Incubation time and a new TV screen in the Cathedral

Update: Here's one of Wendy Bartter's many video clips posted to the blog comments, this one showing a change over on 5th April:

So now we are in the period of incubation when the eggs are kept warm by the parent birds as they develop.
We can expect hatching to take place sometime around Easter, 18-21 April.
Until then, there's not much happening except change overs as the pair share the work of sitting on the eggs.

If you missed it, scroll down the blog to read about the egg laying period and be sure to check out the comments which include many video clips made for us by Wendy Bartter.

Here's just one of those showing a changeover on 25th March:

There have been 67,000 hits to the web cams and blog in 2025 so far and over 5,500,000 since the cams were installed in 2007. Scroll down the blog to see the Clustr map which shows where in the world folk have been watching!

And the excellently supportive Cathedral staff have just installed a huge TV screen inside the cathedral showing the live web cam feed.

The Project Team

This project, now in its 20th year, is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with great support from its partners; The Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter and Derby City Council's IT team.

Three eggs by Saturday (15th) and four by 18th

Update Tuesday 18th: a fourth egg was laid this morning!
Please check out the comments for more information/video clips.

           All four eggs visible today (18th). Screenshot by Kate

Here's a video by Wendy showing a change over yesterday:

The third egg was laid yesterday and here's a screenshot taken by Kate in Devon to whom many thanks:

                                The eggs. the darkest was the first. Screenshot by Kate.

To read about the first two eggs and find links to videos posted by Wendy Barrter please scroll down to the previous post and its comments.

The Project team
The project is in its 20th year!

The project is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with support from its partners Derby Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter and Derby City Council's IT team.

New photos of our pair and the first egg followed by two more....

Update Saturday evening - egg number three appears!

Update Thursday morning: a SECOND EGG was laid early this morning, spotted by Jean. With luck we'll have a full clutch of four by sometime on Monday.

Update: we have our first egg today (10th), a whole week earlier than in 2024!
It was spotted this afternoon by eagle-eyed regular web cam watcher Kate down in Devon. Here's her screen grab:

And here's a video captured by Wendy Barrter clearly showing the egg which seems to have been laid just before 3pm.

Go to the comments to see many more videos posted to YouTube by Wendy.

On 3rd March, Dave Farmer, who is a regular photographer of our birds spent three hours down at the Cathedral watching them and taking photos.

He wrote: 

"I arrived at 11.50am. At 1.45 action ensued.
The male was perched on the right hand lead rain spout looking quite relaxed.

The male on the lead spout. Dave Farmer
(easyphotography.co.uk)

He left suddenly to chase away a second female which he did really easily.
Whilst he was doing that the "real" (resident) female took up station on the nest platform. She was continually scanning the sky.

The resident female keeps a wary eye.   Photo: Dave Farmer

(easyphotography.co.uk )

As this was my first visit this year, I don't know if mating has taken place but I think the odds are that it has."

Thanks so much Dave!

Scroll down to the previous post to read about the abseil to clean up the platform and see the comments below it which include links to the video clips that Wendy Bartter makes and puts on YouTube for us.

The Project Team
This project is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with support from its partners, The Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter & Derby City Council's IT team.

The project is celebrating its 20th year! There have now been OVER 5 million hits to the web cams and blog since 2007!