Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Watch out for four Watch Point events coming up soon!

Update 24 May
The first Watch Point took place today and was a huge success! 
Helen, one of our brilliant volunteer team wrote:

Yesterday's watchpoint was very well attended, with nearly three hundred visitors by the end of the session. Lots of children were among them, including one very young girl who literally jumped for joy when she caught her first glimpse of the peregrines through our telescope. She had come with her family especially to see them, and her excitement at seeing the birds made our day! Both of the adult birds were around for most of the time, with the female on the platform and the male perched higher up on the tower keeping a watchful eye on the chicks below.
We had some great views of the chicks looking over the edge of the platform, occasionally flapping their wings and sending clouds of white down into the air. They were fed twice during the morning and it was good to see them with full crops. The peregrines provided plenty of excellent photo opportunities and you can see some of the great pictures taken by Luke W, who has kindly shared them on our Flickr group - 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/194643864@N05/54542607375/in/pool-derbyperegrines/ . Luke has more fantastic photographs of peregrines on his own Flickr account. A brilliant first watchpoint with more to come!

The next Watch Point is this Wednesday 28th May between 10 am to 2 pm
Do come along and see the birds for real!! Our super volunteers and Marc Whitlock from DWT will be on hand with telescopes and lots of great information!

And FYI: the camera on the right hand side of the platform has been repositioned this morning to afford better views of the chicks.....

Update 20th May: here's a further video from Wendy made today showing how big the chicks are now and how their first feathers are beginning to appear! Growth is so fast it is not surprising that the chicks need to lie down, sometimes for long periods.....







Update 15th May: please be aware that the chicks are now mobile and often move to the side of the platform where they can't be seen on either camera. They have not fallen off! 
Here's a YT video by Wendy of the chicks taken on 16th May. They have grown big for sure!


As the two chicks grow and become visible from the ground below, it's time for us to organise a few Watch Points enabling visitors to the cathedral (and to Derby if you live within reach) to see and learn more about these fabulous birds.
This year the organising has been carried out by Marc Whitlock who works for the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust which manages this project.

We have a wonderful team of volunteers who help us every year and who will be on hand to point things out and help you with the telescopes.


The dates are:

Saturday 24th May
Wednesday 28th May
Saturday 31st May and
Saturday 7th June.


Each will run on Cathedral Green, behind the Cathedral on Full Street between 10 am and 2pm.

The telescopes are set up on the grass on Cathedral Green which makes a very pleasant place to watch the birds 'for real' - quite a different experience from just watching the web cams. It's entirely free and you can stay as long as you wish. Bring a folding chair, some lunch and some binoculars if you have them!

You will see the adults flying about and going to the platform to feed the chicks, the chicks teetering on the platform edge once they have feathers and are flexing them and other wildlife passing by too.

Nest platform circled in red. Photo Nick Moyes

This has included buzzards (which the falcons sometimes attack!), red kites, sparrowhawks and occasionally ravens which now nest just outside the city and which, a few years back, started to build a nest on the cathedral much to the annoyance of the peregrines which chased them off!

     Adults photographed in 2022 by Dave Farmer from the ground below: male left, female right.

Also with the River Derwent close by, we often see grey wagtails, banded demoiselles and even a kingfisher if you are very lucky!


            Do bring youngsters if you have any...they really love seeing the birds! Photo Nick Brown

The Project Team

49 comments:

Wendy Bartter said...

This is when I wished I was local to be able to attend Watchpoints!
ITM ... footage of feed at 13.28 which took place in slate scrape with limited views of chicks feeding ...
https://youtu.be/94r24AY9wuo

Wendy Bartter said...

The chicks came out of hiding for this next feed and as soon as it was finished they disappeared again!!
https://youtu.be/DbdDh98m3x8

Alison said...

Thankyou for the video Wendy!

Wendy Bartter said...

You're very welcome 😀

Wendy Bartter said...

Have seen not much worth recording today as the chicks have been hunkered down out of sight in the slate scrape and the female with them quite a lot ... just now I see there is a feed going on but chicks are not in view, hope for better tomorrow!

Alison said...

Keep on with the good work Wendy!

Wendy Bartter said...

Did catch sight of Mum bringing in substantial sized prey at 18.01, feed went on for a long time but chicks not seen at all ...
https://youtu.be/vt2ne12n5kM

Anonymous said...

Currently a great view of both chicks, they're so big now!

Wendy Bartter said...

Pleased to see that they are currently sleeping in shingle scrape stretched out and covering a large area, hoping they will stay there fir next feed😀

Anonymous said...

They're all viewable now - the chicks are huge ....

Wendy Bartter said...

Some footage of the chicks moving around, walking properly now, not shuffling
https://youtu.be/bUvBFViiHhA

Wendy Bartter said...

