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| Webcam view of a first egg, seen back in 2007 |
Without access via this key, it is physically impossible for a high-speed fibre cable to be connected up to the new wireless device which was specially fitted to the top of a tall pole so as to communicate with the inside of Derby Cathedral tower.
It's as simple as that: no key; no webcam connection.
Our colleagues at the Council and their contractors have done their level best to locate the key. They tell us that last week a huge bunch of keys, supplied by the lock manufacturers was taken to the camera pole, but with no success. Nothing fitted.
And now, as the country enters at least a three-week lockdown through Coronavirus, we have to admit our deep disappointment and sheer frustration at our failure to jump this final hurdle. It seems highly unlikely that we shall now be able to find which individual or council department has possession of this key. And, even if we do, would anyone now be allowed to spend time out on Irongate making that last essential link connection? We doubt it.
We are deeply sorry to every one of you who has supported us, and to whom we gave our word that we would undoubtedly reinstate our peregrine falcon webcam in advance of this nesting season. Everything was in place. We did all we could, but it wasn't quite enough, and time has now caught up with us. We will all miss out on the exciting scenes we've come to enjoy in past years of the world's fastest creature living out its life, laying its eggs and tending to its newborn chicks on the side of our city's Cathedral tower. From past history, it is likely that our falcon will lay her first egg over the next seven to ten days...but with the cathedral closed, we won't be able to check on the monitor in the tower.....or report back to you all.
Of course, should the lost key to this pole be found, and that final connection made, we will update you immediately. Everything else is in place - the cameras cleaned; a new microphone installed; the nest platform prepared, and all the IT infrastructure wired up. But one simple plug just cannot be connected.
So, a big thank you from the Peregrine Project Team and from our friends at Derby City Council who we know will be just as frustrated as we are.
Nick M and Nick B.
Peregrine Project Team
Ps. In our next blog post we will suggest other active bird web cams you can watch including some peregrine ones......
6 comments:
Oh Dear how very sad after all your endeavours,you certainly " HAVE NOT FAILED "
You have all tried so valiantly together with the Council, it is just a sad situation,
I have forgotten who it was last year, living nearby set up a cam and played live on 'you tube' does anyone else remember this? and more importantly do they know who it was, and would they be willing to undertake doing so again this year.?
Let us hope this Virus will be under control in the not too distant future, allowing locals and the school children to see the birds flying.
Thank you
Kate
The stars of the show, the fantastic peregrines, will be fine and that's the main thing. We have the fight of our lives on our hands with covid-19 but most of us are going to come through it, honestly. It's a crying shame we can't have our little window into the private lives of the Derby peregrines to help us through this dark period but we will get through. Just look out of the window, spring is bursting out like mad, the dawn chorus is starting up in earnest, brimstone butterflies are fluttering over the garden - and there are lots of webcams around that will be operating. Thank you so much to everyone who tried so hard to make it happen, you went the extra hundred miles and we watchers appreciate everything you have done over the years. We look forward to "seeing" you whenever the world returns to sanity.
Thanks Sue for your kind words.
With help from Wendy Bartter we hope to provide links to other peregrine web cams soon.....and to those of other species like eagles, storks etc.
Nick B
Couldn’t a locksmith drill out the lock and then install another one? I’m sure that at some point someone is going to need to get into it so why not do it now before it is really needed when something else goes wrong?
Dave Lacroix
I KNOW YOU ARE TRYING BUT i miss the webcam
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