Sunday 14 June 2015

Growing Up Fast

The three chicks are now becoming juveniles and, as many of you have commented, have undergone a rapid transformation.
No longer are they white. Their feathers have developed quickly and there's hardly any white fluff left.
This screenshot was captured yesterday (13th) in the rain.
Screengrab on 13th June by Sandee
And here's another showing a (rather wet) feeding session:
Time for some food - screengrab by SunnyKate

The three youngsters are gaining strength in their musculature, especially exercising their wings by flapping.
Their maiden flights won't happen just yet....they need longer to develop before they take the plunge.
As they move about the nest, they will frequently disappear from sight, even climbing up round the edges and on the central metal rail. If you think you only see two or even one birds...please keep watching before panicking! The third bird will (usually) reappear sooner or later.
This shows where the juveniles can get to out of camera sight
We do apologise for the intermittency of the cameras. This year we have been plagued with a variety of faults, compounded by the fact that the cathedral is completely closed off all through the week as major renovation work (including putting in a new electrical system) takes place.
In addition the city council, its IT team and Serco, who manage the council's IT for them (and who have been extremely helpful to and supportive of this project) have been making various changes to their systems.
The current problems do require assistance from Serco who are only available during the week - exactly when the cathedral is out of bounds! 
So please bear with us - and thank you to those regular followers who have been so tolerant and patient recently.
The Project Team

Next Watch Points:
Wednesday 17th June 11.30 am - 1.30 pm and
Saturday 20th June, 10 am to 1.30 pm, weather permitting.

By Saturday we hope that some White Letter Hairstreak butterflies will have emerged and be visible on the large elm tree by the bridge over the inner ring road nearby. For directions or to learn about a special butterfly-watching event on Sunday 21st June (butterflies and weather permitting) email peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk 


24 comments:

Lorraine said...

Okeydokey team, well done so far and sticking with you all the way. (we'll try to keep ourselves out of mischief meanwhile!) There are plumage transformations to be witnessed on at least one cam or the other, every day, so there's still plenty to be amazed at, without any estrangement felt between us and this seasons offspring.

BTW, must thank Heather for the great link (posted in her 11th June post) which explained the amazing stages taking place inside the egg, from the moment of conception to fertilisation. WELL worth the read for anyone who likes to know the in's and out's of everything, and is also curious for more insight into the mystery of our own un hatched Derby egg.

Abby-Lynn said...

you are so right Heather and Lorraine. We will stick with the team to the end. They try their best.

Now there are 2 juvie on the ledge. The little male is on the ledge too. I figured he was the second born when he had a lot less down to get rid of than the other female. I thought it was Mrs P and one of the females and then I realized how much smaller the chick was so it has to be the male. He looks like he's been there all along.

phoebe said...

Just watching a feed, it looks like the falcon is surrounded by her offspring.

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

I've managed to get Streams one and two working again. I've kept Stream 2 on multi-view so everyone can see what all the cameras are able to see at once.

I realise how frustrating it is to lose the live streams and their audio.

Nick Moyes

Abby-Lynn said...

It would be nice to see them with the live streams but we have to accept what you are able to give us. Thanks for trying.

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

Thanks Abby-Lynn - I've managed to restart Stream 2 yet again, and have just emailed our IT people to see if we can get a replacement Network Switch, which well might be the culprit.
I must go off to bed now - it's 1.30am here.
Nick M

Heather said...

Many thanks Nick M for all your efforts and managing to get Cams 1 and 2 working. Noticed they were working earlier and the multi-view certainly helps keep us updated. Appreciate its difficult for Serco to gain access during the week - perhaps they might produce a kind 'Volunteer' for a bit of part-time weekend work!:).

Yes Abby you were quite right about the male (titch) being the second hatchling to lose his down feathers, well spotted. I just assumed that as he was so small and timid he was male and the last one to arrive. He's certainly come on in leaps and bounds (literally!) thanks to his devoted parents. Maybe by feeding his 2 siblings they instinctively knew he'd have to toughen up as its survival of the fittest. As a Team member mentioned they will soon be taking their first plunge - or perhaps a better phrase would be 'their first maiden flight'!

