Update 3 June pm.
The juvenile female has been located on a high roof near the cathedral and she should be fine now and very unlikely to come to ground. The male is already an accomplished flier so he'll be fine too.
Meanwhile and before you drift away to watch other web cams, can we urge you to make a donation to this project if you have been a regular web cam watcher and commentator?
So far donations have been minimal and the project will not continue unless we get more income which, as explained before, comes almost entirely from kind web cam watchers.
There's a donations tab on the blog home page......
Thanks in advance!
Update 9pm 31 May
After a lot of flying about, the juvenile male finally managed to get back to the platform and get fed.
These birds are much more resilient than we think!
Please consider making a donation to this project which almost entirely depends on web cam watchers and Watch Point visitors making donations. Go to the tab on the blog called Donations.
Thanks in advance.
Photo: Ant Pooles Marc Whitlock (DWT) sent this account of today's Watch Point:
On a warm and windy watchpoint today early drama saw the young male peregrine reappear after a short absence. He was spotted shortly after 10am by one of our volunteers on nearby rooftops on Full Street. It later attempted to land on the north side of the tower but then returned to nearby rooftops. There was a lot of wing flapping from its sibling on the nest platform with both parents looking on. The adults both took flights, some lower over Cathedral Green before returning to familiar perches on the tower. During the watchpoint, a buzzard and a red kite flew high over the tower.
Of the 150+ visitors to the watchpoint was a little girl who came on her birthday with her sister following a talk on peregrines at their school recently.
This video shows both juveniles on the platform late this afternoon.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
10.30 am Saturday 31st May
After a long and fruitless search of the cathedral roofs, the young male was found safe and well on the roof of a nearby building soon after. He later flew strongly round the back of the cathedral and will be perching somewhere there. The adult female was in close attendance.
Watch point volunteers will keep a close eye on him this morning and see what happens.
We'll update as and when we have any further news of him.
The project team
This project is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust but relies heavily on the input of volunteers. Support comes from The Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter and the city council's IT team.
202 comments:
1 – 200 of 202 Newer› Newest»Thankyou from the bottom of my heart for this information. He's lasted this long so I think he'll be fine. To know the adult female was in close attendance reassures me greatly. Thankyou again for your time and efforts to find him.
Thank you so much for this info, such a blessed relief and do hope that he progresses well
Thank you for the update. I've become completely invested in this! LOL
Thank goodness hope he will be safe
It must have been quite a moment for the male chick when he suddenly realised that he could fly! A moment perhaps necessitated by an unintended fall from the Cathedral tower!
Wonderful news, what a relief
I can see him at the far end of the crennelations under the platform.
Great to see the juvenile Male this morning at the watch point
Awww this is brilliant news whoooo good lil man
This is fabulous news as he has fought so hard. He really had no choice to fly as it became obvious early on the parents were no longer interested in feeding him even when they knew where he was. The behaviour seems odd to me having seen a wren in my garden fight off a cat to protect her babies. Nature is an odd one for sure
I bet you guys have some great photos of today she's performing well today
Are the parents still looking after the other chick on the nest it hasn’t been fed for a while she’s asleep now
Our big girl chick preening madly to keep feathers in good order, must have been a good view from the Watchpoint today, you can see a gathering of folk on the green just a bit in from top right of screen
https://youtu.be/CqACglaJcJo?si=x2q6qoziroX15OBr
At 13.46 big girl is too tired to play to the Watchpoint crowds but adult male is perched on the crenallations
https://youtu.be/Jxg29VzCba8?si=wH1ZE78zoEYtpkps
Has anyone seen the juvenile male recently? Are the parents going to be feeding him?
Are the adults still feeding both chicks ?
Both chicks are in the nest! Yay!
Are both chicks back on the platform? Or are the adults just looking a bit ragged too?
Sorry, that was me posting!
Looks like both chicks, thank goodness!
Yes - both chicks together
And he teturned home with food
Joy this evening with the welcome news!
Brilliant news! Did he fly back to the platform or was human intervention required?
He flew back in. Very impressive seeing as he's only just learnt to fly?
WOW! Good lad. Tough cookies these guys. I have a broad smile from ear to ear now.
