Peregrines in Paradise - or in Peril? A post by Alice Smith - and the final one fledges.......

Update from Watch Point, Weds. 8th June by Antony Pooles:
An action packed and fab watchpoint today. All three juveniles were about, hurtling round the tower and nearby buildings, honing their skills chasing pigeons in company with the male. Two Red Kites flew over too! Photos by Dave Farmer (gdfotos.co.us) from earlier in the week. Next Watch Point this Saturday 11th June.....

Update Wednesday a.m.: Seems the final juvenile fledged very early this morning. Thanks to you night owls for keeping watch!

Hopefully this morning's Watch Point will locate her.
To read about the previous fledging and falling action scroll down to the previous post!

Watch Point Update Weds. PM by Helen.
It was a good watch point. The female juv finally fledged around 6am on Wednesdday morning, and was later seen by everyone at the watch point, perched on the end of the nave roof facing out towards the Green. She looked very settled until the end of the morning when she then started to do quite a lot of wing flapping and hopping around.  We thought she was going to go, especially when it started to rain but she was joined by one the male juvs and they were both still there when we left.  The two male juvs were perched side by side on the top of the tower for a lot of the time, which was great to see. They are both looking more confident now and made some short flights. We also saw the female juv eating, so she is clearly being supplied with food. I’m sure she’ll be ok. Both adults were also around and were on JI when the team left. 

For those of you new to this wonderful project, it was started back in 2006 and is now managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.
Our excellent project partners are The Cathedral itself (of course) the city council's IT team who provide connectivity to the web cams and Cathedral Quarter, the marketing agency for that part of the city.

The Trust pays all the bills, organises the Watch Points and supports the project in many other ways too (so any donations you make are directed to the Trust and go specifically to this project).

This year we are extremely lucky to have a trainee, Alice Smith, working on the project and in addition, organising site protection work at other much more vulnerable peregrine nests out in the Derbyshire countryside where persecution occurs every year.

Alice has been at the Watch Points and helping with the rescues over the last few days and she has written this post for our blog (and if you scroll back down the blog, she also wrote an introduction to herself back in April):

Hello everyone, 
I’m Alice the new peregrine engagement trainee.
It’s been wonderful to see some of your faces at the Watchpoints over the last few weeks and to read your comments on the blog too!
I’ve been watching our Derby peregrines hatch, grow and fledge (both successfully and unsuccessfully) alongside all of you.
Being in this role has given me experiences of a lifetime; from rescuing a peregrine fledgling that decided to take a swim, to monitoring rural peregrines and running the watchpoints - and all within my first three months!

Unfortunately, throughout my time here I’ve realised how lucky our Derby Cathedral peregrines are. Our peregrines have 24/7 protection with the webcams and are living in a busy environment with people who appreciate them.
However unfortunately, this isn’t the case with rural peregrines. Across Derbyshire, peregrines are at risk. Our county’s chicks and eggs are being stolen and sold for use in falconry in the Middle East.
Sadly, one of Derbyshire’s nests has already been raided this year and video footage of a man stealing wild peregrine eggs has been released by the RSPB.
Watching the parent bird alarm call and lose its eggs is heart breaking, and not something any parent of any species should have to experience. 

Not only this, but once the peregrines have fledged, they still aren’t safe from certain humans. Raptors throughout the country are thought of by some as a pest, a nuisance, and an issue. Believing peregrines and other raptors are a pest has led them to be shot, poisoned, and trapped.

Raptors throughout history have struggled with a conflict with humans. Previously red kites were almost extinct and currently, the hen harrier is struggling for its survival with two males 'disappearing' on grouse moors in the Peak District a few weeks ago, leaving their females unable to incubate the eggs that had been laid. We don’t want our peregrines to have the same fate. 

Peregrine trapped at a Midlands nest site (photo: RSPB)

To combat this Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has set up a Peregrine Protection Team, where nest sites are watched daily. Over twenty volunteers have dedicated their time to protecting Derbyshire’s rural peregrines and we have had the success of watching peregrine chicks grow and escape persecution at one high-profile site which we have been monitoring and which has suffered robbery in the past.  

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all the people watching on the web cams, volunteering, and donating to protect this amazing species, you’re all doing a superb job!
And thank you for letting me share this amazing (and very eventful) season with you all. It's not over yet!

Alice Smith

 Here are some links you may wish to follow to learn more about peregrine persecution in this county and in the UK:

Links to a local court case:

Derbyshire Police criticised as prosecution collapses against alleged peregrine egg thief in Peak District – Raptor Persecution UK

Peregrine suffers appalling injuries after being being shot & trapped in Suffolk – Raptor Persecution UK

Peregrine found shot dead on grouse moor in Strathbraan – Police Scotland refuse to publicise – Raptor Persecution UK

And you can learn more about the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the work it does not only to protect raptors like peregrines but in so many other ways. If you live in the county, please consider joining us! 

Home | Derbyshire Wildlife Trust

Finally - watch out for Hen Harrier Day coming up in July!
More on this later.....