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| Look closely and you can just see Martin and his red helmet at the nest. Photo taken by Roger Lawson on the nave roof below. |
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| "What's happening to my chicks?" Photo: Roger Lawson |
They were taken inside the tower to a table where they could be ringed safely.
Each bird had a uniquely numbered British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) metal ring put on its right leg and a plastic coloured ring put on its left leg.
All three had obviously just had a very good meal, judging by the size of their extended crops!
As web cam watchers know, there were two big and heavy (female) chicks (now with colour rings numbered 030 and 031 on their left legs and a much smaller (male) chick with 032 on his left leg.
Meanwhile Martin was hanging about at the nest, cleaning the camera lenses and collecting prey remains ( a song thrush was about all that he could find).
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| Ant rings one of the protesting chicks. Photo R Lawson |
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| That is a very full crop indeed! See the colour ring on the left leg of this female chick. Photo Roger Lawson |
Meanwhile Martin was hanging about at the nest, cleaning the camera lenses and collecting prey remains ( a song thrush was about all that he could find).
Soon the three chicks were back in the rucksack and being hoisted aloft. Martin put them back on the platform and lowered himself to the nave roof below. The ropes were lowered down and by 7pm we were away. The female was soon back and everything returned to normal.
Huge thanks to Martin, Ant and to Roger for their superb work. A very slick operation indeed this year!
Nick B (DWT)
15 comments:
Thanks for the update. I happened to be watching as it all took place. The chicks had just been fed as it's clear on the photos. What a privilege to be able to watch the whole process, I can't imagine anything more scary than hanging on a piece of rope at such a height with an angry falcon flying around!
Well done all concerned and looking forward to seeing how they develop and fledge over the next few weeks.
An attempt was made yesterday to fix the camera problems up in the tower but unfortunately it didn't work. We are trying our best but please bear with us....
The project team
Congratulations and thanks to all those involved in the delicate, and dangerous, operation to ring the chicks. I am really enjoying watching all the peregrine antics this year. I also enjoy listening to the Cathedral bells especially when they ring the hour as they have such a melodic tone.
Anne in Allestree
Much walking round scrape going on this am by one of the bigger chicks. haven't they grown!
They are being fed quite a large prey. They don't wait to be fed they now are trying to get to the prey itself now and then. They sure have grown. Even getting feathers. This is a good stage because they wobble around so funny. Cam 4 stopping and starting but I know they are trying their best to fix it.
The chicks are being fed again. I see a webbed foot so some type of large water fowl. The little guy sure gets right in there finally and gets his share. You can really see their real feathers coming in. They sure are a hungry bunch all the time.
Noticed a green ring in the scrape this morning! Perhaps has come off one of the chicks legs, So one of them cauld be numbered wrong.
I don't think the green ring can be off a chick as their rings are plain metal on right leg and orange on the left. It could well be from some prey.
Congratulations Nick B on a superb article in the June edition of "Reflections" magazine. Especially noteworthy is the beautiful picture on the front cover of an adult peregrine and inset our own birds' "des res" Derby Cathedral.
Thanks Heather for your kind words.
For those who don't know, Reflections is a free magazine which circulates very widely in central and NE Derbyshire and always has a wildlife article in it.
This piece was written back in March I think so it won't have included any up to date information on the eggs or chicks but hopefully will promote the project and the birds to an audience that may know little about either.
Nick B (Derbyshire Wildlife Trust)
It's a rainy day in Derby today (Friday) and we certainly need some rain - it has been very dry for some time and creatures that eat worms, especially those that feed their young on them are struggling to find food.
Fortunately, the first Watch Point tomorrow will be bathed in sunshine if the forecast is correct, with more rain on Sunday! Hope to see some of you there.
By the way, while it's not that important, if folk would be kind enough to send their new comments to the current blog post, that would be appreciated.
Thanks
Nick
Hi all. Any info on the analysis of the egg?
Gone off to watch Chichester Peregrins! At least there one camera WORKS ALL THE TIME!.
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