(Update 10th May: As of this morning we have three new peregrine chicks, with one egg still unhatched)
Whilst many other pairs of peregrines around the country have already hatched their eggs, Derby's always seem later than most. At 11am today there was an obvious hole (pip) in the shell of one egg, and we could hear faint squealing coming from the young bird inside.
An hour later we had our first glimpse of this new life as our female left the nest and the tiercel (male) took over. Once again, we thank Wendy Bartter for capturing these super videos from our webcams.
Because peregrines don't incubate their eggs in earnest until the whole clutch is laid, this means they all develop at about the same speed. So, with luck, we should see further chick hatching very soon. Our male (who was new last year) is clearly doing his job well. Within 90 minutes he was bringing food to the platform, although the falcon was not showing much interest in feeding them at such an early stage.
One commenter asked whether the noises made by the male today are normal, and they certainly are - almost a 'here I am' sort of chirrup, rather than the stronger contact/courtship calls we heard in previous weeks. Once again, it's great that local schoolchildren have been encouraged to watch our webcameras. The primary school children from Green Class were clearly excited today to see the wet chick revealed, and how quickly it soon dried out and fluffed up, and we thank them for leaving a comment on our blog.
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. . .
87 comments:
Great news! Thank you Wendy for the video too :-)
I'm excited for the other eggs to hatch.
Looks like a second chick might have hatched.
Second chick for definite!
Yep, two chicks hiding under there! Interesting to see the male nibbling on some egg shell earlier. I think I've only ever seen the female doing that before.
Certainly was SECOND CHICK @ 19.14 ... had some good footage but something went disastrously wrong & it disappeared, boy was I cross!
However I had it recorded on still image cam although wrong angle to see chicks when Dad came in to take over, he had fund fiddling with eggshell though ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2wo5hy8zlY
Pic on flkr showing TWO fluff balls
Thanks Wendy such good records for future Well done. also Helen many thanks.
Well what a day and of course I've missed all the drama having only just got home! Congratulations to everyone for catching the shots of our first two hatchlings. Parents doing a sterling job as usual and last year's new tiercel is certainly doing his fair share.
Pleased the schoolchildren were able to be back in time to see the eggs hatch. Now we wait hopefully for the other two to hatch.
Hi all, Well what a great time to re join the action at Derby. Wendy's video is excellent as ever. Missed alot of last year- but previous years never missed day, so my first real observation of the new Tiercel.
Here's to another fascinating few months ahead.
Bee Thistle don't be do disheartened the feed/blog often has glitches as does most technology .. I have a screen shot of the chick emerging and it hasn't been uploaded but probably other people got in first so just enjoy this spectacular experience as I am. I think we very privileged to see it first hand. Please keep watching.
Wonderful to hear of the 2 births. I was away all day so this is the first I heard. Now just 2 more. Thanks to all who got pictures and screen shots and all else.
Lots of noise coming from the nest. I think the babies are keeping mom awake. They are chirping and she is chupping.
Awe, 2 little chicks getting a very early feeding. They are so sweet and have their mouths open very wide.
Anonymous and Bee
So pleased you saw chick emergence, and have just checked Derby Flickr, can only see Helens pic and my later one of fluff balls.So please, do try and post again, it is a wonderful static future reference.
As we say we are so lucky to have such a dedicated Volunteer group to allow us to be part of our wildlife world.Also what a wonderful insight the local Derby School children are able to witness.
Thank you everyone, including our lovely parents on the scrape.
Here is old link on how to post on flickr for Derby.
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/sharing-your-pictures.html
MrsP briefly moves off 2 chicks and still two unhatched eggs to go and inspect prey left on far side of scrape but thinks better of it
We are happy that the first chick has hatched...and right in the middle of our prediction too!
We are surprised at how small the chick is. It was very wobbly on the video and we a re glad that its mum is there to keep it safe and warm.
We are looking forward to the other eggs hatching and seeing the chicks being fed.
@Bee Thistle
Please don't be upset with me. I do appreciate you taking the time to capture images and share details on the comments page, along with many other people. I am grateful, and did my best to quickly post information whilst in the middle of a major redecoration project in someone else's empty property with no phone/wifi/computer. When I get a moment I will update the blog post. In the meantime, I know many readers and webcam watchers find the comments shared here or on our dedicated Flickr page to be immensely helpful. In addition, my other colleague, Nick B., is not available this week.
we can see four chicks!
We now have THREE CHICKS!!! Yippee!
But Dad did give me a fright ...https://youtu.be/zkjybxASD9w
Fortunately Mum quickly brought the breakfast ...https://youtu.be/tJiEEq1UQW8
Hi Wendy. so now we have three. Mom is right now trying to rock the other one out of its shell. Now the fun begins. Will we have a mama's boy this year? Will we have aggressive girls? Will we have one pushing the other off the scrape? We have had all of that in the past. Lots of fun in the past. Each year they are different. I remember one girl being a lot bigger than the others.
