Peregrine Rescue

(Update: Saturday am: Female XL left the nest at 06:45 this morning. Female XK remains on the platform as at 10am. One juvenile male seen on nearby Jurys Inn; location of other male fledgling still unknown. Watch Point on Cathedral Green this morning may yield more news, and possibly a third fledge.)

Our previous blog post explained how one of our young peregrines fledged earlier today, but couldn't be found. It was assumed he was somewhere safe on the nave roof, or a nearby building.

However, at 18:45 we took a call from one of the Cathedral volunteers who reported that a young peregrine was wandering across the road and was holding up traffic on nearby Full Street. Apparently, a passer-by had already grabbed it by its legs (not a sensible thing to do, of course) and had moved it to safety.  We advised not to attempt to capture him, just let him find a safe and quiet place until we got there. So we set off into town, ready with a large cardboard box and an old piece of towel, hoping to rescue and return him to the tower.

Luckily, the Cathedral was open late this evening to allow people to visit the wonderful display of hundreds upon hundreds of 'Peace Doves' hanging down from within the building. Meanwhile, we arrived to a scene or perfect tranquillity on Full Street. Young male (Orange ring XJ) was sitting calmly on a wall, with about half a dozen caring people keeping a discrete distance, helping to ensure it wasn't disturbed by anyone or anything.

We slowly approached with the box from behind, and the cloth from in front, and soon had him captive and calm.  We carried XJ up the stone spiral staircase and placed the box on the tower roof. Tilting it so he was slowly encouraged out, he simply stood forlornly and watched us warily.

The parents were by now circling the tower and calling. So, after the obligatory quick photos, we quietly left him on his own, knowing there was little more we could do for him, and that he'd probably be OK to fly tomorrow. We could see no obvious signs of injury (drooping wing etc) and no doubt he'll be brought food by one of the adults and he'll make his way to the tower parapet and fly off in due course.

There is little more that we can do for these wild birds - the parents will undoubtedly take an interest sooner or later, and he'll try to fly again later. Better luck next time! 

Out thanks to everyone who has helped locate and rescue XJ today. Should you encounter a downed peregrine in Derby in the next few days, don't attempt to capture it. Simply make sure it's able to stay in a quiet place, away from cars or people, and get someone to call in to the Cathedral - they have our contact numbers. Or reach out to us via Twitter at @derbyperegrines, or by leaving a comment on this blog. Unless obviously injured, we don't advice contacting the RSPCA helpline. The last time this happened, our bird ended up in Lincolnshire before we knew it, and it took quite a while to resolve the situation. We'd prefer to rescue and return it ourselves, or take it to a local vet if it needs treatment.