Long standing project volunteer, Helen, provided this summary of today's (final) Watch Point:
Today was very busy with a lot of visitors coming to look at the birds through our telescopes.
Both adult birds were on the tower at the beginning of the morning, which made us think that the juvenile was probably on the nave roof below. After a short while he was spotted in flight, before landing high up on one of the pinnacles on the tower.
The youngster was quite active for a lot of the time, making several flights over the watch point and around the tower. He was seen flying strongly and landed well after each flight. It was wonderful to see him looking so confident already. Towards the end of the morning the adult male bird brought some freshly caught prey back to one of the grotesques on the tower, which he plucked and ate. The youngster who had been perched lower down out of sight, flew up to join the adult male and was rewarded with a feed.
A Red Kite drifted overhead a couple of times during the watch point. On both occasions one of the adult birds was very quick to see it off, giving the visitors below some exciting aerial views. The adult peregrines looked quite small in comparison to the kite, but the peregrines definitely had the upper hand!
In addition, a swarm of honey bees was spotted and up to six swifts also.
The consensus seems to be that the juvenile is a male given his small size but we can't be 100% sure.
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Dave Farmer took these photos today (2nd June) which show how well advanced the chick is now....though it is some way off fledging as yet.
The Project Team
The Project is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, brilliantly supported by Derby Cathedral, the City Council's IT team and Cathedral Quarter.
136 comments:
5:30 am Youngster busy feeding itself. The food item is small but it looks too large to be a scrap, so I guess it is a fresh prey item.
6am Just looked at cams again. Parent was feeding itself, it offered a piece to the youngster who was not interested. The parent then flew off with the prey item. Had the parent been feeding the little(?) one before I started viewing? Was the youngster sated from it earlier feeding? But I think that if youngster was hungry it would have been pestering for food.
The photos are amazing. Specially the one with open wings. What equipment do you use Dave?
Many thanks to Dave Farmer for the wonderful photos, so clear and detailed!
Thanks too DW for early feed info!
This footage from cam #2 shows how confident our youngster is at stepping onto the front ledge, then preening the fluff which can be seen blowing in the wind
https://youtu.be/EWo1IH_UJNQ
Youngster was fed again just before noon, no really good footage!
I know this is probably a stupid question but Cam 2 12.34 the chick is on the edge and one adult is further along just occasionally being caught by the camera, but to the left of the chick and further down the wall there's something that looks black and white moving? Is that the other adult or some feathers or something? The quality is really poor and I'm on my phone so can't zoom in more than a bit ... I've never noticed anything moving down there before. (probably too busy watching the buses previously). :)
Oh, it's moved along from the corner so I can see it clearer now. I think it is one of the adults, or at least another bird!
Edit to add that saying about the picture quality was how the bird was sitting in what seems to be the corner of two bits of wall and not a criticism of the camera!
Youngster pesters parent for food, nibbles it's toes so has to move out of he/she's way, a little snippet of youngster screeching!
https://youtu.be/Uhi6XvmNp58
In the footage just published you can see the parent bird on moulding below, saw it fly in but couldn't record soon enough!
This corner is where pigeons have nested in previous years but not seen any this year!
The comments about a bird seen on cam 2 lower down the tower has reminded me. Last year, cam 2 sometimes showed a bird on the ledge below the scrape and up against the tower wall. With the camera angle it was not clear what it was and I don't remember anybody giving a definite identification but it was largish and grey and the speculation is that it was a pigeon. And if it was a pigeon then: BLIMEY, talk about living life on the edge.
Does anybody else remember seeing that bird and was it identified?
Well, I think Wendy answered my question even as I was typing it.
Quick burst of energy from our youngster for all of you missing this to watch cup final!
https://youtu.be/-jn9nkocctU
Lol DW, definitely remember pigeons who laid eggs, incubated & hatched their eggs & raised the young, seems to be quite a safe place really but a very different story when they fly about!
