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Peregrine Diary 2005

24th June: Trying times

This week has not been a particularly impressive one for the chicks as they have both fallen off Sussex Heights and had to be rescued. Although the birds are now quite large, at seven weeks old they are not yet strong fliers - if they fall off the building they cannot get themselves back to the top.

On Wednesday the female was found near the foot of the tower block and after spending the night recovering with the RSPCA was returned on Thursday morning. Then on Friday the male was found sitting on a fence in Russell Mews clearly unable to make its way back to the top of Sussex Heights. He was removed to another secure site from where he should eventually be able to return to Sussex Heights.

Our pictures show the male bird perched in Russell Mews and later at its new, temporary, residence.

12th June: Venturing out of the nestbox

After leaving the nest box during the last week it was possible to see both of the chicks on the ledge beside the box today.

On April 9th we reported that it was unusual for earlier years' offspring to return to the adult birds' nests but this year some remarkable goings on have been witnessed in the nestbox.

Not only has one of a previous year's chicks returned to its parents (and has seemingly taken up permanent residence) but it has actually been filmed in the nestbox feeding this year's chicks while their mother was sitting on them!!

The chicks put their heads out from under the mother bird to take the food being offered by their older relative while the mother seemed to tolerate the situation, she certainly made no attempt to try to stop the feeding.

It has been quite a common sight of late to see three birds, the two adults and the earlier year's chick, sitting perched on top of Sussex Heights together.

It is possible that when this year's chicks start their flying lessons all five birds might be seen on the building together.

25th May: Ringing the chicks

The two chicks were ringed in the afternoon of Wednesday 25th May. While this was carried out they were also weighed, various measurements taken and a feather was removed from each bird for DNA purposes.

One chick, believed to be female weighed in at 880 grams, (she is on the right in our picture) the other, thought to be male, 595 grams.

It is expected that the chicks will fledge in around 2 weeks time.

We have also taken the opportunity to do some maintenance on the nestbox camera, hopefully we will now be able to include some more pictures in the diary over the coming weeks.

7th May: Loss of a chick

Today was one of those terribly sad days that you seem to have to accept when you have access to the breeding habits of peregrines. As you may be aware from our coverage in previous years the mortality rates are high for chicks but to find that one has died just a few days after hatching is heartbreaking. The chick's little body was last seen being removed from the nestbox by its mother.

The other two chicks look quite perky and there is still an unhatched egg.

6th May: Three chicks

Three of the four eggs have hatched so far. The female is spending most of time sitting on the chicks and the last unhatched egg, being relieved for short periods by the male.

4th May: First chick seen

This morning the first chick to hatch from this year's clutch was spotted under his mother along with an egg, yet to hatch. Progress reports are not easy at the moment as the mother is not moving away from the chicks/eggs but just shuffling around on top of them. News will follow on the other two eggs when we manage to get a glimpse of them.

9th April: Unexpected visitors

One aspect of the nesting that has been interesting this year is that at least two other falcons, apart from the breeding pair, have been seen up on Sussex Heights, during the days when the eggs were being laid.

These were probably last year's chicks. This is a very unusual situation as once chicks leave the nest they never normally return to it. We have spotted the identity rings on their legs so know they are from an earlier breeding. The only birds that are not ringed are the two parents.

We've also spotted the parents attempting to escort the interlopers away - this tactic appears to have been successful as the young peregrines haven't been seen since.

4th April: Four eggs

Over the last ten days the peregrines have produced a clutch of four eggs. If all goes well, we should be reporting on the hatching in the first few days of May.

24th March: First egg

This morning has seen the arrival of the first egg. It expected that we will see a couple more eggs over the next few days.

21st March:

Our coverage for this year has started. Peregrines usually produce eggs around the same time every year, so we can estimate that this year should see eggs anytime between now and the 23rd of March.

Be sure to check back soon for more news over the coming days...