Hope Mum moves again soon for another head count!
Just the most brilliant screen watching that there is to date!! Thank you for providing such a fab witnessing!
Just missed a view of chicks!! Grrrr
Still three chicks and an egg!
Just saw 3 chicks and an egg as mom had prey in her beak and was leaving with it. Dad just covered them a bit roughly compared to mom.
Thanks guys! Evening feed confirms still THREE CHICKS as you have reported ...
https://youtu.be/qqvubVpnZJY
Well done every one.
I have been away, got back today. Brilliant to to come home to. My blue tit's eggs have been hatching too, 5 open beaks and at least 2 more eggs. Happy days :-))
Still 3 this morning, being fed to completely full.
Chris M
Another feed. Unhatched egg still visible, possibly only 3 chicks this year same as Sheffield who have discarded their egg now. Does anyone know how many chicks have hatched in Nottingham, unable to get to live camera as in previous years?
Caught that feed too Heather, remaining egg looks a bit 'red' at one end to me? ...
https://youtu.be/jUKExGORvk4
We saw the chicks get fed by the female. When they was full they went to sleep on there mother peregrine. There is 1 egg left over altogether. When we looked yesterday the egg was hiding under the chicks.
Non feeding them but dad shielding them so you cant see them.
Have just watched the male feeding female and 3 chicks with great care.
Lynda
Ooops I thought it was mom doing the feeding. Coudn't see the chicks much, just a little beak poking out.
Wow I can’t believe there is more chicks. I loved watching them last year and I’m enjoying watching them again. Thank you for the live streaming video. From Joshua.
Hello Joshua, I'm really pleased that you are enjoying watching the peregrines again this year. It's great to see the chicks being fed. The adult birds look after them really well and it's amazing how quickly they grow. I hope we get to see four chicks soon.
Unhatched egg visible in front of MrsP. She's still shuffling it around and the three chicks must think they're in a tumble dryer!
See the Rutland ospreys Maya and 33 have returned once more from Africa and are now rearing 3 chicks. Always gratifying to know both of them, and other birds, successfully make such a perilous journey each year to return to our shores.
I just checked on Camera 2 and it shows the little ones peeking out from under mom. So tiny.
Both Adults feeding right now on scrape.
Oh my what's happened to one of the chicks??? ����
3rd chick was lethargic at 2pm feed but perked up and was given quite a bit of food ... phew !!
Hello Valerie, I had a quick look on the Notts Wildlife Trust Facebook page and it seems that one of the adult birds in Nottingham was seen eating an egg a couple of days ago. Apparently it's likely that the adult bird sensed that something was wrong with it and so ate it to get rid of it. There is no mention of chicks as yet unfortunately.
Well, it is Mother's Day in Canada and I think the US so Happy Canadian Mother's Day to Mrs P and all who keep an eye on the scrape. I know you have had your Mothering Day in March. Right now she is digging at the pebbles so maybe some bugs got up there. Haven't seen the babies this am.
Happy Mother's Day to all Canadian & US mums (not sure if you're one Vicky!). Just seen MrP take off with remains of yet another feed. Chicks seem ok but unhatched egg I presume is no longer viable. Hopefully MrsP will start to discard it soon as she continues to shuffle constantly and it's amazing the chicks don't get injured in some way. Sheffield in same situation with three chicks and one unhatched egg.
Valerie how do you get to Nottingham's live feed on their cameras? In previous years on my iPad I've logged into their page where you tap "search" rectangle but this year nothing happens? I'm not on Facebook so can't look up Notts Wildlife Trust there.
Re: Nottingham peregrine camera - Sorry "search" rectangle should read "live stream"!
Heather here is my link to Nottingham, but sadly personally, I think there will be no chicks this year.
https://www4.ntu.ac.uk/sustainability/biodiversity/falcons/index.html
Was that a crack in the egg or just a stuck feather or something?? I love the family every year x
Female appears to be eating stones! Why would she do that?
Anonymous
Maybe she is getting ready for the hatch? They will clean the stones for stale food germs etc... but I tend to notice them stretching and picking at the stones prior to a hatch.
Am sure others more qualified will have an answer.
ANDDDD 16;49 Mum has just flown .. is that the fourth I see? Pic on Flickr in a moment.
No, still THREE & the egg!
No sorreeeeeee looks like she is tucking the Egg in under again.
Did I just see MrsP trying, and succeeding, to swallow a whole leg/claw of prey and think there was a ring attached?!!!!
Thanks Kate for Nottingham link which showed site insecure, and also thanks Valerie for your input which is what I'd been attempting but instead of triangle I still get the red "live stream" rectangle which had proved no problem in the past. I even asked my son who is very computer savvy but even he had no luck on his computer - I'll just stick to good old Derby, Sheffield and the Rutland Ospreys for now but many thanks anyway.
I see Nottingham cams are back!
The egg is still intact. Possibly only 3 chicks this year. Yes Heather I am a mum, grandmother and great grandmother. How about you?
