Please see new photos of the juveniles at the foot of this post....and more on Derby Peregrines Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/groups/derbyperegrines
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Every year since 2006 when we started this project, we have put out a plea to folk who have enjoyed watching our family of falcons grow up - and each year the respnse has been magnificent!
So, as the fledging of the last youngster draws close, now's the time to make our annual appeal to you.
Some of you will know that we have been using a grant from the lottery (The Heritage Lottery Fund) to assist us. The grant has paid for staff time, essential equipment such as the new camera we installed last year and replcement video recorders and also for the 'connectivity' which allows you to see the web cam pictures from anywhere around the globe. But the money is now beginning to run out.....
In addition, Cathy, the injured peregrine that we have had to keep in captivity since 2009 will require new funding to pay for her upkeep now that she is about to change keeper. A further £350 a year.
Finally, the grant we received from HLF only funded the cost of having Ian Layton for two summers, this being the second.....so as things stand, this will be his last with the project (he finishes with us in three weeks time!)
In addition we have many new ideas to improve what we do, many emanating from the excellent work of our Rolls Royce team.....but these too will require money to fund them.
UK donors:
- Post a cheque made payable to DWT to the Trust at East Mill, Belper, DE56 1XH including a covering note stating that your donation is only for the peregrine project (include your address so we can acknowledge receipt).
- Ring Elizabeth Woodward at the Trust during office hours (01773 881188) to make a payment over the phone by debit/credit card (office hours are 9am to 5pm, weekdays, to 4.30pm on Fridays).
- You can also use the donation mechanism on the Trust's website at www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk Go to 'support us/make a donation'. We use Virgin Moneygiving and find it works very well.
To UK Taxpayers only - you can greatly increase your donation by filling out a Gift Aid form whereby the tax people give the Trust a further 20% of the value of your donation. The form can be sent to you by email or through the post…please just ask us for one.
Overseas donors:
- 1) Please email enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk asking for the codes you need so your bank can transfer money to the DWT account. (Unfortunately Gift Aid does not apply unless you are a tax payer in the UK.) Note that banks may charge for this service.
- 2) Donors from most overseas countries can also ring the Trust (weekdays on 0044 1773 881188) to pay by credit card......as long as you can work out when the office is open of course (check the webcam's local timestamp!)
- Use our online donation mechanism via our website - see above.
Payments should only be made to 'Derbyshire Wildlife Trust', the lead partner for the project. No other organisation or website is authorised to collect funds on our behalf.
Please clearly mark on your payment that it is for the 'Peregrine Project' for use in the current financial year or, better still 'in this and next financial year' (this allows us to carry your money over from year to year should we need to).
Thank you in advance,
The Project Team (Ian L, Nick M and Nick B)
Latest photos of the juveniles: these photos were taken last night (16th) by Jon Salloway and Cliff Pearson. The two flying juveniles were both on Jurys Inn with their parents.....the final male still in the nest.
Latest photos of the juveniles: these photos were taken last night (16th) by Jon Salloway and Cliff Pearson. The two flying juveniles were both on Jurys Inn with their parents.....the final male still in the nest.
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| Wing stretching on a local chimney |
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| Both juvs are flying well |
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| Trying to be clever..... |
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| Two adults and two juvs on Jurys |
66 comments:
I've donated and would like to say thank you for all your hard work.Its been fantastic. One small Peregrine asleep in the scrape at present. :-)
The HLF grant has made a big difference over the past 2 years and it is easy to forget the funding and staff time which went into the superb cameras, revamped website, translations and leaflets, all Ian's development work with community groups and the schools pack. And of course the years of work by the two Nicks and cathedral staff before the grant. The project had an incredible anonymous donation too to help keep everything going. So yes, I'll donate again with pleasure insofar as I can. The delight on the faces of the watchers in the BBC clip says it all. Well done team for getting the BBC down there.
Speaking of fab pictures, congrats Jon! Great capture of the juvie learning what not to land on...
Just realised from Flickr that the 'Trying to be clever' shot is Cliff's!
Thanks Caroline for your kind words and for pointing out that Cliff took the balancing act photo. I've added his name now.
Thanks also to Linda and several other donors who have already contributed to our project.
And welcome to Olga, watching in Canada - thanks for your email!
Nick B (DWT)
Has baby gone? Cant see him; perhaps he's tucked away at the back because its cold. Come on sun!!
No he is still there at far end of scrape hiding
The last juvenile on the scrape is doing a lot of preening, maybe preparing for its maiden flight!
I think today will be the day the little one fledges. He has been flapping from one end of the ledge to the other and then just sits. I loved watching mom feed him last night. Thanks to all who contributed to this wonderful project.
Have time for a quick catch up and see the remaining youngster hasn't yet taken the plunge. Glad to read that it is being well fed by it's devoted parents.
Hope the team are pleasantly surprised by the vital donations, big or small, that are required to ensure on going joy and inclusion into the private lives of these special Derby peregrines. x
Feeding time. 18.35
Think he is waiting for the sun to shine. Dont blame him!
