Peregrine Diary
See live images from the peregrine site at Falls of Clyde!
Please note that sometimes in the early mornings and evenings, a mist rises from the River Clyde, which gushes through the gorge below the eyrie. This causes the visibility to become poor - it is not the camera, or a problem with the internet, it is a natural occurrance.
27 June 2009
The peregrine chick has fledged!
There was no sign of him when the ranger opened up the Hide this morning. Then the powerful shrieks of a peregrine came from a tree nearby and when the ranger investigated, thinking it was maybe one of the adults, there sat the newly fledged juvenile! The adults are also in the gorge, watching over their chick's first few flights. He will stay around the area learning hunting skills for several weeks now. However, as he is now flying freely around the gorge and surrounding woodland, it may not be possible to follow the peregrines live on the webcam for much longer.
26 June 2009
The chick is now spending a lot of time hidden away from view on the cliffside. However, when he is out on the open ledge we can see how strong he is becoming with lots of wing-stretching and calling to the adults. Sometimes the female brings in prey, eats some, offers some to the chick and then, to his intense frustration (lots of shrieking and hopping about the ledge) she flies away - with the prey held firmly in her claws! It looks like they are trying to force him to take the big step and fly!
21 June 2009
Midsummer Day! Dull but warm. The young male is doing a lot of wing stretching and running and hopping from one end of the long ledge to the other. His feathers are showing dark now with just a light smattering of downey pale fluff to be preened away. He actively pulls food from the carcases brought in to him, though still likes to be fed directly from the adult birds.
18 June 2009
Both the adult birds are bringing in prey to the chick. Usually starlings. As the adult bird returns from hunting the gorge echoes with its calls and the returning, answering calls of its mate. These shrieking cries are now joined by the chick as he peers around him, hopping about the rocky ledge to see where the meal is coming from
14 June 2009
A drying out operation! Rangers and volunteers bring a generator up to the site (deep in the reserve) to try and dry out the soaked junction box. The thunderstorms have passed (more or less) and the peregrines are taking it in turns bringing in prey for the chick and sunning themselves on the cliffside near the eyrie.
13 June 2009
Torrential rain with thunderstorms! The chick is huddling closer to the cliffside to shelter from the short heavy downpours but none of the peregrines seem bothered by the great crashes of thunder and increasing roar of the rising water gushing through the gorge below. At five o'clock the electrics in the shed housing the webcam blew out. On careful examination it showed water had somehow managed to find its way into a box of connections. No webcam, no CCTV for the visitor centre and no power for the Operation Peregrine shed!
8 June 2009
The chick is being left alone on the ledge quite a lot but at least one of the adult birds is usually within sight of it. It is a warm, sometimes sunny day and the male is perching on a large overhanging dead tree several yards along the gorge, preening and dozing.
6 June 2009
The peregrines at Falls of Clyde have only one chick this year but it is a strong, healthy male. When it was ringed last week some of the vegetation on the nest ledge was also pruned away so visitors can have a better view of the eyrie.
24 and 25 May 2009
These are Waterfall Days and, combined with it being a bank holiday, the Operation Peregrine site is very busy. The peregrines seem oblivious to the banks of spectators only yards away across the ravine, viewing them from behind a woven screen.
22 May 2009
There is still only one chick visible. The fluffy cream coloured head can be seen bobbing up and down from behind the boulder at feeding times.
18 May 2009
Over two weeks later than usual, we are delighted to announce that at least one peregrine chick has hatched!
As many will have seen from the web cam, it is very difficult to see into the nest this year but Steve Kane has just confirmed seeing one chick.
9 May 2009
The peregrines are still sitting on their eggs. It is now a week beyond the date which had been calculated from the date of the last egg being laid. The eggs only start incubating when the last egg of the clutch has been laid. So, any day now the first chick should hatch!
7 May 2009
We welcome the eyes of the world into the heart of the Falls of Clyde - now live pictures from the eyrie can be viewed on line through the SWT website! Oblivious to this observation, the peregrines settled down this morning for another day covering the eggs.
6 May 2009
It will not be long now before the eggs should be hatching. While there are already many visitors to the Operation peregrine Hide others are viewing the eyrie by CCTV. What cannot be seen from the camera is the torrent of water surging through the narrow gorge a hundred feet below the nest. The last few days of local rain is now running off into the River Clyde creating spectacular waterfalls.
4 May 2009
A juvenile female peregrine flew over the gorge and was immediately spotted by the nesting pair. The adult female took to the wing and chased it out of the area. It may have been one of the young birds from last year but the resident peregrines will not tolerate another peregrine on their patch - whether from their own brood or not.
30 April 2009
The birds are taking it in turns to sit on the eggs, changing over frequently, sometimes almost every hour.
18 April 2009
The weather has been very varied over the last few days with icy east winds and night frosts followed by warm still days. Throughout it all, both birds share the duties of incubating the eggs or hunting and bringing in prey.
15 April 2009
A raven flew up the gorge, between the cliff faces, and was immediately mobbed by the peregrines. Ravens are much larger than peregrines but it was soon chased away.
8 April 2009
Male and female taking turns to cover the eggs. Warm sunny spells today and the birds (when not hunting or incubating eggs) sunbathing above the eyrie against the warm cliff face. The CCTV camera captures any interesting action from the peregrines when they are off the nest but still within range of the camera. This is being enjoyed by visitors to the visitor centre.
4 April 2009
Female is spending most of her time on the ledge, covering the eggs. The male is off hunting and bringing in fieldfare, pigeon and starling.
30 March 2009
Immature female peregrine lands on top of the main oak tree, above the resident adult peregrines. Both adults begin calling to the young bird then the adult female flew up and chased off the juvenile. It was probably one of last year's offspring. There are eggs laid but it is difficult to see into the nest to count how many.
23 March 2009
Our resident peregrines have now selected a new eyrie (nest ledge) in the Falls of Clyde. It is different from last year but still allows a very good view from the Hide. The full 24/7 protection is now being provided by staff and volunteers. It appears that at least one egg has already been laid.
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