Cathedral Peregrines

[ranworthbreeze]

I have just been onto the webcam that shows the Norwich Peregrines nesting platform on the Norwich Cathedral, a pair of birds are back again this year. Looking forward to developments.

Please see the link to our featured webcams:- http://thenorfolkbroads.net/forum/forum/124-webcams/

Regards

Alan

[Gracie]

Thank you for that Alan, I love watching them and how they take such good care of the eggs and babies once they have hatched, looking forward to it too

Grace

[Vaughan]

Contrary to popular belief  we have a property in Thorpe, with a secluded garden.

Last year I was on the lawn with my young grandson when one of a pair of collared doves that were nesting in a tree there, was taken out of the air by one of these falcons. All that was left were a few feathers, fluttering down.

What will happen when this proliferation of carnivorous predators starts decimating the RSPB reserve at Strumpshaw? If they aren't already?

Are we perhaps messing about with the balance of nature, here?

[Poppy]

Vaugan

The Peregrines , contrary to the belief of some, are not 'introduced' but are wild birds that have taken a liking to the habitat around the Cathedral. It's believed that they are the same pair who have occupied this territory since 2011.

Regarding the collared dove taken from the air in your garden, unless this was at a considerable height, it is more likely that the 'culprit' was a sparrow hawk. I have in previous years volunteered at the Hawk and Owl watch point in The Close , and often people report having seen 'one of your birds' in their garden, behaving as you describe. When shown a picture of a sparrow hawk in every case they identify that it was the bird in question.

The recovery of the peregrine population in the UK is not a case of 'messing about with nature, rather the opposite. As A protected species it is now unlawful to kill them . Keepers beware!

[Vaughan]

43 minutes ago, Poppy said:

Regarding the collared dove taken from the air in your garden, unless this was at a considerable height, it is more likely that the 'culprit' was a sparrow hawk.

I remember seeing sparrow hawks attacking when I was at school at Langley, (also in Thorpe), and I wondered at first whether this was the same. I therefore studied the internet and I am sure this was a Peregrine and not a Sparrowhawk. The trouble is, the whole thing happens in a split second, and unless you are in your garden at that instant, all you know is that there don't seem to be as many birds in your garden as there were before.

My questions are :

1/. Are these birds indigenous to the Norfolk Broads.

2/. Just because they have "taken a liking to the habitat" of sprawling central Norwich, is this a suitable environment, either for them or the habitat.

3/. What do they feed on, if not other birds, once they are fledged. (unlike the marsh harrier, or the kestrel).

4/. What will we we say on here if they start taking out young Bittern. (which also fly high)

There can surely be no doubt that these birds are being allowed to rear their young in un-naturally protected circumstances. I am not an ornithologist : I was raised as a countryman - a Broadsman.  As you say, this pair has been nesting there for several years and as far as we know, all of their broods have been allowed to reach maturity. I do not regard this as a natural balance of nature.

 

 

[Poppy]

The Peregrine certainly is indigenous to the Norfolk Broads.  The UK population were hit hard , along with may birds and mammals at the top of the food chain by the use of DDT.  When it was banned in the 60s they slowly recovered.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/p/peregrine/population.aspx

Their 'normal' habitat is rocky cliff faces. There being a shortage of such in Norfolk they have, as elsewhere adopted tall buildings. Locally,as well as the Anglican Cathedral there are nesting pairs in Kings Lynn, The Cantly Sugar works and St Nicholas Minster in Gt Yarmouth and a number of other sites.  Their favorite prey is the feral pigeon, of which Norwich has a large population ! Whether our fine city is a suitable habitat for them,, well, I think the birds have decided that for themselves.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/p/peregrine/habitat_food.aspx

The Peregrine Falcon is one of the World's most widely distributed species, in fact the only continent where hey are not resident and breeding is the Antarctic.

The peregrine is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981as is the Bittern.

Should a young bittern be preyed by a Peregrine, that as they say is 'nature, red in tooth and claw'.

 

[Broadsword]

Walking the dawgs this morning, at an early hour, I spotted a buzzard on the ground at the end of one of our fields... It flew off a few yards, but not away, so I wondered what he/she was after... a few minutes later she took off across the trees... Moments later, my Westie ducked under a hedge and flushed out a Muntjac deer who scuttled off down the drive at speed!  The flushing Westie didn't spot where it had gone but the elderly Westie gamely gave chase at plodding speed... I was amazed to think that she may have targeted a Muntjac but am sure it is why she was down in the grounds - we usually only see them airborne.

 

[Vaughan]

Thank you for that, Poppy, your reply is most encouraging and thank you for taking the trouble.

I am always uneasy when I see that a predator is totally protected, whilst at the same time having no natural enemies in its environment, since so many other species, upon which it may be feeding, are themselves in such danger, in this modern world.

If they are having a go at the pigeons in Norwich, I have no problem with that!

[LizG]

Peregrines are quite a common sight in London, having a good source of food - the feral pigeons!

In the last few years Red Kites have taken up residence close to me and one soaring over the houses is a regular and majestic sight however, I do have my concerns that their numbers and those of buzzards will start to be become unsustainable. These kites come from the introduction programme in the Chilterns of a few years back and numbers now in the Chilterns are now very high!

Liz

[andyhesford]

its just started to lay its eggs.

[Polly]

All mouth and trousers! The male just flew in with a kill, had a lot to say, ate some, offered none, then flew off with it; while his missus is producing.