Absolutely wonderful nature is amazing. Love reading all the comments and watching the webcams. Very grateful for a
marvellous project team and all the other supporters.
Yeeeey good booooy
He just need food to come in now
I think he's really hungry he keeps squawking at lil lady and going for her mouth
When and how are names given to the chicks? Just thinking (for our returned wanderer) of names of explorers who made it back after a dangerous journey. So far I've come up with 'Shack' or 'Ernie' (after Ernest Shackleton), or 'Nemo' (after Captain Nemo or the clown fish). Or maybe 'Ulysses'? Or 'Bilbo'? Better stop now! :-)
17:25 - Well, what a pleasant surprise, just looked at the cameras after finally getting back home after my trip to the Cathedral at lunchtime and subsequent shopping, to find both chicks in the nest. The male chick really is mastering this flying thing now, having discovered (probably rather abruptly) that he can!
It amuses me; the girl sounds like a falcon screeching when she goes for it. The lad however sounds like a bunch of cicada in the forest lol.
Have just posted photo of them together again!! Hope they are brought some food soon as they must be very hungry by now………..
Thanks Jean I have one to post on flickr in a mo..What a fantastic team,pleased little lad used his senses and returned safely, wonderful news. Both hollering for food me thinks.
Just logged in to this amazing news ... here's footage of the pair together with little male shouting constantly for food ...
https://youtu.be/iUdRp-vCwsE
Thanks Jean & Kate, took a couple of hours off and look what happened, would love to have got footage of him flying in!
Am leaving recording on for a bit longer in case food comes in soon!
Both youngsters awake now and flying up & down the scrapes still shouting for food😀
Has anyone seen the parent birds around recently? Or is this how they encourage them to leave the nest. I would have thought it is a week or 2 Early for that
Are these inexperienced parents? Surprised they're ignoring the chicks calls.
I think we are all watching with bated breath
They are so active at the minute
Foods here
Yesss food in boy is starving and fighting for food
They don't seem to be being fed to me.
There is no way he is not getting any of that holding big girl off by speading his wings
Food has arrived and it's a three-way fight! It's hard to tell who is getting the larger share. The male chick is very determined. Go for it!
He's being fed now too by parent
That's a most almighty scrap for a paltry offering. The adult tried to intervene and got nowhere. Food dragged from one part of the platform to the other.
I think both chicks got something out of it, though.
I think the boy is fighting for food he’s so hungry. Looks like he’s getting a good and much needed feed.
Aftert the initial scrap, the adult has taken charge and seems to be distributing the food equally. It's great to see Big Boy getting some food again!
It looks like both chicks are satiated for now, leaving the adult to pick at the carcass.
What a nerve wracking but ultimately brilliant day for the peregrine family.
The boy has gone back for more. He must be famished the poor lad. Sleep well on a full belly tonight 🤞
Hope you got it all Wendy!
Male adult was feeding the two youngsters after you posted
Most of it Jules except when my laptop froze for a couple of minutes ... too much excitement for it, 🤔am edited & uploading now!
Here is the food fight and subsequent feeding of the two youngsters by Dad (I think?) a long vid btw ...
https://youtu.be/moDH2rj9M3o
Bit more footage of the two youngsters cavorting around after Big Sis woke up and before the food arrived ...
https://youtu.be/0QiLk5m_ke4
Im so so happy he made it back i have watched every day since hatching and it's been wonderful but stressful and to see parent feeding them both earlier was absolutely awesome well done little boy
Both babas on the scrape sleeping goodnight all
Both babys still in scrape Scrapping over food this morning
Good to see two in the scrape this morning
I'm so relieved the male chick is safely back on the scrape. Never felt so proud of a bird before! What a little trouper he is.
Feed was underway at 06.45 little lad has had alot 🙂
Good news.
Thanks Team and all posts for wonderful updates.Brilliant news to start the new Month, BUTTT for how long Ha!! having tasted freedom, will be interesting watching, and wondering who will the first to truly fledge.
The male chic seems to be 'begging' his sister for food.
