Update Saturday afternoon: the weather improved greatly for the Watch Point but the birds were somewhat absent for the first hour and a half. Then all three juvs appeared on the tower and, very late on, the adults also put in an appearance. Big thanks to all our great volunteers (and especially Sue who travelled up from Buckinghamshire, bringing with her a big bag of change that she and husband Andrew had accumulated over the last several months!) and to Rolls Royce team members Fred, Jon, George and Sandra.
The season is now officially over as regards watch points and the wonderful Ian, our Engagement Officer, who has run them again this year, has now only one more week to work this summer. We'll miss him! Apparently one prey item today was a swift - not really a species we want them to catch since we are starting a new project about these marvellous birds!
Last night we ran a session for a Derby school class that was doing a sleep-over in the cathedral to raise money for some charitable cause. Both adults were in view and as we finished, two juvs appeared on the JI lettering! Many thanks to Joyce Sawford for her help, use of her telescope and her photos. NB
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| Lakeside Primary learn about the fastest bird on the planet Photo Joyce Sawford |
(Further thanks to all donors who have sent money recently towards the project - we need more of course.....phone 01773 881188 on Monday (full details under donations tab!)
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| Photo by Jon Salloway |
Guided wildlife walks last weekend: Joyce has sent a photo of the first group down by the river Derwent:
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| Looking for otters.....? They do pass through the city - but not in the daytime! |
Further, a reminder that Ed Drewitt's excellent new book Urban Peregrines (£24.99) is available from Pelagic Publishing: http://www.pelagicpublishing.com/urban-peregrines.html . It's packed with photos and information and Derby gets several mentions too. The neat cover design title copies the style of a street sign (it took me awhile to figure that out!)
There are chapters on Food and Feeding, How to study peregrines, Ringing them, How to spot a peregrine, Threats and Futures, People and Peregrines etc - and a foreword by Chris Packham. Altogether a very important and readable publication - long overdue!
Finally - and talking of Chris Packham, he has agreed to attend a rally in North Derbyshire on 10th August, organised by Mark Avery, to highlight the plight of the hen harrier. So far 200 people have pledged to come - but more (many more) are welcome! For details go to Mark Avery's influential blog at http://markavery.info/blog/ .
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Nick B (DWT)
20 comments:
I shall be at the "end of term" watchpoint - it's always a bit sad when the season ends! I shall l also have another quick look around for swifts! They sort of share a "world's fastest bird" record with peregrines - swifts are fastest in level flight, wheras peregrines are fastest in a stoop.
There's not much longer to identify their breeding sites in buildings in the city as they are the first of the summer visitors to depart. The first British arrivals are around the end of April and departures early August (does anyone have a record of Derby dates I wonder?)
I've also signed up for the Peak District Hen Harrier Rally. It's a bit tricky to find where in the blog mentioned - look for the blog dated 23rd June.
We saw a juvernile peregrin this moring.It was very very noisey.We think it was hungrey.we hop we see
it being fed by a adlt peregran falco.We know that both adlts are teaching the juverniles to cach there bird of prays. The juvernils
are getting good at fling. We rerrly liked woching the peregrines.
Hello Green Class - it is great that you like the peregrines so much! Thanks for your comments today and throughout the summer.
The parents are very good at looking after their young but they do have to teach them to hunt for themselves. So they will not always bring food to the tower or the nest for them but fly around with prey, forcing them to chase them and try to get the food off them. Sometimes the adults let the food go in mid-air so the yong have to try to catch it as it falls down.
It can be very interesting watching this happen - though unfortunately you won't see it on the web cams.
Nick B
Just out of curiosity Nick..
Does Jury's Inn happen to promote the Derby falcons in any way? - for instance, in their reception area, or by way of a link within their web pages perhaps?
Can't help but also imagine how unique and beneficial it would be (both to the hotel and DWT) if a live cam view of the Jury's Inn lettering was on screen in their reception, along with leaflets and info etc.,
Just a notion, and probably a pipe dream I know!
For all I know, maybe Jury's do embrace a 'falcon' area within their reception - being no doubt proud as punch of the special residents who promote the art of 'relaxation' on their hotel sign so approvingly!
Hi Nick, we have already registered for the Hen Harrier day and are trying to get others to support this. It is always possible that one or more of our birds may have suffered a similar fate to the Hen Harriers and other raptor. The forecast for Saturday is looking a little more promising so I would encourage anyone who has not visited yet to come along and see our beautiful birds. Chris M.
