Growing up fast!

 The three chicks are developing their feathers and losing their white fluff. Before long they will be as big and as heavy as their parents and they will be exercising their wings too!
This video by Wendy Bartter was made on 30th May:

And Dave Farmer took this photo on 27th of one of the chicks looking out on the big wide world beyond its nest:

A chick views the world beyond its nest. Photo: gdfotos.co.uk 

BTW, Thursday's webinar was attended by almost 100 people and probably more since several people will have viewed it using one registration.
It seemed to go well and will be available on the wildlife trust's Youtube channel sometime next week.
For those who missed it, a link will appear here on this blog when one is available.

Meanwhile if you have been enjoying watching the web cams this year you might consider supporting the project by making a donation towards its costs?
Apart from 2012-15 when we had a lottery grant, the project has been entirely funded by kind donations from web cam watchers and people visiting the Watch Points (though there won't be any of those this summer due to covid). 

Check down the right hand side of this blog and click on 'Donations' for a secure way to make a donation directly to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. All monies are ring fenced just for this project.

Many thanks.

The Project Team

Webinar about this project

This Thursday evening (27th May) at 7.30 pm there will be an online talk (webinar) about the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project since its inception back in 2006.

Topics to be covered include how rare peregrines were and why, how the nest platform and cameras were installed, how the peregrines adopted the new 'des res' quickly, the extensive media coverage, the Watch Points, how the birds have faired over the years, how and why the chicks are ringed, what the birds feed on and finally the on-going problems that peregrines face elsewhere.

It is free but you do have to register for it here.

You don't need zoom installed on your device. Just click on 'open in browser' and that's it!

The Platform Going up!

100 folk have registered already. There is no limit on numbers.
You'll receive an email before it starts reminding you about it and giving the link.

Our newish male Peregrine. Photo: g.d.fotos

We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Project Team

To read about the ringing of the chicks last week, please scroll down this blog.

 

Ringing the chicks completed successfully

 Using a (rare) sunny and dry morning today, the three chicks were ringed by licenced ringer Dave Budworth and Chloe Pritchard. 

    

            The female falcon circles round but soon lands on Jurys Inn to watch proceedings!

Nick Moyes abseiled down from the top of the tower to the nest platform, put the chicks in a rucksack which he then lowered to the nave roof.

                 Nick Moyes prepares to abseil down from the top. Photo: Kayleigh Wright

The chicks were taken inside where they were ringed and weighed.

The two bigger chicks, weighing in at around 900 grams are likely to be females while the smaller bird, at 800 grams is likely to be a male.

Colour ring: (042). Weight 892 grams. Likely Female.

(043)  786 grams likely Male. (Smaller than the others too)

(044)    917 grams likely Female.

The chicks in the red rucksack are lowered down prior to ringing

                                         Note the abseiler at the nest platform above......
                       

                                    Chick prior to ringing. Photo Kayleigh Wright

                              DWT Trainee Kayleigh Wright holds a chick while its sibling is ringed.

                                    A chick waits quietly before being ringed

       

                    An orange colour ring is fixed on the left leg.....note the size of the feet and talons!

Prey remains found included a blackbird, starling, lapwing and jackdaw among others.......

WEBINAR 27th MAY: to register for the free webinar about this project next Thursday evening (27th at 7.30) go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/live-webinar-derby-cathedrals-urban-peregrines-birds-in-paradise-tickets-154749735625  

The Peregrine Project Team
Note: The project is financed solely by private donations. If you are enjoying watching the web cams please consider making a contribution, small or large, to our (albeit relatively small) project costs. There's a link on the blog home page. Every donation will be acknowledged by one of the team.

Growing apace and an upcoming webinar

 It's now almost three weeks since the chicks hatched and you can see how fast they are growing on this video captured by Wendy Bartter:

We hope to ring them sometime early next week depending on the weather and the abseiler and licenced ringer's availability.

'Peregrines in paradise' - make a diary note!

We have organised a webinar about the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project
for the evening of Thursday 27th May, hosted by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, the organisation that manages this project.
The webinar will be free and there are no limits to the number that can attend so there's no hurry to book.
Links and details of how to register will appear here during Monday.