Big girl asleep in her favourite position and little male perched on ledge as usual preening and watching the world go by at 09.09 on this first morning of the new month, as Kate said ... for how much longer will we see them? ...
https://youtu.be/kRWgPWG0SME?si=8J8Ji5d0ynxtDs7Y
They will be about the area for a good while yet as they rely upon the parents for several weeks while they learn to hunt for themselves. How often in that time they will visit the platform for us to see them on camera will be interesting. It's possible they will use the platform as a semi regular roost for a while. Time will tell I guess.
Any idea what the female just ate ?. On delivery it looked small and orangy-yellow.
Remains have black-trimmed yellow
I saw that too. The item was very small and eaten by the female chick alone. Given the location, I wondered whether the food item was a Blue Tit, which has quite a bright yellow breast.
In previous years I have never seen any fledglings come back to the scrapes, don't know if anyone else has?
Status quo here at 13.42 with big girl asleep and little mail wide awake perched on ledge ...
https://youtu.be/4NjTG6uzD8Y?si=333GY7k_UOpFJcJR
Wendy don't POST him off again in the "mail" Ha!
Surely it happened at Derby Cathedral last year too?
https://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/2024/06/return-to-nest-last-watch-point.html?m=1
You commented on it :
Wendy Bartter7 June 2024 at 15:15
Wonderful news about the prodigal fledgling's return, really thought to never see him again! Some action from 09.32 this morning see-sawing from one scrape to t'other to do a body count ... all three were there
https://youtu.be/pL4zsrHAXsE?si=rWpOPxLuPzgbqW2g
Food deliveries have been very thin on the ground so far today, the last only of a 'bite size' nature! The juvenile male just resorted to getting close up to and screaming directly into the face - literally beak-to-beak - of one of the adults, which perhaps got the message a flew off the platform.
Which is eating? Male or Female?
Yes! A sizeable food delivery has just arrived - a plucked pigeon. It looks like the juvenile male is getting to eat first.
Excellent
He's certainly making up for misseing food recently. He's not giving up that carcass
*missing. He's feasting.
Yes, the male is really dominating! Although, he totally missed out on the 'bite size chunk' eaten only by the juvenile female a few hours ago.
Appears to have a ring. Possibly a homing/racing pigeon?
A good sized meal that. Should sleep well tonight although I would hope for another delivery before the day is done.
I was wary of pointing this out, but a large propotion of the Pigeon deliveries have rings! It appears that the Pigeons are not the feral birds from around the Cathedral and the city centre. The Peregrines seem to be going somewhere else to source their Pigeons!
It is what it is Graham. Still prey for the wild life. Have to hope the owner isn't watching and recognises the rings lol.
I think it's unpleasant to say LOL about someone's bird being killed. What is so amusing to you?
Anonymous
**Surely it happened at Derby Cathedral last year too?**
What I was referring to was after they had fully fledged
Just realised what you meant Kate ... whoops!!
@anon. I meant no offence by my LOL but neither do I feel it necessary to justify myself to someone with no name. Whilst I meant no offence by my post, I have no control over what you might take offence from. Please enjoy what is left of your weekend.
I'm sorry nature is nature not like someone has shot the homing pigeon to feed to the wild birds LOL
The two juveniles seem to have been satiated for a while after the delivery of a sizeable Pigeon meal and feeding themselves; however, both juveniles are interested in the food again now that an adult has returned that is prepared to do all the work and feed them. Typical teenagers?
The juveniles really must be full as they've both lost interest in even being fed. An adult is finishing off the food, so nothing is going to waste.
19:50 - Another large food item delivered. The adult fed the juveniles, which seem to have regained their appetite.
The first of two videos showin the youngsters squabbling over who should sleep in that prime corner space, soooo funny, the looks could kill transmission froze at end of first so had to reboot to get follow on
https://youtu.be/vTrlfPqXWcQ?si=afo5S3AHNQ312N5Z
I thought she was going to tip him over the edge
https://youtu.be/caniSjo0N3c?si=NMhzVvxiPMegj-HD
I see big girl won the battle!!😴
Just looked in and saw the little male lay on his sister's head again ... does he want a cuddle or just be annoying? Hahaha
https://youtu.be/jHZE8ikkSLo?si=qJZ2FSAjQ2jTUa0I
It's the other way round now she's got her head on him both fast asleep with one of the parents watching over on the slate side ledge 🙂
Good morning. All quiet on the platform at the moment. Both chicks looking relaxed.
