Rescue Me!
After a phone call from Mike Goold, who is helping to run the Watch Points this summer, I dashed down to the cathedral at about 5.40pm today (Sunday 16th) to find that the male youngster had fledged but come to ground.
As I arrived at the car park next to the cathedral, I could see a group of four police officers and a traffic warden standing near the far corner - so I knew I was in the right place.
Looking somewhat dishevelled, the young male chick was on the ground in the corner, wedged between the brick walls and a couple of pallets. Gently I moved the pallets aside and the bird adopted the usual defensive posture - on his back with his talons facing up at me.
Fortunately I had remembered to bring an old cloth and a cardboard box and was quickly able to catch him and show the force the full force of its powerful talons!
After they had taken a few photos and I had explained why the bird had ended up there and what its two rings were for, I put the bird in the box and, with the help of a cathedral steward, made my way to the foot of the tower.
Sunday evensong would begin in 15 minutes and the bells were being rung - so, box in hand, I climbed the tower as quickly as I could and released the young falcon on the top, feeling the tower shaking due to the bells swinging below me as I did so.
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| Safely in custody |
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| All boxed up |
Given that this bird had fledged (or been pushed) a bit too early (he still has some fluffy white down here and there as you can see) I decided to release him not straight onto a parapet but onto the roof of the tower. His parents will certainly find him there and feed him until he feels confident to jump up onto the stonework and launch himself once again.....
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| Where am I now? |
Big thanks to the folk at the cathedral who helped, the traffic warden who found him, the police officers for standing guard, the Rayner family who worked out a way to get in touch with the project and to Mike for alerting me! Mike told me subsequently about the very roundabout way that some bystanders (the Rayners) managed to contact him. They did so via a relative who knew someone connected with the Wakefield Peregrine Project who managed to trace Mike via Facebook! A somewhat circuitous route but involving a great degree of quick and clever thinking. Thanks to all involved!
The next Watch Point is on Saturday 22nd June. Perhaps by then the heavier female will have taken the plunge? Do come down and see....
Meanwhile, scroll down this blog to see live footage of the nest platform set up by Peter who lives in the flats opposite the cathedral. Hopefully there should be one female juvenile still there (though sometimes crouched down and not showing above the front - so don't panic if you can't see her...she's probably there hiding from you!).
Nick B
The Project Team
23 comments:
Well done NIck, and isn't that juvenile a cutie :)
Sue/Phoebe Hi: Nick Moyes and I between us have rescued 8-9 fallers over the years...the first back in 2006.
Last year you may recall a male came to ground twice, was taken into care and subsequently died of canker.
The heavier females are usually the ones to fall....so we wait to see what this year's will do.....
Great rescue Nick, amazing pics!
So pleased to hear that this ended well. We were thrilled to get an up close glimpse of the fine creature, we were quite worried. Thanks to Emma Hawthorne who did the work and made contact with Mike!
Kev, Rachel, Max and Molly Rayner.
I actually saw this happen live. It was about 2:30 on Sunday, and he was vigourously flapping his wings while perched on the edge. Then the other chick sort of ran at him with its head down, and he fell off. It looked much more like a fall than a fledge. I'm so glad you all managed to save him.
Thank you all, so pleased so many watching over the youngsters.
Thanks for the kind comments etc. The same juv male fell again today and was put back on top once again. He seems very well and seemed to have been fed by his parents given the new carcase on the tower top today which wasn't there yesterday. Hopefully this time he will stay put and not try flying until he is really ready!
Nick B
Rayner family - thanks for your comment and help/support yesterday. And thanks to Emma too!
Thanks Nick B for retrieving the little male for yet a second time, this seems to be a recurring theme! He looked such a cutie in the second photo and good news that the parents are bringing food to the scrape, hopefully big sister let him have some. As Smiffy saw her giving him a nudge previously possibly she did the same again and wants the scrape to herself.
Although I don't live in Derby is there a phone number that can be advertised so any "fallers" in the future can be reported quickly rather than having to rely on a circuitous route of members of the public being involved, or is it best just to contact the police?
Sorry for previous incorrect comment. Have just realised that the male juvie was not replaced back in the scrape but put on top of tower. instead. Obviously female sibling had nothing to do with his second fall and parents obviously feeding them separately.
Another great rescue Nick, any more pics?
Many thanks to Peter for this unique live view of female youngster in scrape which I hope you don't mind me recording to post on here ...https://youtu.be/kEUwwZnzNeQ
Another bit of action, maybe a surprise fledge for today's watchers, wish I could be there ...https://youtu.be/Ubi6b59A5ms
Hi Wendy: thanks for the clips. No further news re. fledging....hopefully all is well so far!
nick
Hi Wendy, recording is fine!
Checking the stream this morning shows that both of the juveniles are back in the scrape!
This video here shows the moment the male fell from the scrape, possibly got spooked by the other chick. - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/439900642
we hope the birds can fly and we are happy one has left the nest. we hope another can fly soon. we hope the big female bird dus not fall. how do they now wen to fly?
we hope they grow bigger to be a grownup.we think the other adult birds can fly well.
Morning all
Peter thank you so much for the video,and capturing that moment, really appreciated, hopefully
they will soon be attempting proper fledge soon,and like Zebra class says.......
"we hope they grow bigger to be a grownup.we think the other adult birds can fly well.",
@Wendy I cannot get your link open Doh!!
Sent you link again by email Kate!
Thanks Peter, another clip from this morning ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTb12I6MoZQ
@Peter Thank you for Video22,it is still tempting fate, but wary of making the leap CHOL:):)
T
Heather: we can't rush down every time the female youngster 'disappears' I'm afraid. Sometimes she will simply be lying down in the nest tray.....
When she does eventually fledge hopefully she will be OK but if not, then the public round the cathedral are mostly well aware of the situation and will call at the vergers office in the cathedral to report finding it or ring the police....and they can get in touch.
Nick B
Hi Zebra Class: thanks for your comment.
So far the female chick is still on the nest platform (or scrape)….
We don't know what tells them to try to fly for the first time. They do a lot of wing flapping before they go...
Sometimes a sister or brother accidentally pushes them off and on other occasions, a gust of wind has caught them....
Eventually they get hungry because the parents stop feeding it and that is the trigger for it to fly out and try to get some food.
Let's hope for a safe first flight....it will be sometime this week we feel sure!
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Just checked the live streaming camera this evening and both juveniles were sitting on the nest platform. The male juvenile soon took flight again and was closely watched by his sibling. Good to see them both together.
More lovely footage thanks to Peter & his Twitch link ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHecoVGwd3A
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