17.49 and just before, is that a new ringed foot the chick is trying to eat or just a random one that's been in there a while he's taken a liking to?
Do more experienced parent birds normally respond to the calls the chicks make with food?
Oh here comes supper. What happens to the poor prey birds heads? They never seem to bring heads back.
Looks like the youngster is being fed!
Re headless prey, I wonder if the head is some kind of delicacy or removed because it would be too dangerous to feed to youngsters? I know that kestrels use a plucking post to prepare prey so maybe Peregrines do too! Ospreys often eat the heads of fish before bringing back to feed youngsters on the nest!
I would love to know!
Mum just brought prey & is feeding youngster!
Here's the feed, looked substantial
https://youtu.be/KhVhtOOf1GY
The squawksquawkchupchupchup noise makes me smile.
Mum is feeding youngster now!
Have posted photo’s of wingercise before being fed to Flickr.
Spent a good hour or more perched on the ledge early this morning, getting much better at balancing.
Glad you are watching Wendy!
Here is youngster exercising confidently & vigorously this morning, then Mum brings food (no sqawks in this footage)
https://youtu.be/anwJ8qiHMkk
Youngster was extremely confident earlier this morning, did you see he/she half running half flying along the ledge Jean, had my fingers crossed that there was no overbalancing! This is day 38, absolutely incredible to see how much growth & development in that short time!
Yes Wendy I did see the half running half flying this morning, at one point I saw youngster on the ledge standing on one leg and stretching out wing and leg like an arabesque!!
I had my fingers crossed then.
Amazing how quickly he/she has grown.
Here is youngster practising pouncing & gripping the Lapwing wings
https://youtu.be/2Rrf2dL-3yQ
Nice leap onto the top of cam1 there!
Looking forward to Saturday's watch day. Couldn't make it to the first one but am determined to get there this week. Judging by today's action there should be plenty to see. Our youngster is so confident now.
What a precarious position the youngster was in then, only got footage from cam #2 so it's a bit dark, was a spine-chilling watch but eventually managed to throw itself backwards into the scrape! Phew!!
https://youtu.be/rHJroTeyt2U
If you can view on a tablet you can increase the brilliance!
Apologies for our late response to the question about headless prey.
Brains are rich in protein and birds of prey that take birds often go for them first.
This seems to be the case with our pair.....
The Project Team
Many thanks for that info DWT!
Youngster very energetic this morning with lots of 'fly-running' & wing flapping in other scrape then see him/her surveying the scene!
https://youtu.be/vxtjyPNyoNA
I've just had the most surreal experience! I was in the garden, sitting on the grass, seeing to the pet rabbit and suddenly, there was loads of commotion and the two adult peregrines had caught a pigeon but it had escaped. They both pounced on it and flew off with it. They were about 1 feet away from me, on the ground also! The garden is covered in pigeon feathers but it was such a moment that I may never have again. To see them catch prey so up close!
Ps. I was in the gardens on Lea Close, Allestree.
Youngster is obviously hungry, nibbles parent's toes again, twice then follows closely into scrape
https://youtu.be/v0DYTJ00sLM
Such an amazing & exciting experience Charlotte, bet you could hardly believe your eyes!
Youngster's been waiting a long time for this feed, did he get a decent amount?
https://youtu.be/3irzMkQW1l4
How exciting Charlotte. Nature can be very cruel at times but I suppose its all part of the food chain. This happened to me a couple of years ago. Looked out of the window and a sparrow hawk had a pigeon on my lawn. It was carnage, feathers everywhere.
Youngster has just jumped/flown up to top of nestbox & down again!
Did it again!
I saw that too.
I saw that too. I only tuned in to listen to the 6 o'clock chimes!
It' a good game but took youngster a while to remember how to do it!
https://youtu.be/0hbsHfnT4pY
Youngster has just been feed!
