However, despite having the same birds since 2005/6. the Cathedral's peregrines can be as much as a fortnight later than the early egg layers like those in Nottingham.
The very earliest date for a first egg at Derby was 23rd March in 2008.
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| 2015's clutch of four. |
The latest was 4th April in 2013 though in the first year (2006), the first egg would have been much later - we had no cameras up then of course but the first chick to fledge did so on 7th July whereas in the last eight years, first fledging has always been in the middle of June.
The mean date for a first egg starting in 2007 is 29th March, a day on which first eggs have been laid in three of the ten years to date.
So we have maybe some ten days to wait yet......
Do please keep on adding comments with news of what our birds are doing if you will (of course it would be impossible to stop you!!).
And finally a big welcome back to everyone who is now returning to look at our web cams and blog as things start to hot up!
Who will be the first to spot an egg?
The Project Team
10 comments:
I was so lucky as I had only just logged on when the peregrine landed at the scrape! Perhaps I can persuade her to lay her first egg?
This morning sees a grumpy Falcon watching the Tarpaulin moving in wavlet ripples below. Is she looking Egggy? pic on Flkr.
The peregrine is just sitting watching the traffic and maybe supervising the workmen on the roof of the nave.
Hi everybody. Is anyone else experiencing problems with camera 1 today.
Hi Denise, my live streaming is OK!
Peregrine sitting on the edge of the scrape despite being blown by the wind. I think she has realised it's too cold to produce an egg yet. Probably waiting until Saturday as, according to the weather forecast, it will get warmer then. She is lucky doesn't have to put the Cathedral clock forward an hour.
Another wet miserable day for our peregrines, I think they have a sixth sense when it comes to laying their eggs later than anyone else.
Going off topic, great news that Number 33 and Maya the Rutland Ospreys returned safely and on the same day. Maya arrived in the nick of time as another breeding female had landed earlier on the nest and 33 was showing interest in her. Fortunately for Maya she didn't fancy him and flew off! Also a fledgling from a few years ago also landed on the nest but then also left. Obviously a very popular landing strip, incredible how they can navigate their way back to exactly the same spot. Wonder what would have happened if 33 had mated with the usurper before Maya returned?
I'd be inteested to know if anyone has encountered this situation in the bird population, eg if Mr.P mated with another peregrine would Mrs.P take on her rival or just leave and if so where would she lay her eggs?
Hi Heather: things are a bit different in the peregrine world in that, since they don't migrate (in the UK anyway), the pair remain together all year round.
When one of them dies the remaining bird will usually accept the first (adult) bird of the opposite sex. However, intruders do sometimes manage to break up a breeding pair and take over one or other role. This happened at Norwich last year I think....
At another urban nest site in Derbyshire, an intruder male (with a blue ring indicating it had been reared in Dorset) ousted the male of the pair. We assume there was a fight because a dead male was found at about the same time.
Nick B (DWT)
Ps. the first (Derbyshire) osprey of the year was seen at Carsington Reservoir a couple of days ago. In spring they don't usually hang about but keep heading north to their nests in Scotland or even the north of England now....
A few years ago a vicious fight between the old resident male and a young intruder was caught on camera at a site in Brighton. The younger bird won the fight and the older bird was found badly injured on the ground by a member of the public, who called the RSPCA. I believe the bird recovered and was released back into to wild, but was not seen again.
Falcon in scrape this afternoon chupping before siting on ledge ande flew pic on Flkr.
@Heather re your query does male osprey mate with more than one female..
Yep!!! look here at Dyfi.
http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/live-streaming
http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/2016/04/17/blue-24-lays-egg
and read the tabs and blogs especially last year. When Monty mated with Blue 24 before Glesni arrived back ( 24 laid unviable eggs in the distant nest (which has now been dismantled)Monty would often visit but his main nest was with Glesni.
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