short video tutorial in between keeping vigil) and I have the image in my pictures file with the time and date displayed. I doubt very much that the 3rd egg was laid whilst I was away from the live cam and so I think it was probably laid shortly after I dragged myself off to bed! I'm determined to see the fourth egg being laid, which in my novice opinion, will be around 5pm tomorrow (11th) Being also a novice on this laptop I bought myself (I'm 62 !) I've yet to suss out how I go about sending the image I captured for everyone to view, but I'd like to, as it may better help pin down the approximate time the third egg was actually laid. Many thanks for your patience with me folks and any tips or advice will be appreciated meanwhile. I'm finding it all so very exciting -they are such a loving couple!- 395and they are so caring to each other. Much better than Corrie any day !!
How wonderful. I'm currently sitting at a Derbyshire Wildlife Trust meeting, about to talk about Derby's amazing peregrines, and Sue Peregrino has come up specially from Bucks, and is sitting in the audience. (Hope she won't be too disappointed!)
Picture on Twitter, soon.
Nick M.
Hope you enjoyed the meeting. I have just spent hours negotiating and setting up a Yahoo account so that I could post my picture on flicker, but try as I may, I just couldn't achieve it ! I've now terminated the Yahoo account ( I think ) and will have to wait until I'm more experienced in computer technology I'm afraid. I feel exhausted !! Not to worry, I will continue to just watch and enjoy from now on. ( think I was trying to fly the nest too soon ! ) PS: Regards the sound issue -I also haven't had any sound on the live stream No.3 for a couple of days now, but no doubt this is a temporary glitch that the wonderful team will resolve in time. I'm going back to watch the adorable little mother falcon now, content that all is well with her. She's such a sweetheart.
@Lorraine, sorry to hear you are having trouble posting your screenshots on Flickr. Please do give it another try. If you have a google account (the same as when you sign in to this blog) you should also be able to log on to Flickr with that or you can create a yahoo account again. When you have signed in for the first time it should ask you to choose a name for your flickr account - this is the name that people will know you as on Flickr.
If you want to add your photos to the Derby Peregrine Group you will also need to join the group. You can find it by clicking on groups in the top menu and searching derby peregrines or use the link on the homepage of the blog - http://www.flickr.com/groups/derbyperegrines/ When you have found it click on 'join group' at the top and then agree to the terms and conditions. You can join the group at any time once you have set up your Flickr account.
When you are ready to upload your picture click on Upload in the menu at the top of the page. You then need to click on the blue link that appears say 'Choose Photos and Videos to Upload'. A window should pop up which links to your computer. You will need to select the place on your computer where you have saved your screenshot or picture to. e.g. my pictures When you have found the picture you want to upload click on it and the file name should appear in the space at the bottom of the window - you then need to click 'open'. You should see a small version of your picture on the screen.
If you want to add it to the Derby Group click on 'add to a group' in the menu at the left hand side of the page. If you have already joined the group it should be listed. Click on the Derby Peregrines group and then on 'done'. (If you havn't already joined the group you can come back to this later and then add your screenshot by clicking on 'actions' above your picture you want to upload and then 'add to a group').
Finally click on 'upload' in the top right of the screen. Make sure you choose the public option. Your picture is now on Flickr!
I hope this helps. It all sounds really complicated but as you go through each step it should make sense. It would be great to see your screenshots on there.
Hi Nick, the Bucks fan club got home safe and sound, the struggle up the dreaded M1 and even more dreaded roundabouts of Milton Keynes was more than worth it to see and hear a great talk. It was such a pleasure to put a few faces to names that I see on this diary - it's so true that this project is as much about People as Peregrines. Hoping all continues to go smoothly with the 2013 season (as I'm sure it will) and hope to see lots of people at the hoped for Watchpoints.
Welcome Lorraine. I remember my excitement when i discovered the Derby project too. It doesn't go away! Like you, I learnt screen grabs and other technical tasks as a result which was great. Nick, I hope your talk went well last night. Having heard you last year on my trip to Derby, I am sure it was fascinating and indeed well worth hearing again. Been enjoying watching the to and fro on the nest this week.
Re. watch points Sue, these are still at an early stage of planning (we always wait until incubation has begun before coming up with a schedule).
This year, Ian Layton, our Engagement Officer is running them and he is starting to book in some school and community groups during the weekdays. Saturday WPs should be for the general public and run as usual and we may well run a special day on Bank Holiday Monday in early June with Tony Grantham organising the tower tours etc.
Watch this space....
Nick B (DWT)
Welcome to Lorraine from the project team - and indeed to all new 'addicts'....and thanks to Helen for explaining the technical stuff you needed.
As Sue peregrino says, the project is as much about people as peregrines....so do please spread the word about our project to your friends and relatives, at work and down the pub or wherever you socialise - not that you'll have time for the pub of course...
Nick B (DWT)
Thank you Helen for the technical stuff. I sat watching the Falcon lay her first egg whilst in Canberra and took a screen print for my own files. I have never been quite up to posting on Flickr but I think I just might give it a go. I'm going to be up at odd hours now I'm back from Oz and that's when "things happen" I hope to see some of you at the watchpoints soon.
Egg #4 arrived @15.28!
4 EGGS! I'm sure I am not the only one watching but for the record I saw the female looking as if she was trying to lay about 30 mins ago - just checked back (3.30) and there are 4 eggs now! The 4th one still looks wet and shiny so I am guessing it is very new.
Many thanks Helen for taking time to talk me thru the process to submit my screenshot. Will give it another go soon. Also thanks for the lovely welcome messages I received - really made me feel part of a smashing group of people. Very much looking forward now to everything that's yet to come and learning more every day.
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