How strange, more food has arrived @ 21.09, youngster is screeching but won't approach Dad for any, Dad is offering but nowhere near close enough, Mum arrived, Dad has flown with the prey! (Muted because bell practise & peregrine screeches chaotic)
https://youtu.be/wNMIZ3mIzjU
I thought bells were disturbing youngster around 30 mins ago but after checking realised mum (I think) had arrived with pigeon meal. She fed quite a lot to youngster who seemed to have their fill. She then started to feed self and all of a sudden flew off with the rest, maybe to finish the meal in peace!
I saw the end of the feed Kate has described. When the youngster finished taking food it walked away but then screeched for a short time. So it seems to me that screeching is not always begging for food. Of course, I am not an expert on peregrine call sounds so maybe there is subtleties in screeching / calling that we cannot perceive. Does anybody have any views or (better still) knowledge?
Thanks for news of earlier feed Kate, youngster certainly slept well afterwards, this footage shows him/her waking up & stretching revealing how little fluff is left
https://youtu.be/x2xjTatV6Rc
Have seen (& heard) youngster screeching but refusing more food DW, last nights footage showed just that but I don't know why either!
The chick doesn't seem very alert today, as it was yesterday , sleeping quite a bit
Have some footage of youngster being energetic as well as sleeping on front ledge with head back just like an adult
https://youtu.be/nOQrBHM1y_U
Also wing flapping before latest feed @ 15.43
https://youtu.be/TiOT5-84tu4
Looks as if youngster is being fed, not much of a view but saw Mum fly in just now!
Youngster sleeps off the late feed at 21.15
https://youtu.be/ofwuRuyMLig
A lot more activity, wing-flapping and calling this morning!
What does it take for them to take that plunge off the edge? Parents calling or just one jump and wingspread too many?
I cannot state the 'normal' circumstance/reason for fledging. But I remember that in 2020 at Norwich Cathedral the first youngster to leave the nest was perched on the platform edge and was simply knocked off by a sibling who was turning to join in the kerfuffle of a feed!
By a million-to-one chance there was a photographer who took a multiple-exposure picture of the youngster taking its first flight who was followed by its dad who was also on the platform (whilst mum was feeding the others). The youngster managed its first flight safely.
I have tried to find the photo but without success. If anybody knows if the photo is on the web it would be good if you post a link (with credits if possible). It really is an amazing picture.
There's this
https://cathedral.org.uk/news/peregrine-falcon-chicks-start-to-fledge/
There's just been lots of activity: youngster running up and down ledge flapping wings and then flying up to top of platform and back. Looks like will be fledging soon!
Parent arrived with pigeon and depositing bird in front of youngster, who appeared to be protecting their 'prey' against parent, who was closely observing, by shielding with wings and crying out (high-pitched cry). Youngster took meal into second scrape and then back, whereby adult took remains and flew off.
Thanks Anonymous. The picture in the link shows the point at which the youngster was knocked off the platform and by whom. The fledging was a male and the 'culprit' was one of his bigger sisters. Looks like the bird had been knocked off backwards; I think that if the bird had 'launched' itself voluntarily it would be flying away from the platform.
It is a great picture but I remember a multi exposure picture of the fledging in flight (there were about 10 images the bird moving left to right and descending). In 2020 the Hawk and Owl Trust (who placed the nesting platform) published a daily log of happenings in the nest. My recollection is that the picture that I am thinking of was included in one those logs.
Looking at the aspect ratio of the image in the link I wonder if the image has been cropped from a larger photo which could be the one I am thinking about.
The photographer was Chris Skipper and needs to be given the credit for this great picture.
Thanks Kate for the post about the parent giving the prey to the youngster. The Woking parents has been leaving prey for the chicks to feed themselves for a day or two. Today I saw for the first time the Winchester Cathedral chick (sadly only one hatchling this year) feeding itself from a prey item (and not scraps) with mum looking on. So I guess that giving prey to the chicks at this stage of their development is normal peregrine behaviour .