Think baby is waiting for the sun to shine. Dont blame him!
Adult has brought dinner at 9:07pm. Feeding the juvenile now, who is standing on the ledge being very vocal.
As Rose says. Then something seemed to distract them both and the falcon has flown off with the prey while the juvie has continued to look around. Perhaps the other fledglings reminded the falcon that there were others to feed. I half-expected them to turn up on the scrape. The falcon has been working hard for weeks now.
Almost 10:00pm. Juvenile has been laying down and is now up standing on the ledge, looking as though he does not want to spent another night alone.
The juvenile just had a visitor - dad or another male I think. He chased the bird, nipped at it and kept at it till the bird left. It didn't bring any food so maybe that is why. This little one has been hollering for food for awhile now. Altho he has stopped hollering. Hopefully the next one who comes brings food and maybe he'll them stay.
4:43am and the Juvenile is climbing up the side of the nesting box. An adult is sitting on the top. It won't be long and he will be fledging.
5.28 and the juvenile had jumped up onto side of scrape. Turned my back to make a coffee and now he has disappeared. Dont know whether he can get further up or whether he has flown
5.32. He really is a little devil. He has appeared again. He has kept me company on my night shifts at work
Sure he will fly today. He is on the edge being very vocal even though he has food. Good luck little one (not really so little now!).
Lol hes popped off back to sleep now lesley
He has been a little wild today. Twice he chased another bird away. Don't know if they were dad, mom or another juvie. I saw him when he went up the side. I thought for a moment he was stuck. But down he came. Then food was brought to him and he snatched it from mom or dad. Just ripped it away from them. I do believe he will do quite ok on his own one day. Quite aggressive now, which he needs to be to survive.
I think the parent birds sometimes come back to the scrape empty handed, to teach the juvie not to expect a food delivery with every visit and to encourage it to fly. They are eager to teach it that the very "air" itself holds all it's future food, starting via mid-air catches. From then on, it will learn how to conquer it's element, more skillfully than any other bird on earth. By gosh, it makes your spine tingle just thinking about it!
Lets drink in these last precious images of the remaining juvie - he'll soon be up, up..... and awaaaay !
Meant to say mid-air "passes" not catches!
He is a lazy one! Or maybe a scaredy baby?!!
We have been waching it all day see if the juveniel would fleg but he still has not fleged .He will go when he wants to go not when we want him to go. he hast to be ready and he will open his wings and he will fly . we think he will go soon.annd he has been flaping alot
Mmmm - just been trying to work something out ( this seeming delay in fledging I mean )
If I remember, didn't the last egg to be produced (the youngster we're now watching) keep us all waiting longer than expected, both in being laid and also in hatching? I also remember this last hatched chick had to tolerate the "first come - first served" table manners set by it's much larger siblings. Perhaps these few days are now showing up at it's fledging stage also?
For all we know, it could be a precise stage of muscle development, that triggers an instinctive urge to leap, apparently within a mere second's decision, as happened with the others. Maybe it feels like cramps!
Meanwhile, I see he's getting itchy feet but giving it more sleepy thought. In your own time little fellah!
Well said Lorraine. Makes perfect sense. Its still very exciting though, isnt it?
I too was wondering about him being 4 days behind the others. So tomorrow would be 4 days since the second one fledged. He must be so lonely tho.
Almost 8:00pm and there is a visitor in the scrape as well as an adult sitting above.
Yes, did you see the other juvie arrive Rose? The resident juvie blocked its landing on the edge of the scrape and it fell back, but then reappeared a few minutes later on the other side. I guess that an adult would not have been deflected but clearly the youngster trying to land can fly well enough not to get caught against the stonework when rebuffed. I suppose the resident juvie just sees something trying to land at speed and has to make up its mind what to do - friend or foe. Later they both seemed to be watching others elsewhere and at one stage the new arrival turned its head upside-down - their necks seem to twist a long way round!
Bless his little spotted trousers! He is trying so hard to be brave and fly.
The lone Juve has been calling out for over the last twenty minutes. Sounds almost desperate. Also, on one camera caught what appears to be another Peregrine circling the Juve while another Adult sits above. Really haunting to hear the Juve call out!!
Hi all: make the most of these last few days....because soon the last male will depart and although there may be juvs that return to the nest from time to time, there will also be long periods with nothing visible.
However the juveniles may come back from Jurys Inn and perch above the nest. If they do this we will change the camera formats such that the so-called pud cam, which looks across the ledge above the nest, is full frame....so all is not lost!
Nick B (DWT)
Nick, if I remember right last season of Peregrines it seemed as though they never wanted to leave the scrape and were around for quite some time. Great to watch and listen to them on the Web Cam. Cheers!!
He's a feisty little fellow. He got rid of 2 birds yesterday. He sure doesn't like waiting for food. If he fledges tomorrow he won't be afraid to hunt for food. I'll miss all of them. But if the cams are changed to show a different angle, thanks Nick!