Maybe she knew he wanted comforting ... unless she was pinning him down so he couldn't keep annoying her 😄
10:40 - The juvenile male is perched on the edge of the platform contemplating the view; he has a very noticeable bulge in the chest region (not just fluffed feather), suggesting a very full crop from a recent meal. The juvenile female scuttle into the corner at the other end of the platform, looking like she might be seeking a bit of shade from the sun, as that corner is currently in shadow.
Two happy youngsters being fed this morning ...
https://youtu.be/K17d7HQZbZs?si=Gili-qB_u_F6crEI
Male was sitting quietly on ledge when sister decides to spread wings and almost knocked him of Doh!!!
I saw exactly the same thing yesterday. The male then seemed to retreat to the centre of the gravel area for reasons of safety! 😂
I have been afraid of that happening as she has such a huge wingspread but he has proved that he can fly well😀
He was feeding himself for along time earlier this morning
I wonder why the male chick, having discovered he can fly, isn't doing laps around the block for fun.
The young female just launched herself off, knocking the young male off in the process.
Both just flown off
Have the chicks flown the nest? Cannot see either of them on the cameras.
17:30 - I just saw the juvenile male fly off the platform. It was on the limit of Cam 1, so it wasn't easy to see what was going on. A look at Cam 2 suggest that the juvenile female went at the same time! Perhaps some interaction between the two juveniles resulted in them both falling from the platform.
I missed it. I wonder if they will return or if that’s them fledged and gone..
Out of the corner of my eye I saw them both disappear. As Anon17:35 says, one knocked the other off. I thought that just before that happened I had seen an adult arrive , but it all happened so fast I could be wrong?
If that’s them gone for good I wish them both a long and healthy life. Beautiful animals. 😘
Now what are we going to watch ?! I believe there's some on Liverpool cathedral .....
18:40 - One of the adults - the male I think - has just returned to the platform and is looking rather bemused by the lack of juveniles!
One of the youngsters went under the platform again, no idea if its the male or female but expect its the male again
He's now preening himself. Perhaps by way of a self-pampering for a job well done. Go and find the missus Dad and have a well-deserved night out without the kids.
Norwich cathedral have a livestream
St Alban's are still brooding theirs after their first eggs got destroyed on livestream
The Nottingham pair have yet to fledge. See https://services.ntu.ac.uk/live/falcons/
So sad that I missed this momentous event but hope they are safe & well!
3 at Leicester, 2 at Chichester ringed this evening and on a 12hr stream so you can cast back to see events (Derby please note). More info here https://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/latest-news/updated-cathedral-peregrine-webcams/
There's been so much going on over the last few days blink and you've missed something!
I missed it! I wish them both a long, safe fruitful life and look forward to next year's clutch xx
Hope they will be safe
I have real bad empty nest syndrome lol
https://www.stalbanscathedral.org/peregrine-live-cam
2nd clutch about ready to hatch after some nasty person stamped on their 1st
I was just thinking exactly that!
21:33 - The adult male has returned to the nesting platform. He does seem rather bemused by the lack of the juveniles. Apparent signs of 'displacement activity', whereby he's picking up and dropping pieces of gravel from the nesting platform.
There's a while to go on these eggs Nattalie if you look at the egg laying dates
Updates on the second clutch
Egg 1: Laid around 10pm on Sunday 4 May 2025
Egg 2: Laid on the morning of Wednesday 7 May 2025
Egg 3: Laid on the afternoon of Friday 9 May 2025
Adult looking rather pensive on scrape around 22.20 ...
https://youtu.be/JqM9n_PQ9nc?si=qrNPl1Fu-ZtFNjzF
Same here xx
Adult sleeping on scrape bless it
Not a wile 30-35days after last egg layed which is 30 days on Sunday??
Yes baby back at scrape just now
Both babys back anyone here to know?
Nice to see them after their night away from home
I'm now thinking it was parent it shot off after a bird flew directly past the platform
Yes deffo parent...now back with foooood
I am seeing only one on the platform. I think male juvenile but only see the lower half from the back. Cam 1.