Sorry forgot to post this footage of our youngster exercising this morning, starting of with a 'slip' which he/ she corrected easily
https://youtu.be/UK4voNjnhms
I do remember watching an accidental fledge from here one year but can't pin it down!
"What does it take for them to take the plunge"
The boring answers is when the youngster feels it's the right moment. If there were any guaranteed indication that fledging was imminent I'd never have missed capturing fledging on camera over a number of years. Unfortunately things don't work that way.
First of all the youngster needs to feel it has the equipment and inherent knowledge to have confidence to make the leap safely. When the time comes it will know.
It also has to go through a thorough preparation process like the situation ours is in now. Furious wing flapping is just an indication that the youngster's plan is in process. Sometimes youngsters have been in the wingflap period for several days It's a vital wing strengthening excercise And those wings have to be able to take the weight of the youngster. One of the next steps is that whilst flapping the youngster will frequently let go of the ledge and it will "helicopter" into the air..
Not all youngsters come to take the leap at the same moment or the same time of day. Last year, if I remember correctly, the last of the 3 youngsters to fledge did it 3 days after the first one fledged. For those several days I used to stand in that car park behind the cathedral constantly murmuring " fly - fly". made no difference of course.
As I recall last years youngsters went early in the morning. Even when I arrived in position at around 6.30 am they'd gone. By comparison, of the 4 youngsters at nearby Belper Mill, two of them went in the afternoon.
There may come a point where the adults will feel that a youngster is taking too long. To speed things up they will bring in some prey, show it for a few seconds then fly away with it - "if you want it come get it". Sometimes even that takes a while to dislodge a youngster stubbornly anchored to the nesting place. That was the tactic that got the 4th Belper youngster off the nest last year.
Let's hope that our youngster doesn't get itchy too soon and that those at the watchpoint may hit the jackpot by seeing the fledge. Unfortunately, it will be quick. Gone in the blink of an eye :-).
Footage of that earlier feed, unfortunately not good detail as it was cam #2 (2× speed)
https://youtu.be/NFRUJFWBg-8
Youngster fly/jumps to top of scrape from front ledge & back again, running & flapping the length of the two scrapes, just did the jump again, my heart is in my mouth!!
Just been watching a feed which started off as parent feeding the youngster and then the youngster took the prey and began feeding itself.
Now a question for the experts: The feed was in scrape 1 and visible on cam 1. The youngster is clearly smaller than the parent. So, it reasonable to say - based on comparing its size to a parent (presumably mum) at this stage of its development - that youngster is male?
(Winchester Cathedral's chick is female and is now the same size as its mum.)
@DW My impression is that the youngster is a male, too. But I have to admit I have not been monitoring the cameras as actively as I normally would, nor attended the watchpoint. I am aware that the very wide angle of the main camera lens does make it difficult to judge size. The nearer to the lens; the larger the bird looks.
I think the truer comparison would be if there were two youngsters. If you look at my photo of adult and youngster sitting next to each other on the platform edge, the adult is considerably larger which is to be expected. My photo doesn't have any distortion because both birds were near enough the same distance from the camera as to make no difference so it gives a true representation of comparative size.
If our youngster fledges too soon and is grounded will the rescue be an opportunity to ring it?
I wonder what happened to the third egg, can't see it anywhere.
Last I saw of the third egg was at the front near corner of other scrape, might have been moved further along out of sight!
I still think youngster is a female, every time I look at those big feet with the long middle talon!
The mad spell from earlier this evening ( 2x speed)
https://youtu.be/fVpbiNrNm1M
Parent just brought in prey, youngster grabbed it, parent tried to get it back, youngster won the tug o' war & dashed into other scrape with it, parent in hot pursuit!
Tug of war going on over food, but now out of sight!!
Did see the adult fly off after a while Jean & pleased the sleeping youngster is in sight!
Has he gone? Or is he lurking out of sight?
No sight or sound of youngster, Mum on scrape ledge preening!