I said he chased 2 birds away yesterday but it was actually early this morning.
Don't forget Abby-Lynn, he won't have a clue how to hunt for himself yet. The parents will tempt him to receive mid-air passes first. Then they have to learn how to process and eat the pass by themselves ( later on it may sometimes be offered alive ) The juvies will watch the parents every move over the next few weeks, until they learn how to master the art of their parents famous dive technique. If they get through this stage without crashing into anything, then they have a good chance of making a kill on their own. Do keep watching, because, like last year, there will still be Cam images that will leave you amazed !
At tune out ( 1.00am of the 19th ) the young juvie is confidently choosing to sleep whilst perched on the scrape edge, rather than lay inside it. I have a feeling he will fledge soon after sunrise and I'll probably miss it, but hope someone manages to grab a screen shot.
2:00am and Juve was trying to sleep on the ledge but is now wide awake preening and looking around. Agree with Lorraine that he will most likely fledge today. Can't see him staying much longer on his own.
2:48 and he's asleep on the ledge again. I agree, this is day 4 after the second one fledged. Being the littlest/youngest I hope he catches on fast to all he needs to know and can show off for his siblings.
5:00am and lone Juve is screeching, running along the ledge, flapping wings while an adult sits above the scrape.
5:13am Juvenile just slammed into the camera. Is on the side of scrape.
I'm been watching pretty close for over 2 hours. He was up at 3 and has been hollering for almost an hour now. Off and on. No food has appeared yet. But the flapping he's been doing is amazing. I saw him up on the side too. He is trying to get to them without flying. A couple of them have flown by but none stopping.
7.20.a.m and the remaining juvenile is calling very loudly and scanning the sky above him. He's probably hungry by now and hoping mum or dad will take pity !?
7:35 & camera 2 shows mom or dad eating above him and I'm sure he can smell it. He has jumped at the camera keeps looking up.
0752 Dad appeared with prey. Chick rushed up and snatched it from him and ran across the scrape with it to eat it. Left Dad to eat a scrap he still had. Chick is still calling but is getting down to eating his breakfast. Dad perched on edge of scrape right now. I think Chick wants to go but as Lorraine said just physically isn't quite ready. Was very eager for breakfast though.
Glad to hear that Dad decided to bring in some breakfast! It would seem the parents are deliberately holding back food in order to tempt him from the scrape, but not prepared to leave him to starve ( no way they would ever do that, as they are well known for being devoted to their offspring )
Maybe one of the parents will try to coax him into the air again, when he gets hungry later on. Wish I didn't have to go out, so going to have one more look at him before I leave..............
Aww, just too cute for words!!
Bye little buddy, hope to see you later ?
lots of flapping won't be long before he's brave enough to fly...
few captures on flikr
Back to grab a snack before going out again - nice pics Kate-as per, and thanks :)
Saw him "flying" from one end of scrape ledge to the other, and now settled back down in the scrape.
Does the team or anyone happen to have caught sight of this juvie's leg ring number? Or can work it out from which ring was given the youngest chick? If ever he's spotted in the near/distant future, it would be great to know his cautious nature has worked in his favour.
Looks like the juvenile in the scrape has a sibling keeping him company !!! : )
It's his big sister !! : )
Babie's just fledged at 15.07
Nick, He's just flown off at last! hopefully i have a picture! Norma
I thought so too, no pics though
hooray we think he has gone|
Has he fledged? I thought he jumped to the top of the diagonal boarding on the Jury's Inn side of the scrape. Is that the bottom of his tail we can just see from screen 2? Time will tell!
No movement so looks like he has gone. So glad that this happened when everyone was watching, Green Class included. Fingers crossed for your screen grab, Norma.
So sorry I missed it. He flew at 3:07 pm UK time but it was 7:07 am my time in Canada. I have been watching since the eggs were laid. It has been a wonderful experience and I will be back next year to watch it all unfold again. I was up at 8 am and saw the empty scrape. Then dad flew in and was scraping the floor. Is this a natural thing for him to be doing? Do they clean up the scrape?
Missed it !!
Never mind, just glad he's now in his true element. Don't know what Dad was doing Abby-Lynn, but they often do that - maybe the gravel sharpens their talons.
Kate - I called into Plymbridge Woods and walked to the watch point.
The peregrine chicks are all doing well ( 3 of them - now all ringed ) They are very young, still fluffy white, but just sprouting brown feathers. Nice to see them through the scopes. Mum was doing her best to shade them with her wings. One of their previous years juvie is still around and even being fed by the parents! The team reckon all similar reports of juvie's returning to their birth place, is due to the bad winter we had all over England.
Well done Green Class, great work! It must have been very exciting to see the last juvenile fledge. The nest platform looks very empty now, but the young birds will stay around the cathedral for a while so you should still be able to spot them on the cameras from time to time. Keep watching!
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