Yes it was parent they flew back round the right way of the cathedral with the other half of food...maybe going to feed the other I hope
Both juveniles back on the platform.
Cancel that. Male juvenile being fed on the platform by an adult
09:40 - One of the juvenile Peregrines (the male) and one of the adults are still present on the nesting platform.
I now only see the juvenile male. The adult has left, hopefully to bring food.
Here is our little man asleep on the scrape ledge, do hope big girl is safe & well in this wet weather ...
https://youtu.be/L-X_M2ue_7w?si=w6PFMpiVLfBQOPL0
One of our super volunteers will go and see if he can see the female at lunchtime and again at 5pm after work.
In 20 years we've only had ca. six females come to ground and all were rescued and taken to the top of the tower for a second go!
One of the adults has just flown onto the crenelation below the platform
Thank you for this update.
And has just departed.
One of the babies is currently perched on the corner of brigdens shouting at the world!
Now eating
Oh, so that must be the juvenile female.
Re: Juvenile Female
As of 13.25 She is pancaked out on the flat rooftop wall of Brigdens next door to the cathedral - hard to see but she was moving her head and (as previously reported) was calling earlier so no reason to think she is doing anything other than staying low out of the wind!
Both adults calm and on tower with the juvenile male which is always a good sign 👍
I will pop back up after work.
Ant P
Great! Thank you for the update. 'Pancaked' is a word I've used multiple times for the juvenile female; 'pancaking' is very common with the female, a distinct contrast to that of the male.
Great news that our big girl has been seen, hope she stays safe!
ITM ... here is footage of our little man self-feeding and also cheekily asking Mum to feed him a couple of bits
https://youtu.be/LltkTmZoBYo?si=4xIUoAN1lew98CON
Thanks to all for your interest in this project with more comments this year than ever before - but sadly far fewer donations to help us run the web cams in future. The cams currently are active 24/7 and throughout the year but this costs money......so please do consider making a contribution to help the project survive for another year. There's a donations tab on the blog home page. Thanks in advance.
See the little man currently sat on scrape ledge contemplating his big new world
Approximately how much does it cost per year?
He's disappeared off exploring again !
There’s an adult just landed on the platform.
The problem with asking for donations for projects like this is not being sure if it is actually going to help keep it running because we don't know how much you need and how close you are to the figure you need. Personally I have given to projects in the past that have gone bust quite quickly because they were so close to the edge when I made the gesture. It is a very tricky area especially as funds are tight with most people at the moment. Is there a way to do a funding target like they do on gofundme type pages, a figure that you need and how near you are, something like that? This is not my area of expertise and in no way a criticism of the project which I think is brilliant but when I was (much) younger I remember projects would have like a thermometer type meter with the target and you could see money being shown on the meter and nearing the target and people were really engaged in getting that meter to the top bar.
I've just donated, but I would say that the process could do with some streamlining, it wasn't as easy as it should be...
17:00-17:40 - I was at the Cathedral for about 40 minutes early evening. When I arrived at 17:00, the juvenile female was still perched on Brigden's roof, but a little further along than this morning; it looks like she had been there all day. At least one adult Peregrine kept flying low over the juvenile's head. The juvenile female was calling loudly and persistantly. About 17:15 an adult Peregrine returned to the nexting platform, but I located the juvenile male sat on the crenelations below (out of view of the cameras). When the adult returned to the platform, the juvenile male decided it was time to make some noise. To my surprise, at 17:20 the juvenile female made an attempt to return to the platform, but managed to land on the slope below (also out of view of the cameras), on the level above that of the juvenile male. The juvenile female stayed for a few minutes before flying off and making a second attempt at getting back to the platform; this time she went very high, landing on the very top-most of the 'slats' on the bell tower. I watched for another 10 minutes and she remained in position. Given what I saw, there seems a reasonable prospect that the juvenile female will also get back to the nesting platform by herself. When I left at about 17:40, the juvenile male remained on the crenelations out of view of the cameras.
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable and sensible request, which I assume project management can answer? I'm sure lots of people would be happy to donate what they can afford if they know that the target is realistic and achievable.