I don't honestly know how to tell who is who but there is a bird in view now with some white fluff feathers on the neck area.
Whoever is on the platform now is trying to sit on one of the unhatched eggs.
The one on the scrape has just flown ,parent just flown on the ledge
Mum on the scrape this morning, preening & looking very relaxed, no sign of youngster so assuming he/she has fledged & is somewhere safe, wonder if the windy conditions were a contributing factor?
https://youtu.be/FJwv72VZPNU
Mum does have some fluffy looking feathers on back of neck 'cos she's moulting! Youngster is very brown as opposed to grey of adult & has a very stripy chest!
Project team - Will Saturday go ahead if Chick has fledged…??
I suppose it will because presumably the three birds will still be visible somewhere?
I wonder if anyone has spotted the young one yet? Hope it's not on the ground somewhere.
Been at the cathedral since 10.00 No sign. Both adults hear several times. Very calm. No indication of any stress. No sign of any food being brought in.
What's happening? I've just gone to look at the cameras for first time today. No images, just black screens telling me to click the play button. And the blog messages are saying youngster has fledged!
Cameras are working for me. I always have to click the play button. No-one seems to know what's happened to the youngster. No sign of it at the cathedral according to the post above.
The top of the head of a bird does keep just appearing at the bottom of Cam 2 picture …. but which bird is it?? Presumably the adult from earlier?
Whoever it is just flew off in the direction of the Assembly Rooms.
The chick was still there when I went to bed just after 1am last night it was sleeping
Wendy: your comment at 12:19. Was that a sighting today or an earlier day.
I saw one bird trying to sit on the eggs and just after briefly two birds - presumably both adults, around lunchtime.
There's one bird there now gathering an egg under it again.
I know it is a bit late to give this info. The youngster was perched on the platform edge at 5am this morning.
Anonymous Dave Farmer said...
Wendy: your comment at 12:19. Was that a sighting today or an earlier day.
Today Dave, Mum has been here on & off all day & she does have some loose fluff at back of neck!
Mum & Dad were on the scrape earlier today, looked like bonding!
This is footage of last night's meal @ 21.30 where youngster had tug o' war with parent over the prey
https://youtu.be/yWehglnf2nQ
Last time I saw youngster was around 21.38 sleeping off this meal at the front corner between the scrapes!
Wish I knew where youngster was, its very frustrating. It feels different to last years family when we had drama and sightings.
A made a very quick visit to the cathedral this afternoon en route to the dentist and I had a very brief view of what I felt fairly sure was the youngster flying strongly around the tower at quite a decent height - though it was against the bright sunlight. If indeed it was the juvenile then he/she is fine.
Hopefully someone will see the bird tomorrow but I'm sure there's no need to worry.
NB
Good news thanks Nick!
Adult just flew to scrape with prey, looking around to see who's coming for it! Flown with the prey!
Much harder to tell who's who on cam #2!
You can always tell if the youngster is OK by the reaction of the parents. Last year for example both adults were flying around looking frantically round. They clearly had lost one ( that turned out to be the one that went for an early swim in the river) when the youngster was found and returned to the top of the tower the parents quickly settled. Our original female tended to sit on the top of a pinnacle after fledged to make sure she knew where they were Chris m
This footage is of parent (I think Dad) bringing in prey @ 19.42 and looking around for someone to take it ... wonder if he was expecting the youngster to fly in?
https://youtu.be/G4ijatTd5c0
Are these parents experienced enough to do that though?
Adult on the scrape having a preen and a scrape @ 10.16 today
https://youtu.be/i2zZ55unIvo
Mum is back there now preening in the sunshine!
Have just seen adult sitting in sunshine! Thanks for confirming it is mum Wendy.
I was travelling yesterday, but did manage to see youngster at 5am before I left.
After seeing the way the youngster was flying upwards Wednesday evening I’m not surprised it decided to fledge.
Must have been getting bored on its own!