Abby-Lynn said...

Hi Heather, the females look so big beside mom and especially dad. But once their feathers settle down they will be sleek and trim too. But they look cote when they are all fluffy. Also we don't know that the other female was from the third egg laid, she could have been the last and take a bit longer to fledge than we think. The egg that didn't hatch could have been the third egg laid. Hard to know. But they sure have come along well.

Heather said...

All three on the edge of scrape now, falcon or tiercel just flew in with no prey (probably just checking them out), then promptly left but hard to tell which as sun's rays obscuring view slightly. (this was on cam1, cam 2 stalled at 4.17am). The sunrise on cam 2 made their plumage on chests look like gigantic robins.

Agree Abby it's impossible to tell the sequence of eggs laid but just thankful they've all made it so far and not succumbed to hot wearher as I believe one chick did last year. Now fingers crossed for the next, and probably most dangerous stage, but as has been mentioned this year's youngsters seem a feisty and determined bunch.

Kevin said...

At 646am UK time, using camera 1 it looks like one of the Juve's has just fledged, the other two remain perched on the edge of the scrape

Kevin said...

651 am UK time - spoke too soon, it is difficult to see things using camera 1 as it keeps stopping/starting, the third Juve is now at the far end of the scrape so either it was hidden from view for my last post or it has just returned to the scrape. I suspect it was just hidden round the corner) Hope the cameras are fixed before the chicks fledge as this is the interesting bit now these next couple of days

Kate said...

Morning all
Just put a couple of pics on Flkr.

Kevin as Niick says above, it will be a little while yet before they fledge,so don't panic when you don't see three, CHOL:):)

As we all understand, the huge difficulty, the team are experiencing, and thoroughly appreciate all the extra time they are having to spend in always endeavouring to work, liaise etc etc.You are all amazing,Thank you.

Abby-Lynn said...

Soon they will start hopping around on the ledge instead of just moving across the ledge. Then we start getting scared they will knock each other off. They didn't last year so doubt they will this year. It is so exciting wondering when they will fledge. They often look ready to but just hop back and forth.
Good nite from Canada all.

Kate said...

Just put pic on Flkr looks as though a Dove on the parapet below.

and the pic before that one has the birds all lit up with a red light CHOL:):)
Kate

Abby-Lynn said...

Is everyone having a problem with stream 1? Mine shows it froze at 15:22

Kate said...

Hi Abby
Yep!!!!!! 1 and 2 are frozen..
Kate

Abby-Lynn said...

Thanks Kate, at least I know it isn't just me. Mine is now at 20:08 so it jumped a bit.

Abby-Lynn said...

Thanks Kate, at least I know it isn't just me. Mine is now at 20:08 so it jumped a bit.

Abby-Lynn said...

Don't know why it went thru twice.

Heather said...

Hi Abby, Cam 1 froze at 20.54 and Cam 2 at 12.38. What with your 'extra' message looks like there's gremlins in the works. Nearer to home we've just experienced household lights flickering several times, so maybe we're in for a power outage. Just shows how we rely on technology these days. Hopefully Cams will cut in once again as your times seem different to mine.


Abby-Lynn said...

Now it is at 23:41. Well all we can do is wait it out. The double message happened to be once before, maybe I clicked twice on the publish your comment spot.

Heather said...

Just logged on at 6.05 and Cam 1 working then immediately froze. Large white wing of prey in scrape and all three youngsters on ledge. Anyway perhaps Cam 1 will restart again. Cam 2 still stuck but has moved on from sunrise yesterday and the three gigantic robins! Any signs of nesting wood pigeons?

Linda said...

I looked at 0915 and it has very slowly moved on to 0918 and frozen. 3 'chicks' siting o the edge of the scrape. Looking big and healthy. Wishing them well. Will keep looking.

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

We have discovered the cause of all our webcam problems. I've put up a new blog post with details. It's not good news, I'm afraid.