Hi Lorraine
Jury's certainly gets lots of smashing free promotion via the peregrine project! And I have in the past specifically chosen to stay there rather than some other hotel. I understand from the project that Jury's does indeed make an annual donation. Plus, while I was there, there was a collecting tin out in the reception area along with all the tourist information you see at such hotels.
Just setting out from Bucks for the final watchpoint, see anyone who is there later. It's a miserable wet morning here in Bucks so come on Derby, let the sun shine for the final watchpoint!
Hope you all have a good final watch and that rain stays off. Sadly I came come as ive just finished a night shift at work.
Can just see the sun hiding behind the clouds in Derby at present, so do hope it shone on the watch pointers & visitors at some point today.
I'd so hoped to make the trip up to Derby this year, but cant yet risk absence of care requirements, whilst my dear old Mum is in the process of recovery from recent health concerns (though now making good progress I'm relieved to say)
Looking forward to reading about the days events later...
PS: Glad of the info re: Jury's Sue - fingers crossed, I hope to book in there myself in 2015!
Well, the weather was kind to us, I've returned home to Bucks with a pink nose (due to Derby sunshine, not pubs, honestly) It did seem early on as if I'd come suitably equipped for the watchpoint with no peregrines as I had tripod and scope but forgot the plate that joins them together. Doh! It was lovely to see the birds return though and even I managed to see the juvenile on the north face return with prey which had scimitar-like long black wings, clearly not participating in the new project to promote swifts! I wonder if the juvenile had caught it itself or if the adult helped it?
So, that's the end of the project for this season, it's flown by. Great to hear from any Derby locals of any news they have from on the spot that probably won't show on the webcams now. Hope to see some of you at the Peak District rally - or maybe even BirdFair (aka the birders Glastonbury)
Good birding everyone and have a great summer
Well...... ive just had my day made.
Couldnt make the watch yesterday because of working nights.
Was just sat in my garden near gerard street only to hear the familiar sound of peregrines. Looked up only to see 3 peregrines seemingly on the hunt. They were around for a good 10 minutes. Felt special after watching them for so long that they paid me a visit
That must have been great Julia - lucky you!
Saw a juvie near the tower spout just now and there is also some white feathered remains of a catch that has been left in the scrape.
It was Lorraine. Hope they venture this way again
Nice to see juvie still around on cam 2 at 11.35 today with prey
Nice to see juvie still around on cam 2 at 11.35 today with prey
Two juvs on the tower this morning and then flying about rather noisily!
Nick B
Yep, seen the odd juvie on the tower or scrape ledge on and off over the last few days. There have also been some sleepovers letting us Cam viewers know that all seems well with the Peri family. Hope to hear news from the Derby ground dwellers that all three juvies are still accounted for.
I see a beautiful Jay regularly in my mothers Cornish back garden, which lives, as per, in the close-by woods, but I was amazed yesterday to see an Urban one, here in Plymouth. It was pecking at some discarded foodstuff on a busy main road. Acting just like a Magpie, it merely hopped aside onto the curb to let any cars pass by, then returned back onto the road to continue feeding. Very streetwise indeed! The one I'm used to seeing is very shy and will fly off the moment it sees you, so I was alarmed to see one so laid back in an Urban situation. Very strange, or not? - but it's the first time I've ever seen a Jay living in a City environment before.
Just read up on Jays and found that they do inhabit city parkland etc.,
Well I never ... learn something every day!
No presence on the tower at tune out 00.30am
Camera 2 21.44 looks like we have a juvie sleeping over on the tower tonight
yes still there now and it looks like Dad in the scrape. Saw a Juvie on Jury's sign the other afternoon and one of the parents in the scrape as I drove past. Glad they're all around still and well.
Linda
I watched an adult and one or more juv's on the Jury's Inn sign on Wednesday. Really interesting! At one point there was a juv on the Jury's Inn and it flew off to meet it's father (I think) directly over my head as I stood by the side of the inner ring road bridge.
There was then a food pass about 150 feet above my head and four lanes of traffic thundering along.
The juv took the prey - a whole bird with dangling feet - on to a nearby block of flats. Shortly later the juv (or another) was back over my head, carrying prey, circling around and eating while it flew.
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