There was a feed at 14.15 bur I was on wrong cam so out of view ... after the feed the chicks were mobile again and looking huge when stretching wings
https://youtu.be/uLL2R8Vo-8U

Wendy Bartter said...

Only just been able to log in and looks like a feed in slate scrape but can only see the adult's rear half! Has anyone seen the chicks today?

Jules said...

Saw one in the gravel side this morning very big now and very alert busy looking around before going back to the slate side. Lots of feathers coming through

Graham Rowe said...

I've been at a conference, so haven't been able to check the cams for a couple of days; however, on Sunday 18 May 2025, there is head of a Kinfisher on the gravel (and the head of an apparent male Blackbird that has been there a while). Kingfisher! Makes a tasty change from Feral and Racing Pigeons.

Jules said...

Both just come onto gravel!

Jules said...

They didn't stay long but it was nice to see them both . Lots of wing stretching going on

Wendy Bartter said...

I see that KF head Graham, not a very substantial meal methinks!

Wendy Bartter said...

Thanks Jules sorry to have missed those views! Hope for better luck tomorrow🤞

Jules said...

Both chicks visible one on each side of the scrape. Lots of preening and wing stretching going on again this morning

Wendy Bartter said...

Saw some of that Jules, will have footage to post in a bit ... there's a feed now but mostly out of view!

Wendy Bartter said...

Long video celebrating today's views of our chicks who are changing dramatically ...
https://youtu.be/lNDzYnF2W6w

Wendy Bartter said...

Another feature length vid showing just how fast our chicks are changing daily
https://youtu.be/6IhPQJLwuAc

Tiggywinkle Class said...

It is luvly to see how big the chiks have grown.

Anonymous said...

Just seen the adult eat a leg complete with a ring on it….can this be good for them?

Wendy Bartter said...

Good views of Chicks again today, impressive wing flaps
https://youtu.be/frBWi1lYlxE

Wendy Bartter said...

So pleased you are following the progress of our chicks, new video below of them moving around this morning and showing how big their wings are today!

Graham Rowe said...

Depending on the size of the material, the whole carcass (or body part) is often eaten and any indigestible material is regurgitated in the form of pellets. Several times over the last few days, I have seen the female Peregrine trying to regurgite a pellet.

Jules said...

Late morning does seem to be a good time to see them 🙂

Wendy Bartter said...

More views of our fast growing chicks this morning ...
https://youtu.be/keF9wHD3_DE

Project Member (DWT) said...

Today's watch point is still on as far as we know.
It's not raining and there should be some action on the tower to see!
The project team

Nattalie said...

Wow who just moved camera 2 down

Project Member (DWT) said...

That was project team member Nick Moyes who had to go into/up the tower just now to adjust the camera position.

Nattalie said...

Great job 😁

Wendy Bartter said...

Many thanks Nick😀

Wendy Bartter said...

This feed had already started when I logged on at 11.15, looks like big girl chick being very noisy, check the size of her against the parent, quick look at new view cam #2 at end ...
https://youtu.be/QfoQH3NVQ7c

Anonymous said...

Nifty camera reposition, great to be able to see the chicks again. Thank you Nick!

Nattalie said...

Woooow she looks huuuge compared to lil lad and parent 😍

Wendy Bartter said...

Some good comparison views of our little boy and his big sister ...
https://youtu.be/4CfjLkwL_Ao

Wendy Bartter said...

Many thanks Helen for the write-up on the first Watchpoint gathering!
Off to look at Luke's pics on Flickr

Graham Rowe said...

Luke's photos are fantastic! However, they also suggest that the nesting platform is in need of a serious repair, at least before next year. It looks like the whole of the base of the nesting platform is sagging, and in danger of dropping out! I assume the platform will survive the rest of this season. It looks like a similar repair has already taken place at some point (i.e., new screws) but the base is sagging again.

Nattalie said...

Hehe baby just snatched a full prey off parent so parent left and baby like huh what do I do now and trying to eat it

Nattalie said...

Its the girly and she's de feathering it how clever

Nattalie said...

Whooo they've mastered it and now having a feast between the 2 of them

Nattalie said...

Wooow she is a feisty one fighting parent for food haha parent wins food back

Wendy Bartter said...

So sorry to have missed the action😥

Wendy Bartter said...

Managed to catch some action this morning, very little baby fluff left and they are both very active and inquisitive ...
https://youtu.be/013aRjUGsh0

Wendy Bartter said...

Stranger in the camp? No, is our big girl chick! The amount of growth and change in just over five weeks is amazing ...
https://youtu.be/8F2HpvH24OA

Wendy Bartter said...

Both chicks in this footage, one perched on front ledge ... makes me so nervous ...
https://youtu.be/trsO-kd9wLU