The egg looks red, is that right?

[jeffbroadslover]

Just been watching on the webcam and see that we have one egg at the moment

Jeff

[Gracie]

Well, honestly Polly, what do you expect, it is male 

Grace 

[ranworthbreeze]

I have merged the two topics.

I looked earlier and there was one red egg with no sight of the pair of birds. Just looked before posting and there is a Falcon sitting on the egg now.

Regards

Alan

[jeffbroadslover]

Just noticed we now have two eggs to look after.

Jeff

[ranworthbreeze]

I had a look at the webcam last night it was partially lit so you could see the Peregrine is sitting on the eggs, seeing the view around the cathedral with all the house and car lights twinkling was interesting.

The Peregrine is still sitting on the eggs this morning so you can not tell how many there are at the moment, it is my understanding that there are three eggs.

Regards

Alan

[SwanR]

Looks like three eggs to me when I checked just now - no birds on the nest.

[SwanR]

Just checked this out. You get sound as well on this webcam and it's blowing a gale up there. Their feathers are getting very ruffled. Just saw one bird leave and the other one arrive. Looked like four eggs in the nest. Almost looked as if the one that arrives tried to shuffle the eggs backwards a bit to get into a slightly more sheltered position before settling down.

[SwanR]

Ok, so this is fascinating. I haven't really watched it before. Not sure whether I have the knack of looking at it when something is happening or whether there's always a lot of coming and going. Just as I clicked onto the webcam this morning, the bird on the nest looked up and started squawking. The other bird arrived back and they made a right old noise at each other before they both flew off leaving the eggs unattended. Definitely four eggs.

A few minutes later one came back and is now settled back on the nest. The church bells are ringing faintly in the background from somewhere and all is peaceful again.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

This is a really interesting thread, and one that reminds me of a couple of years back.  I was laying a concrete base for the shed, and i heard a double "thump". I looked up to see if Karen was closing the windows, but she was`nt in sight. Then i remembered hearing a single similar sounding thump,sometime before, and Karen told me a Blackbird had flown into the garage, and hit the rear window breaking its neck. I looked in the garage window, and could see feathers fluttering about, so went in and found a bird stuck between the bench and the wall. At first, being grey, i though it was a pigeon, but when i got it out, it was limp, but moving its head from side to side, so it was`nt dead. I studied it for a few seconds, and realised it was some kind of bird of prey. I had thick riggers gloves on, and was very glad i did. When the bird started to come round, its claws started to grip my fingers, and had imense strengthe in doing so. By now, my fingers were getting crushed, and i had a real job pulling the bird off of them. I placed the stunned bird on the front garden, and went to look if any other bird was there because of the double thump. Stuck down near the wall was a female blackbird, and when i got this one out, it was quite obviously dead, because its eyes quicjkly went mikly, and its head just hung very loose, obviously chased down by the other bird, and broke its neck when it hit the window first. I took it out and thought i`d put it down by the other bird, as it nearly killed itself trying to catch it, so it earned a free meal. When i took it out to where the other bird was, the other bird had by now come around, and was in a "mantling" position while it recovered. It looked around,directly at me, looked at me for a couple of seconds, and took flight, flying through a tree, and off to freedom. It never did get its free lunch.

I could work out which bird of prey it was, it was a speckled grey colour, with very light underbody, so i looked at one my many bird books, and descovere it was a female Sparrowhawk.  Now, for anybody who`s interested in birds, especially birds of prey, i`m sure you can imagine the shear joy at holding a live wild female Sparrowhawk in my hands. It was amazing, and something i doubt i`l ever do again.

Ironically, reading the text in this particular bird book, it said, "not unknown to kill them selves while chasing other birds and hitting windows".  Quite true.

 

[ranworthbreeze]

I have just been on the Falcon webcam and was luck enough to see the other bird return with some meat for its mate, they swapped rolls with the second bird sitting on the four eggs which were clearly seen. The first bird flew off to eat its meal.

Regards

Alan

[SwanR]

I've been looking at the Bath webcam on the same site. That nest seems a good deal more sheltered than the one in Norwich. Saw the birds switch over earlier and there seemed to be four eggs in this nest as well.

[Poppy]

Dave, absolutely correct - although I would take a little issue with the speed of a peregrine's stoop  (dive) - 240mph is probably a bit more than has ever been observed, although actual measurements are difficult to achieve in practice.

[SwanR]

Been following the Norwich and Bath webcams most days. It looks as if the pair at Bath have lost one of their eggs. I saw one of the falcons eating pieces of eggshell yesterday but no sign of a baby bird. Today there are only three eggs in the nest and no sign of anything else.

The Norwich pair have still got their four eggs in the nest.

Anyone know from other years when these are likely to hatch? From reading the website I reckoned another week or two.

[ranworthbreeze]

37 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Been following the Norwich and Bath webcams most days. It looks as if the pair at Bath have lost one of their eggs. I saw one of the falcons eating pieces of eggshell yesterday but no sign of a baby bird. Today there are only three eggs in the nest and no sign of anything else.

The Norwich pair have still got their four eggs in the nest.

Anyone know from other years when these are likely to hatch? From reading the website I reckoned another week or two.

Hi Jean, 

Going by the last few years of watching the Norwich Falcons I would say you are about right, by 1 or 2 weeks to go. 

It gets more interesting when we get sight of the balls of fluff. They grow fairly quickly with both of the parents  gathering food for their hungry offspring.

Regards

Alan