Peregrine breeding season 2010

Well, it's that time of the year and across the UK peregrines are busily nesting. Many are now incubating eggs while others are still courting and getting ready to lay.

Over the course of the next month Adrian and I will be busy getting ready for the next season of colour ringing chicks from mid-May in the Bristol and Somerset region. Finger's crossed that it is a good breeding season for the Peregrine this year and we get to colour ring many chicks.

Proof of peregrines hunting at night

The evidence at last - 100% proof to support Ed's work on on the diet of peregrines, in particular that they hunt birds such as woodcock at night:




Friends Nick Brown and Nick Moyes of the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project have captured this amazing footage of a peregrine bringing back a live woodcock back to the cathedral at night. More more details available at their blog:
http://derbyperegrines.blogspot.com/

further info on the Swedish-ringed peregrine

Some feedback so far on the young peregrine found in Somerset. It was ringed as a nestling female on the 8th June 2009 at Arvika, Varmland, southern Sweden. She was one of four at the nest. I wonder how many other peregrines here this winter are actually from Scandinavia!!

Swedish-registered ring (you can just make out the name Stockholm as part of the return address) placed on the bird's leg in June this year.Rupert Griffiths, RSPCA, Westhatch

Colour-ringed Peregrine from Sweden

Yesterday was a rather chilly day here in Bristol but a nice feeling as winter approches. Heard today from the RSPCA that a peregrine brought in over the weekend was wearing rings that showed it had flown here all the way from Sweden!! Remarkable!! The Swedes have a detailed colour-ringing programme so we should be able to find out lots about this young bird which was ringed as a chick this year. Sadly it had an infected broken leg and had to be put to sleep. However, I like to think that despite this it has still contributed to science and that its flight here hasn't been in vain!

peregrine leaflet about Avon Gorge peregrines

Ed Drewitt and Mandy Leivers (Avon Gorge and Down Wildlife Project) have just produced a new colour leaflet all about the peregrine livings in the Avon Gorge:

http://boc-bristol.org.uk

Bath peregrine chick fledges

On Thursday 11th June the peregrine chick in Bath fledged. However, being large and heavy she didn't get very far. She is now resting on a nearby building in earshot of her parents and will hopefully be flying properly very soon.

When peregrine chicks first fledge they are often heavier than their parents. The extra weight enables the young birds to continue growing while exploring the world around them. During this period they may not get fed less often than when they were in their nest as their parents encourage them to begin feeding by themselves - often they will bring in prey that is still alive. They will release the prey close to the chicks to encourage them to catch and kill it themselves. Gradually over time they will perfect the art of hunting and become independent.

Peregrine chick ringed in Avon Gorge

In mid-May, we ringed one peregrine chick was in the Avon Gorge, Bristol. It has a blue colour ring with black letters AX. Like many peregrine families this year only one chick has survived. Two chicks were in the nest on an earlier visit a week earlier. The windy weather and perhaps a reduced food supply may have contributed to just the one chick surviving.

Photos: Hannah Rose