Peregrine falcons

joanlawson

Hi everyone

For the past 5 years, a pair of peregrine falcons have nested on the tower of Derby's mediaeval cathedral. Three webcams have been installed so that viewers can watch the activities of the birds.

The first egg for this year was laid at 5am yesterday, and experts believe that the birds will produce a clutch of 4 eggs, which will then be incubated for 30 days.

To see a video clip of the first egg being laid, and pictures from the webcams, visit this link

http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

Joan

tkachev

Hi Joan,
That was sweet. Glad the bells clanging didnt put her off.If you scroll down you get to see the mating session too....it was over pretty quick!!!!

Elizabeth

mellman01

Hi Joan I love raptors!, we have a breeding pair up on the power station stack, I have been up on the boiler house roof and seen them hunting, the pigeons are the first to let you know there’s one hunting, I was up there one summers day with a trainee assistant and about 50 pigeons started to spiral down really fast around us, a few seconds later this grey rocket came out off the blue and went over the edge of the building and away over to the coal stock area, by god was it shifting, it went from one end of the roof to the other is seconds didn’t see if it got anything as it would have taken us a good 40-50 seconds to get over there to see!, in the summer we sometimes see them playing on the lift coming off the cooling towers and the boiler house beautiful to see.
It’s ironic that people hate our site but it’s a true haven for all sorts of wildlife some very rare.

joanlawson

Hi Elizabeth

The bells must sound really loud up there, but it doesn't seem to bother the birds. I hadn't scrolled down to see the other clips, but I see what you mean about the mating.

Hi Mell

I didn't know the term ''raptors'' so looked it up .

The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word "rapere" (meaning to seize or take by force) Hence a name for birds of prey.

There have been some peregrine falcons nesting on the cooling towers of a power station near here too. It is amazing how nature adapts itself to the most unlikely places, isn't it :?:

trisher

Joan

Oh, I have just had a look at the link. Wow, it was so nice to watch. You do not often catch a sight of the birds like that.

Thank you Joan for putting it on here.

Trish xx

Wonkylegs

thanks Joan, I'll show my hubby this, as he is a real raptor fan.

There have been peregrines on Lincoln Cathedral I believe, and they are often found in cities these days.Again, my hubby could tell you many more places.

At lunchtimes he sometimes looks at webcams of different birding sites, particular the osprey webcams and it is great to see the progress from nest building to the first fledging.

WOnderful nature eh?

hugs
WOnky xxxx

fayrose

Oh wow, great thing to see. Thanks for the link.

We've got some peregrines nesting withing a few miles, but the actual site is kept secret because we still have problems with raptors being killed by gamekeepers and others with some strange ideas. :x

joanlawson

Second egg arrived on Friday :!:


http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

joanlawson

3 eggs now :!: :!: The Queen is coming to Derby on Thursday, so I wonder whether egg number 4 will arrive in her honour.

joanlawson

Fourth egg arrived yesterday in time for the Queen's visit.

joanlawson

Just bumping this up to show the latest pictures of Derby's peregrine falcons and their Easter eggs. ( not to be outdone by ospreys and sea eagles on the forum :!: )

http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

Wonkylegs

hubby tells me that the eggs have hatched .... when I phoned him this lunchtime he was watching the mum feeding the youngsters

just off to have a look myself

joanlawson

Hi Wonky

Thanks for bumping this up. I heard that the first egg had hatched.

For anyone interested, go to the link and scroll down.