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/
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:
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
The chicks came out of hiding for this next feed and as soon as it was finished they disappeared again!!
https://youtu.be/DbdDh98m3x8
Thankyou for the video Wendy!
You're very welcome 😀
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!
Keep on with the good work Wendy!
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
Currently a great view of both chicks, they're so big now!
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😀
They're all viewable now - the chicks are huge ....
Some footage of the chicks moving around, walking properly now, not shuffling
https://youtu.be/bUvBFViiHhA
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
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?
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
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.
Both just come onto gravel!
They didn't stay long but it was nice to see them both . Lots of wing stretching going on
I see that KF head Graham, not a very substantial meal methinks!
Thanks Jules sorry to have missed those views! Hope for better luck tomorrow🤞
Both chicks visible one on each side of the scrape. Lots of preening and wing stretching going on again this morning
Saw some of that Jules, will have footage to post in a bit ... there's a feed now but mostly out of view!
Long video celebrating today's views of our chicks who are changing dramatically ...
https://youtu.be/lNDzYnF2W6w
Another feature length vid showing just how fast our chicks are changing daily
https://youtu.be/6IhPQJLwuAc
It is luvly to see how big the chiks have grown.
Just seen the adult eat a leg complete with a ring on it….can this be good for them?
Good views of Chicks again today, impressive wing flaps
https://youtu.be/frBWi1lYlxE
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!
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.
Late morning does seem to be a good time to see them 🙂
More views of our fast growing chicks this morning ...
https://youtu.be/keF9wHD3_DE
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
Wow who just moved camera 2 down
That was project team member Nick Moyes who had to go into/up the tower just now to adjust the camera position.
Great job 😁
Many thanks Nick😀
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
Nifty camera reposition, great to be able to see the chicks again. Thank you Nick!
Woooow she looks huuuge compared to lil lad and parent 😍
Some good comparison views of our little boy and his big sister ...
https://youtu.be/4CfjLkwL_Ao
Many thanks Helen for the write-up on the first Watchpoint gathering!
Off to look at Luke's pics on Flickr
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.
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
Its the girly and she's de feathering it how clever
Whooo they've mastered it and now having a feast between the 2 of them
Wooow she is a feisty one fighting parent for food haha parent wins food back
So sorry to have missed the action😥
Managed to catch some action this morning, very little baby fluff left and they are both very active and inquisitive ...
https://youtu.be/013aRjUGsh0
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
Both chicks in this footage, one perched on front ledge ... makes me so nervous ...
https://youtu.be/trsO-kd9wLU
Post a Comment