Sunday morning update (15th): all three juveniles in the nest platform this morning and it is now easy to confirm that we have two (smaller) males and a (much larger) female - and also that it was one of the males that has flown (and has now returned).
Saturday (14th) afternoon Update:
There was a good (and dry!) Watch Point today with lots of visitors using our telescopes, as well as a BBC East Midlands Today TV film crew (their film will now probably be shown on Monday - viewable only if you can get E. Midlands region TV - because a light aircraft has crashed near the M1 which is clearly going to be the major news story today).Saturday (14th) afternoon Update:
There wasn't much fledging action today, unfortunately, although most people saw at least one if not all three of the youngsters. The female insisted on sitting high up on the backside of a pinnacle out of view from the Watch Point and the male on Jurys Inn. At one point there was plenty of flapping from the two still in the nest...but will they fly soon or keep us waiting?
The video clip below was captured earlier this morning, and shows just how active the young birds can be (larger female on right, male on left).
Watch a similar clip here: http://youtu.be/UKY36l7x_mo
It was good to see plenty of new (and old) faces on The Green today including families from a school in Alfreton. Their teacher, Sarah Lewis, unable to bring a class down in school time, encouraged parents to bring their children today - and it worked a treat! Ian Layton gave them a short talk about the birds and of course they all had a look through the telescopes too. 1
By the next public Watch Point next Saturday it is fairly safe to say that we will have all three youngsters on the wing!
Photos from yesterday (Friday 13th)
Children from a local school walked over to the Watch Point and enjoyed a sunny morning there looking at the young (and old) peregrines. Photos by volunteer Joyce Sawford to whom many thanks:
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| Ian and volunteer Steve Creswell point the children in the right direction |
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| Getting to grips with the equipment! |
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| This is what they saw - much flapping in progress! |
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| The falcon (female, above) keeps an eye on her able fledgling! |
21 comments:
Thought she/he almost fledged , keeps looking over the fare end flapping and then having second thoughts and flits to the other end of scrape,wonder if any late ground watchers will be lucky to see the fledge tonight.
Kate
sorry just after posted last comment have uploaded to flikr457 a prey after delivery, but can possibly see ring number 17.13 ish
Kate
Thanks Anon: looks like 027 to me which means the one that has fledged is 028.
Cheers
Nick B
Glad you had a good day at the Watchpoint! I've had the juvies on screen while working today and could see the activity on the Green thanks to this year's camera angle. The younger juvie has been defending the pigeon which was delivered just recently but then gave up, apparently unable to figure out how to render it. The older one has taken over. Getting ready for the big world is a complicated business!
Falcon arrived with another prey and received very noisy greeting from two juvies who were more than happy to be fed thank you, having given up on the previous offering!
Did I imagine it or did the third juvie arrive - perhaps having heard the racket - and the falcon leave just as suddenly with the prey and the newly arrived fledging in pursuit? Happened so fast! Two remaining juvies looked as startled as I was... perhaps I was dreaming.
I wasn't dreaming - three juvies on the scrape now and I got a screen grab...
Knew the little blighter would be back to the scrape as soon as the dinner bell rang ! Nice to know it is confidently able to fly back and forth from now on.
Abby-Lynn, you will probably have heard the news that the fledged juvie has done just that ( jumped down into the scrape ) It knows that the parents will deliver food to the other two and so it has eagerly pinched their supper from under their noses. Unlike the younger two, it is quite happily eating the parents catch all by itself. This should encourage the other two to do likewise in the coming days, though the parents will still feed them all directly on occasion, but will soon start the process of encouraging the youngsters to accept a catch mid-air, teaching them vital air born skills needed for survival once they leave the area. They will also be presented with "live" catches, delivered to the scrape or tower ledges, and it can be a bit hard to view, but essential for them to learn how to quickly sever the spinal cord of the prey as quickly as possible with their powerful upper beaks. All very exciting stuff yet to come!
all three still happy together 19.46 flikr updated
Kate
Eldest juvenile has just flown confidently off of the scrape at 8.45 p.m .
3 juvies on the scrape again this morning.
Hi just watching from Australia and the 2nd youngster just took off form the nest box at 0957 (UK time)
Nick
I thought it wouldn't too long before the second bird left the platform. It looked like it was about to go yesterday evening. Nice to see one of the fledged juveniles has just arriving back on the platform with some prey.
I think another one has fledged! From chrstine
Remembering the number of days between the first and last egg to hatch and the massive development changes that occur in each 24 hours, perhaps the remaining chick has to clock up some more time yet, before something triggers it's instinct to leap. I don't feel it is quite ready to take the plunge today. Maybe another 24 hours will prompt "lift off"
If it does take the plunge today, then this little pet will be the bravest of the bunch!
The little one looks so sorry for itself all on it's own
Just as I posted the last comment one of the other Juvies turns up
The scrape juvie has upped it's wing flapping now, but when flapping on the ledge, you can see that it's legs and wing feathers aren't quite as developed and coordinated as those of the juvie shown in the "lift off" sequence in Nicks video post ( thanks to Nick in Australia ) If it does leap before dark though, I'm sure it will be more than able to glide to a safe landing, but still think it will wait until tomorrow.
Parent just returned ( with no food ) and then immediately flew off and circled back above the begging chick, seemingly encouraging it to follow.
But no, the juvie is following it's own instincts and staying put. No doubt one of the parents will bring it another meal later.
If we're lucky, the other two, who will be watching the parents every move, may also return to tuck into the catch.
I must say the present live ringing session is very well accomplished. I had a go at bell ringing at Liskeard and St.Dominic, and it ain't as easy as some may think! A nice slower paced melody now rounding the day off nicely.
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