Today, Saturday 21st, is the last day of this year's National Nestbox Week. So we thought we'd pop up to announce that we've now completed our new, experimental peregrine falcon nestbox.
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Nick Moyes pokes his head up through |
It's been quite an effort, hauling tools and timber up the Cathedral tower and working up there in the cold wind. I'm extremely grateful to Nick Evans for his help and especially his carpentry skills without which the construction would have been so much harder. Thanks also to Anthony and Roger for their help in multiple ascents of all 189 steps, taking materials to the top of the tower.
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Rear view of the finished peregrine nest box. |
There are still a number of things to resolve, including lots of tidying up, and trying to set up a new camera in the box. (Note: We have still been without an internet connection for the last week, and are hoping to hear back soon from Derby City Council about fixing the issue). Most importantly, we need to schedule at least one maintenance abseil to remove the sagging base of our old nest platform on the side of the Cathedral tower. We don't want this to remain in place and encourage our birds to try to egg-lay there. We won't be able to do this until the first week of March, but in the meantime we look forward to hearing from anyone who sees peregrine activity from the street below that might indicate they have found this new, temporary home.
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A landing platform with side 'blinkers' should prevent |
See what the new box looks like from the ground - it's hardly visible is it - which was exactly what we wanted on a Grade 1 listed building:
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| View of the new nest box seen from below. The box being set back from the stonework means that even the landing platform is barely visible. Spot the protrubing pole on which we hope the adults will land before too long. |
To read more about the issues that led to this temporary nest box on the tower roof, see our two previous posts HERE and HERE.
This project is managed by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust with support from The Cathedral staff and from Derby City Council's IT team.
148 comments:
I didn't know national nestbox week was a thing. Well, today I learned! We'll keep eyes peeled whenever we're around the town centre. š
What an excellent job you all have done, be good to see cam installed, will it be live streaming as we all have become accustomed to?
I think nowadays one can have a 'National Week' of almost anything. But it's great to be encouraging more people to care for wildlife in their own gardens (not just via nestboxes, of course, but also by creating good habitat for them).
NickB was down at the Cathedral this morning and reports that one adult was on the lower nest platform, but also that the visual impact of our new nest box when seen from the street below was minimal - which was precisely what was intended.
Good to know that Nick B saw a Peregrine, hopefully one of ours remaining faithfull to the site and improving the chances of their finding the new box!
Awh!!! Bless you all...I do hope our Birds make their stamp of ownership soon, otherwise I think we know the other species will sniff it out Ha!! also looking foward to any cams being set up.Thanks Nick M for your clever woodworking skills as well...
What a fabulous result! Well done team. I trust Mr & (the new) Mrs Peregrine will be well pleased with their new home.
Cameras are back guys š
Yyay!!! Thanks Nick M truly appreciate, cant wait to see if you can get them on the new Box!!!!!
Just make out one sitting cam 2
So good to have live streaming back ... Adult visits after dark
https://youtu.be/45MWqn96Qps
Hehe, you can see the top of one’s head.
Flew off!
Oop, the peregrine head is back.
Oh, and he's off again.
Great to have cameras back on
Good bonding at 09.42 then still trying to make a scrape from existing materials ... hope they find the new box soon
https://youtu.be/kIpTNiglrT8
One at home camera 2 having a look about
Strange sort of get together as the bird perched didn't move to greet the incoming partner at 14.42 & stayed for a long while after it had flown still just perched doing nothing in particular!!
https://youtu.be/BN1kG65S4Js
One on cam 2 and carefully watching the pigeon on his nest below 07.20
Link from Belper fb group , wonder if these might be last year’s chicks - https://www.facebook.com/groups/22360544014/permalink/10164415281734015/
Can't make your link work Angela
Ah ok, can’t seem to make the link work, sorry! They’re photos of a male and female at Belper Mill, the male has an orange tag on foot.
The FB link worked fine for me, Wendy.
Tried copy & paste, says link is broken
Try this link Angela
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10225689010331406&set=pcb.10164415281734015
Just see someone's head on camera two
Someone is home right now. š
One bird perching at 18.32
Lots of activity today with many visits to far scrape furiously trying to pull up old flooring possibly to make a scrape, lots of detail was lost to view unfortunately ...
https://youtu.be/QMaFbieGwdM
Still there, looking like a gargoyle! š¤
Looks like someone's home can just make it out
Yep was there till 7.15ish
Thanks Wendy, this worked
One is currently perched
And still there
Just flew off
One at home looking about
Still there
Still there looking about
So many visits again today, obviously not discovered the new box yet, still trying to create a scrape from the old materials!!
https://youtu.be/gUVk5zG-hPQ
Can just see someone's head on camera two
Both there
Those poor birds trying to nest on that broken down wreck. How much longer before it's removed? It's so cruel leaving it there with them still trying to use it. There's one wandering around on it now. Breaks my heart.
