As the nesting season approaches, we once again see typical courtship behaviour on the peregrine falcons' nest platform. Thanks to an anonymous commenter, who very helpfully left a note to say they had observed interesting behaviour at 13.55 on 12/2/2015, we were able to retrieve from our camera the short video clip below. This is quite typical of their courtship routine, and suggests we are yet again on track for a successful nesting season.
The second clip was captured just 20 minutes after sunrise on 17th February 2015. The much larger female is in the nest scrape on the right hand side, although this wide-angle perspective does make any object not immedately under the lens look so much smaller than it really is.
Please leave a comment on this blog if you observe activity worthy of sharing. Date and exact time are really important to help us retrieve the relevant video clip.
PS:. And a big welcome to any newcomers to this blog and to the web cams, especially if you were at the talk in Loughborough last Friday (attended by over 100 folk). The smudge on the camera lens will be cleaned off by Nick Moyes when he abseils down to the nest to clean it up and check and clean the cameras, sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.
Pps. Nick has put over 50 video clips on You Tube since he set up the cameras in 2007. They show all aspects of the peregrines' lives including bringing prey back, courtship (as above), egg laying, hatching etc.
To find them, use the QuickLink at the right side of our homepage. Or put VC57UK into a search once you are on YouTube. If you want one topic, such as egg laying, the put 'Derby peregrines egg laying' into the search box.
Peregrine Falcons first nested on Derby's Cathedral, England, in 2006. Our Peregrine Project is now run by a partnership between Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Derby City Council, Derby Cathedral and the Cathedral Quarter. Here is what's happening in 2024. . .
4 comments:
I think our pair of peregrines has just mated. Although I missed the moment, I had just seen a nice prolonged display of 'ee-chupping' on the nest platform. A few minutes later there was a lot of loud calling from lower down, and I tuned in just in time to see the larger female on the corbels below the nest platform, with the male just arriving back on it. If I get a chance today, I'll go and check our recorders inside Derby Cathedral.
The female has brought what looks like half a pigeon back to the scrape and is busy eating it.
Just saw a mating or attempted mating. Wednesday 25th at 10.06.45/50.
Surprised how much rubbish is left-over from last year - I would have thought feathers and other stuff would have blown away by now
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