This years birds are not as dramatic as 2022. Dip in the Derwent, visit to pub garden, drama on Full Street. Does anyone know where youngster spent the night?
Is Saturday's watch point still taking place now that our youngster has fledged? We don't seem to seem to have much input from DWT this year.
I do hope Saturday's watch point goes well and the weather is kind! Hoping you see the whole family and can let us know the youngster is doing well!
Yes the watch ;point is going ahead as planned and hopefully the youngster will be visible somewhere on the tower or nearby. Certainly the team will search for it and report back.
It's just brightening up now and looks to be a sunny morning with any thunderstorms due only after the event has finished.
Chick is back
That is not the youngster Anonymous, it is the adult female!
The chick has been spotted on the tower this morning. It is flying strongly and landing very well. Plenty to see at today’s watchpoint so come along if you can.
Thanks for the good news Helen, has anyone managed a photo of it?
This is footage of Mum on the scrape this morning before & at the start of Watchpoint plus a view of the gathering on cam #1
https://youtu.be/OtR46I_i08w
It had a lot of white down sticking out from under its wing so I assumed it was the youngster
Walked past the cathedral this morning at 9.30ish. Saw birds flying around the tower but I'm not experienced enough to tell which ones they were. Later on, I called in at the watch point and saw an adult on the tower with help from the volunteers. Thank you to all of them. Had a lovely day.
I also had a good time at the final watch day. Many thanks to the volunteers. Saw an adult fly from the tower scattering pigeons. My children were fascinated.
I think there is a bird on the ledge on the slate side, just out of view. I can hear movement and see a moving shadow.
Many thanks Helen for your report on yesterday's watchpoint, pleased to read that you had some good sightings!
Wasn't watching at that time Phoebe, cqould have been one of the adults!
Adult on scrape at 10.33 this morning, was it Dad? Looks slender with white chest!
https://youtu.be/Nj_uZ93WkWM
Mum is on the scrape now having a preen in the shade!
I cycled past on the way to work at approx 06:40 and pretty sure youngster was on the edge of scrape, looking through my bins. See that mum (I thnk) is there right now :)
Helen said that the peregrines scared off a red kite during the watchpoint. Some of you may be interested to see the pictures of:
- one of Norwich's peregrines taking on a red kite and winning; and
- a truly amazing picture of a (very scary looking) gull attacking a peregrine and winning.
Here is the link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-56979054. Credit for the pictures is to Chris Skipper.
Couple of visits by adult this morning, is it Mum or Dad? Good place to keep watch for youngster
https://youtu.be/LgzwgQJRw7E
In the absence of my phots from Saturday being published have a look at this video with this link
https://youtu.be/zMQiqpbHsIA
We saw a peregrine unable to fly and was taken away tonight by a sanctuary. Not sure whether it was an adult or juvenile but it looked small, it was Opposite the silk mill pub.
Hi Anonymous: do you have any information about exactly who took the bird and where they took it to?
And were you quite sure it was a peregrine?
Did you see its head - if so was there any yellow showing anywhere which would tell whether it was an adult or a young bird.
We need to find out who has this bird and try to discover whether it is indeed our youngster, which is most likely.
Please email us at peregrines@derbyshirewt.co.uk as soon as possible.
Thank you
The Project Team
One of the adult birds has been sat on the edge of the scrape since 6.30am this morning when I got up and is still there now.
Just keeps looking and watching!!
No adult when I logged on at 09.15 Jean!
Do hope the team get info on the grounded bird and can give us an update soon!
Hi Dave, have had a quick look at the start of your video, looks excellent and will go back to it soon as I get a quiet moment!
Whilst I was posting an adult flew in, can just see half a head on cam #2 now & again!
New post made by the project team with more of Dave Farmer's super pictures. Suggest no more comments on ths thread.
I have emailed a photograph of the bird. It went to a local sanctuary on a reputable website.
No more comments about what specifically .
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