We got to see the chicks being fed today. It’s really fun to watch the chicks progress to adult life as I did last year too. They get looked after so well. Thank you for providing these for us. Lucie-Jo
@Heather
That's Firefox browser, and it does that on some of the Bird sites,( as few others have commented elsewhere Doh!) I have used it all season no probs,
But I just checked it out on CHROME and it was OK
https://www4.ntu.ac.uk/sustainability/biodiversity/falcons/index.html
Morning all
Mum snuggled down and Dad preening far end of scrape at moment 06.20 ( pic as always)
Lovely sunny morning.
Wendy thanks for Vid but blackscreen on both ( here and private) unless it is my computer.
Just checked other cams and id that a new piece of egg shellin corners? is that why Dad is around?
OR is it false hope and wishful thinking.
False alarm and Change over Egg clearly visible.
I think Mrs P would love to close her eyes and have a good sleep. I check often thru the night while you are all sleeping and those chicks sure do move around under her. Her body is lifting and she readjusts herself. Him too when he is covering them. Wonderful to watch.
Morning Vicky
Thanks and appreciate your/our night time vigil/reports. Lovely to see them so feisty CHOL:):)
Both parents on scrape at moment and chicks enjoying breakfast from large prey.
Hi Vicky I too see MrsP being shuffled around quite a bit when I too log in occasionally during my night (being the insomniac of the group!). It only gets worse as they get larger too. How many hrs difference is there between us, not sure whereabouts you are in Canada? Hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day and you are a generation up the ladder so to speak as I'm only a grandmother suffering the naughty threes coming up to the naughty fours 24/7 as family living with me at moment. Exhaustion has taken on a new meaning like I'm sure our two peregrines might experience at this time of year!
Dad fed both mum and chicks lovely to see the family all together. Chicks already appeared fairly full, assume this is from a feed shortly before. Mum indicated that the feed was over by covering the chicks. Dad then flew off with the remains of the food. Still no sign of the fourth chick. I do however think she has done well to hatch three with the weather we had. The speed of the chicks growth never ceases to amaze me.
Chris M.
Why is one of the adults shivering in the shale section with splayed wings and tail? The other adult has left the scrape leaving the three chicks and last egg uncovered.
Why is one of the adults shivering in the shale section with splayed wings and tail? The other adult has left the scrape leaving the three chicks and last egg uncovered.
The chicks have grown a lot over the weekend, and we are surprised at how big they have grown already. Its nice to see the chicks are white and fluffy.
Will the 4th egg hatch or is it too late now?
Hi Oak Class, glad to hear you are watching our three chicks once more and it's certainly amazing how quickly they've grown over the space of a few days. Unfortunately it's unlikely that the fourth egg will hatch now and if it did it wouldn't stand much chance of survival having to compete for food against its much larger brothers/sisters.
The falcon is continuing to incubate it and is shuffling it around believing there is one more egg to hatch. However she'll eventually begin to discard it and it will either be removed from the scrape or, as in the case of the Sheffield peregrines whose fourth egg also didn't hatch, will be eaten. Hope you manage to catch a feeding session, it's lovely to see how tenderly they feed each chick with small morsels making sure they all receive their fair share.
Sorry about the broken link yesterday ... here's one which hopefully will work although the res is rather darker than I would like having been recorded in that 'blue period' we always get on a sunny dayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFdsm31_0EA
Third time lucky!!
Hi Heather, I am on the west coast of Canada. We are 8 hours behind you. I love the little chicks. Right now I think it is dad with them. He is not big enough to cover them completely. Except for one maybe. The year before last I believe we only had 3 eggs hatch. I can see the 4th egg.
I thought I could see a hole in the egg and maybe a beak poking through but not sure now...
Mary T
https://youtu.be/xILZGQmyW40
See what you mean about the egg Mary, possibly a hatch failed to complete?
Time for a preen ...https://youtu.be/vqoHi2UoVjc
Poor little tiny one never seems to get any food!
Chicks left on their own for a good half an hour this afternoon from about 15.15.
Haven't managed to catch a feed today, just came across chicks in a huddle & Mum still pulls that egg in ...https://youtu.be/ZCR_F9rJeEI
Egg clearly visible in front of chicks and there's definitely a mark on the end, might be as you suggest Wendy that it failed to hatch or perhaps has just become damaged. The sooner the parents remove it the better if there is a hole in it it must be rather smelly. I remember Nottingham retrieved an egg one year to try and study the embryo to ascertain why it hadn't hatched but think they couldn't come to any definite conclusion.
Not sure if we have two males and one female this year. Sometimes one looks larger than the others but it's still too early to tell I guess.
Have seen a couple of feeds this morning Wendy and all chicks were well feed and flopped down in a satisfied heap.
Nice to see the three chicks getting bigger.
Lovely to see the peregrine family enjoying their supper together, all getting their fair share. From the Harvey family :-)
Many thanks for info Heather!
grateful thanks to the team at Derby ,again , wonderful pictures :) .
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