It should be a great evening. The talk will cover how the project began, how the nest platform and cameras were installed, details of the breeding cycle, what the birds feed on and also why, compared to peregrines nesting in rural locations, these urban-nesting birds are relatively safe from interference and persecution.
We look forward to seeing you on the night!

The Project Team

Three chicks now and one white egg remaining plus update 2 May

Update 2 May: It is clear now that the white egg will not hatch. Here's a video clip from today showing that the three chicks are now growing fast! Thanks again to Wendy Bartter for capturing it. You will find links to many other of her clips on the comments page:

After some delay, a third egg has hatched so there are now three chicks.
Whether the white egg, the first to be laid, will hatch at all is now in doubt.....but time will tell: The video above was captured today by Wendy Bartter to whom many thanks.
And Dave Farmer stood below the cathedral the other day and took these photos of the male - he certainly is a ;handsome chap'!

Airborne again.....photo by gdfotos.co.uk  

Best foot forward.....photo by gdfotos.co.uk  

For anyone new to our project, please scroll down to read previous posts which will explain what has happened so far...and also click on the Webcams tab to watch the live webcams. Currently we have two giving different views of the incubating bird.....

Since its inception in 2006, the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project has been a highly successful partnership between the Cathedral, the City Council and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust which manages the project. The cathedral birds arrived completely of their own accord but were encouraged to stay by means of an artificial nest pledge, have now reared over 35 peregrine chicks between them. We no longer have either the original male or female peregrine, yet the breeding site remains successful as you can see. It's pleasing that we can once again share the intimate lives of our birds with web cam watchers around the world. 
     

The Project Team

First egg hatches this morning (22nd April) and an Update

Update 24th April: with two eggs hatched now we can expect a third quite soon. Whether the white egg, the first to be laid, will hatch we must begin to doubt.....
Here's the latest feed captured by the incredible efforts of Wendy Bartter (thanks Wendy):

Our first egg hatched this morning (Thursday 22nd) and screengrabs were captured by 'Necessity is Plato' - so thanks to you whoever and wherever you are!
Hopefully we will have a video of a changeover before too long which will also show the tiny white chick. This page will be updated as and when......
Here is that video (thanks Wendy) showing a somewhat erratic feed with the chick apparently on its back at one point:

By working back through comments left on our blog and at our @derbyperegrines Twitter account yesterday and today, it seems that the first signs that hatching was imminent were heard last night (21st April) Anonymous said: "I definitely heard faint cheeping just now!"

At 10:25 this morning, on Twitter, Necessity is Plato posted the image above, saying "One Chick is definitely hatched!!!"

At 10:35 this morning, Anonymous repeated: "ONE CHICK HAS DEFINITELY HATCHED!"

Then at 10:45am, Anonymous said:: "The female bird is eating one of the brown eggshells. :)"

AnonyBy 12:27, Wendy Bartler had captured this video of the tiercel's first visit after hatching. 

At 14:50, one of the Year 1 children in Gillmor Class at Brigg Infants School had posted this lovely comment: "we hav seen a wite flufy chick. we wer exssited."

At 14:52, Wendy captured this video of the male bringing in food, but she shows little interest in it. 

By 17:09 we saw the first successful feeding of the new chick (see above)

Incubation continues

Update at 20th April: a fine view of the eggs as hatching approaches as captured by Wendy Bartter yesterday (19th):

As we slowly approach hatching there's not a lot happening - but Wendy Bartter has been capturing videos showing the changeovers between the male and female peregrines.

She has been putting links to them on the comments (eg to the last blog post) but here are two of the more recent ones - this one from 15th:

And this one from 16th. Wendy thinks the coloured eggs look a slightly different shape:

As hatching approaches, the female will begin to hear the cheeping of the chicks from inside the eggs.

She will become more 'fidgety', getting up and looking at the eggs and then sitting down on them again.

Hatching often takes place at night.....so we wonder which of you night owls will see a fluffy white chick first?

The Project Team

For anyone new to our project, please scroll down to read previous posts which will explain what has happened so far...and also click on the Webcams tab to watch the live webcams. Currently we have two giving different views of the incubating bird.....