Last day of Feb ... 10th March looming, first egg laid 2025 (https://youtu.be/vAHeXtWCPIw)... However it's a new female so we'll just have to wait & see!!
Attempting to make a nest today plus a longish bonding session ...
https://youtu.be/CQkFoi2UZWo
One at home
Hi Anonymous: weather permitting, an abseil will be attempted this coming week to go down and remove the base of the platform and assess whether the frame can or should remain. With no base, we are very hopeful that the birds will look elsewhere and discover the new nest box just above. The priority has had to be to build the new box and amazing efforts (entirely by volunteers) have been made to make that happen despite appallingly wet weather and the logistics of lugging lots of wood and gravel up 198 stairs!
New females lay later than ones who have had the same partner for several years and remember that in 2006, the first nest platform wasn't installed until early April (due in part to very bad weather) yet the new pair laid eggs 3-4 weeks later and reared three chicks.
The Project team
Many thanks for update, š¤all goes well with the abseil, not the easiest of tasks and i am very appreciative of all that the volunteers bring to this project!
Two at home hiding behind the middle board out of site lots of shouting and scratching
Thank you Team for update,makes sense to me that waiting for new build,before removing old, as hopefully will ensure they see lovely new home ready and waiting when they realise empty space,instead of going elsewhere during the build.Fingers crossed after all your free time and hard work.Thank you again
From last evening ... male leaves immediately after female arrives
https://youtu.be/pJ57XhAnBYA?si=w_QD1okUCAke1djh
One back home
Still a great deal of activity in the original nest box, a lot of it is out of sight ...
https://youtu.be/rJhQDIyAO6U
What happened to cam 1? I can only see their poking head at best, lol.
One is home right now and vocal
And gone again (he was there earlier too)
If I am not mistaken, I believe both are there now?
Partner just left but since they seem to be coming and going often, I can't be sure it's for the day
A peregrine has been on and off the original old nest today for long periods. 2nd March 26
Did you mean cam#2? It reverted to original setting during the time cams were off!
Much the same behaviour as yesterday
Just see the head of someone at home
Similar actions to yesterday, much out-of-sight again. lost sound for the meet-up ...
https://youtu.be/OzOJ1DII6ys
Looks like someone's asleep on camera two
Yes, oops, cam 2. So that's why, thanks for letting me know!
That's an indication of egg laying being near, often the female will stay late or even all night
Someone home in the dark
Many visits again today, lots of action in the scrapes ...
https://youtu.be/ttnjDUPf1fI
I think so too just came on and she's like body shuffling across the left of the scrape like she wants to lay eeeek š
did anyone see what just happened now? one of them was...crawling? tail kinda bend and dragging its wings and screaming? could it be sick?
Yes I'm here but I think she wants to lay that behaviour happens when laying is close....she was trying to pull the black stuff closer to nest
She's very desperate to lay she went off and came back doing the same bless her heart
Please be aware that , all being well, an abseil is planned for this morning to remove that base and try to encourage the birds to find and adopt the new box just above the platform. The cameras may or may not be turned off while work is in progress.
Once the base is gone, the female will be forced to start looking elsewhere to lay her eggs and, in the absence of other suitable flat ledges on the tower, will soon find the box to her liking.
Fingers crossed......
Further updates will follow after the abseil.
Ps The abseil would have been carried out earlier had the weather been suitable and the (volunteer) abseilers available. The the complex building of the new box had to take priority of course.
Thankyou for the update...its such different weather here in skegness the sun is shining. my fingers are crossed that the sun manages to burn through. You've all done a brilliant job....hopefully they find the new box
Hope all goes well .....are we having cameras on the new nesting box ?
Work being done now love on camera atm
yes there will be a camera shortly....
Live not love!
So cool being able to watch what their doing
Its great to be able to watch them. Very well done everyone. Don't forget to move the cameras so we can see a better view of the peregrines once the bottoms gone.
Bye camera one !
Hope their going to move Cam 2 a bit (if they can of course) we only get half the area showing
Think those cable ties are going to be interesting to the peregrines later, wonder if they last
I did get a recording of that action, will upload to YT soon!
Adjustment to cam#2 view will be done asap, another fiddly job which has to be done remotely
Unbelievable, an adult bird is already perched on the ledge!!
I see one of the birds is back already, looking a bit confused, hopefully they'll find the new box now
Hi! I’m so happy it went all right. Thank you both so much. š
I really hope they find their new home, just a few storeys up, you've done a good job with all the hard work you've put in
Here is last footage of our female scraping around in that broken base then returning five minutes after ropes disappeared looking very puzzled!! Like others am hoping they quickly find the lovely new box in the tower ...
https://youtu.be/rMhv5M4hcoI
Here is the abseil, all that laborious work, nearly two hours condensed into
27 minutes ...
https://youtu.be/5iQeAeVQZU0
Just read on FB that FaB at Charing X Hospital have their first egg!!!
Egg was actually laid at 10.41 on 2nd March, sorry for error!
We have a little head visible.