Thanks Graham. That all sounds promising.
Thanks Jules, just looked in and only an adult on scrape ledge
Many thanks for that info Graham, sounds as if she might make it back to the scrape where hopefully an adult will feed her
There is one on the ground by the cathedral now, what should we do?
Hi, have you got anymore details e.g Where the grounded bird is? And whether it is definitely a Peregrine as opposed to a Sparrowhawk possibly (was it ringed?) Presumably you were walking past and saw the bird - we are trying to organise someone to go and look and need as much details as possible. Thanks
Can see the adult female on shingle scrape now but no youngsters
I hope this has been sorted and lil lady back up high
This was recently posted by the Project Team (DWT) on the other main blog thread: "The female was discovered on the ground by a passerby about 9pm. She was quickly caught and after a quick inspection in which both wings and legs looked fine, she was then taken to the very top of the cathedral and released there. She shouldn't come down again (he says!)."
Thanks. In haste I posted the comment to the wrong blog post!
Amazing news, well done team!
Any updates re te health and locations of the birds? The scrape is empty and no sign of life on the crenelations etc from the nest cams.
There is a juvenile under the scrape as we speak
Now on the concrete where parents sit
It's now increasingly unlikely that either juvenile will return to the platform. Last night's rescue we hope will be the final intervention and the two young birds will gradually get better at flying. It has been very blustery in Derby over the last few days and the likelihood that the heavy female bird bumped into a building (probably the cathedral) was always a possibility.
One of our volunteers will check the cathedral environs this morning on his way to work but if the female is still on the top of the tower, she will not be visible from the ground.
If you have not yet made a donation, please consider doing so, we depend on you showing your appreciation and support in this way.
Thanks.
Ps. The web cam connectivity alone costs over £1000 per year.
Is it likely the adults might have a second clutch?
One of the youngsters just flew back into the platform
No chance of second clutches in peregrines, ie not after they have reared a brood, only occasionally if a first clutch fails early on in incubation.
In many years, juveniles never or rarely returned to the platform so this year seems to be something of an exception.
Here's our little man at 09.50 noisily announcing that he's hungry and very adept at returning to the scrape which is so unusual but a bonus for us ...
https://youtu.be/OcC0gKsum9U?si=JNp1XGj6OASxbjnw
Not unheard of for a fledged youngster to remain at the nest site ... one at Taunton (GL) returned and loved to help incubate the new eggs ... another at Sheffield became the current dominant male and fathered chicks!
Strange happenings in the world of birds with an Osprey nest with one male & two females, three eggs from one and one egg from the other raised to hatching by the two females after male vanished, sadly all chicks died due to the females' inability to provide enough fish ..... wonder if there has ever been such a love triangle in the Peregrine world, I have to look back at Sheffield to see if the last male & current one were on the nest at same together for any length of time after it fledged!
Young male on the scrape eating a good sized offering brought in by an adult.
Little man adeptly self-feeding at 11.30 ...
https://youtu.be/quKsUwy420k?si=cGUME-6qd0ARIdiJ
Well done to the brave person who took on the female last night she has been feisty since she was hatched haha. I so wish I had a 1000 pnds to give you but my wheelchair battery just died and ate into this months money, although I shall donate what I can once my bills are out the way as this project has been a bit of a lifeline for me throughout last months illness where I was pretty much bedridden... its lonely in the early hours so it was nice to have something I could watch over thank you all so much. Im loving watching the little male confidently returning to the nest site in search of an easy meal and against what appear to be the usual rules
Judging by the size of their crop, the young bird on the nest site has had a really good feed!! Don’t know whether it is male or female?
Leicester this year had last year's young male back and fighting with his Dad on the platform, even after Mum had laid her first egg - there's video in the March blog. Second egg not laid for 11 days. Bl00dy kids !
Hi Jean. I was going to point out the same thing! This is the juvenile male and he had two large food deliveries over only a couple of hours - all for himself!
Thanks Graham. Thought it was most likely the juvenile male. Have managed to post a photo of him!
No birds in view.
.....and he's back : )
The male juvenile just flew from the platform. He was there first thing this morning so I suspect that he overnighted there.
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