Ah, never mind, just left. š
Three visits here ...
https://youtu.be/ChBa2K7O9bI
Almost forgot that I saw who I think is female scraping about in the Wood Pigeon's nest this morning ...
https://youtu.be/sVl6e4m_1Go?si=t28tnS_QnGqyT9WP
FaB Peregrines second egg around 08.45 this morning!
Thank you for moving camera 2 so we can have a better view of the ledge now, hope it's not too long before we get a view inside the new nesting box to see if the peregrines have taken up residence there
Same here, really appreciate it.
Oops ! Can't see much
Brilliant...much better
Brilliant both cams up and running hopefully we have some nesting in the new box soon š¤
Someone home camera two
Another flew in ....one flew away
Here's footage of that meet up plus an earlier quick visit & a look inside the new tower nestbox ...
https://youtu.be/MQJ-09x7Q-0
One at home early preening
One back home looking about
new box now live, bird looking out from old platform 0755 6 March
One was there very late last night so has presumably spent the night there
I logged off around nine o'clock and wasn't there at that time!
Hoping to catch some nesting action.
Was there at 11pm and still there when I went to bed just before midnight
Quick hop onto the ledge at 12.20 and an investigation where the pigeons nest is again
I thought one was there yesterday but fairly indistinct & later couldn't decide if might be Wood Pigeon?? ...
https://youtu.be/RfjHTVzUXHU?si=Ow6YEc_7Ueo_tqMO
Maybe as there was quite a flash of bright white wasn't there. It was Def the peregrine today as I watched it fly down and was nice and clear. Perhaps she's thinking of laying her eggs there! Though I'm not sure the gap is big enough
Must admit that I wondered if she was preparing a scrape, hope I have today's action recorded so we can all look a bit later!
One of them has been sat on the front bar of former nest platform for a while. I noticed last year that at dusk they seemed to return to that part of the tower.
Most disappointed to discover that recording software turned itself of at 14.50 without me realising!!! Saw a pigeon casually walk into new nestbox after that time and at least one meet-up of our pair on the old ledge! Here's footage of the actions I did get to record ...
https://youtu.be/h38R_bDd7X0
Are these feathers in new box? Blown in on the wind or from a Peregrine eating nearby??? Plus another visit from our female who is still perched as I type ...
https://youtu.be/8KwSELff89E
I seeded the front of the new box with a freshly-plucked, half-eaten pigeon that I found on the nave roof, plus a manky wet thrush from one of the gutters. So any feathers could easily have come from either of those, Wendy!
The feathers were definitely white, as if from a pigeon. Can be seen qu8te clearly on footage.
22.02 and ourfemale 8s still perching/asleep on the ledge of old box!
Footage ... https://youtu.be/j5r3sSfWlUQ?si=BfZBDdnC4q3pHjqL
Still perched at 23.23
One sat on the old bar looking about
I attracted swifts to my nest boxes with swift calls recording on a MPG player. Is that possible in this case .
Obviously with peregrine calls
Was it all new gravel put on new nest platform? Maybe they miss their own "smell"?
We don’t think it would either be necessary nor indeed appropriate to play audio recordings of peregrines to attract them to our new box. It would be more likely to repel them, I think.
Equally, I don’t think clean, new gravel is likely to be an issue. They weren’t put off by new gravel when we first built our ledge in 2006z, or replaced it 10 years later. Nor did they seem bothered when we’ve abseiled down and cleaned out and replaced the nest material.
Although there’s more work I could do on the cathedral roof, I think it’s now best simply to keep away without causing undue disturbance, and letting them discover it for themselves.
Obviously we would welcome all reports of any activity seen or heard, whether via the cameras, or viewed from the street below.
I'm wondering what's the easiest way to watch the youtube videos? I've typed in the whole address for this one but there must be a quicker way?!
Highlight the link then select 'web search'
Reposting as the original link was incorrect ... Four well spaced out visits to old location 09.25 til 17.37 ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq_gZbXMW0I&t=11s
Depends on which medium you are using but after highlighting the link right click on it to bring up 'web search' or 'go to'
Brief footage of a 20 minute visit just after 18.00 ...
https://youtu.be/Q7FJsdxPKNg
Does anyone watch any other peregrines? I'm watching quite a few and there's lots of scrape activity at both Norwich and Worcester so I think egg laying will be imminent!
I keep an eye on other nests too, Bath is also live now and Sheffield is 24/ 7 all year!
Late night visit ... https://youtu.be/ETUiU8H0zeI?si=eWs_FNcqXDOPOXVN
One back home looking about
Only a very short visit as was the one around 10.40
Back home again
Must've just left, I checked only five minutes ago and they were still there perched.
Approx 17.40 another short trip to the pigeon nest area . Was possibly eating something there. Maybe using it as a larder?
This footage includes the visits mentioned in the above comments, no bonding today so far ...
https://youtu.be/TlUdHFdIi4U
More visits to old site after dark ...
https://youtu.be/cQgmVC7ZrXI
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