Falco Peregrinus

Update Cathy's well 26/11/2009

2009-11-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

Cathy is in good health, and I have no worries with her.

Been out and about taking photos.

2009-10-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

Been out and about taking photos, have loads to go through heres a few of kingfishers taken at carsington water.

Cathy 29/09/09

2009-09-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

Gannets

2009-09-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

Cathy 18/09/09

2009-09-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

Once intermewed falcon

2009-09-09T13:02:00.001-07:00

Its good to the falcon almost from my home

2009-08-31T02:40:00.000-07:00

some captive bred youngsters from 2009

2009-08-28T18:35:00.001-07:00

Something Different The Derby peak District the Tissington Trail (all photos taken with kit lens)

2009-08-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Cathy is well

2009-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I have been quite busy and the weather has been a little against progress. But all in all she is well, and weather permitting we be out and about. I have been flying one or two captive bred falcons and they have progressed well, the weather not being so critical, as of course they have no impairment to their flight and fly well in most conditions.

Regards

Colin

repeat of my post of the Derby Peregrine blog

2009-07-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

@ Karen and all, not to keen ending up in a avairy at a centre. For one she is a wild bird with an inbuilt fear of man, and it appears of late to be with good reason. She needs handling and manning everyday by some one who understands Peregrines inside out, Plus I believe now 100% she will have some abilty to fly free, and if this is the case, I for one would like her to have her freedom if only for a short period each day.Plus the more she users her wing the more movement it will keep and help to keep arthritis in future years. At the moment she is bright eyed in good health and I guess as comforable as can be expected, as i am writing she is enjoying a bath. She travels well in my van which is fitted out to carry falcons, as she spends as much time as possible with me. So I guess she could visit places of education and let children and adults see one in the flesh and up close up. But all this is way in the future, my first goal is to get her flying free. She at the very least deserves a chance to fly free with air under her wings and the breeze in her face. On another note it might be known to a few I breed peregrines. When I registered 010 as myself as her keeper I decided that she could not be used for any commericial gain like breeding from her or making any money from her in any way. I do hope that in the future many of her admirers can see her, for she is very special. The only thing in my eyes that hangs over her, and i don't think there is a problem is the shot in her gut, if she gets all clear at the vets on monday. She has a future :)

injured 010

2009-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Collared Dove on the Menu

2009-06-23T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Grandkids show an interest

2009-06-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

Thomas is 5 and quite confident around falcons and can handle them very well for his young years, he came out hawking with me before his first birthday. And shows a real interest in wildlife and the outdoors, and is keen to learn and has plenty of questions.But not to be out done lucy May his 2 year old sister under Thomas guidance wants in :)

photos availble

2009-06-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

9 x 6 prints or larger on request. At the moment I have hundreds to look through but 9 x 6 prints will be made avaible at the cost of £2.50 mounted £5.00 (fits a stanard A4 frame) all plus postage.

Day number 10 fell to earth

2009-06-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Whoops

similar to yesterday

2009-06-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Similar to yesterday, with tiercel 11 being the most adventurous.

on the edge

2009-06-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Up on the edge of the platform no: 11

Tiercel 18 days old

2009-05-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

Catch them young

2009-05-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Grandchildren showing a keen interest in a 6 day old Peregrine chick. The grandson is very keen

and the grandaughter now showing some interest.

Photo's

2009-05-08T00:35:00.000-07:00

I have not posted any photo's for a while they have been as copied have been sold (by other parties). So I have decided that I might as well sell them, and the peregrine project will get a share from every copy. There is a dsisplay in the Cathedral shop. Just got to work out how to make the photo's availble and also work out to protect them on the net. This is the best I have come up with todate.

Falcon brings home the bacon again, plus can anybody fill the gaps?

2009-05-03T13:32:00.000-07:00

Nipped down to the Cathedral this evening. At about 6.30pm the tiercel left, I presumed to hunt after a short foray he returned empty handed, he popped down to the nest ledge, and the falcon left, and she sat on the Old Police station for a brief moment, before she shot off towards the river. I then was distracted and kept busy answering a few questions to several interested parties. I then noticed the tiercel at the top of the Cathedral, and assumed the falcon was back with the chicks (wrrong). I was again distracted but just caught the falcon coming in with prey around 7.00pm. She landed below the nest ledge, the tiercel left the top of the tower and joined her, took the food? she then returned to the chicks and the tiercel started to took in, after a while he went up top to finish his meal. He then took the rest to the Tray. I would be interested in what the tiercel did in the tray, while the falcon was off hunting and how long the chicks where left alone. My times are approximate, can any body fill in the gaps??? please.

Tiercel repels intruder 02/05

2009-05-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

Not great photos as it was the battle with the intruder a (female eyass Peregrine 2008) was high up and a distance away. Almost invisable to the Naked eye.

Final Egg No: 4 on its way

2009-05-01T07:36:00.001-07:00

Hatching egg

2009-04-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

Expectant tiercel waits :)

2009-04-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Catherdral Peregrines eggs are expected to hatch any time soon. 29/04

25/04 back on nest ledge face due to wind change and Goldfinch at dusk

2009-04-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Other Derby Peregrine's

2009-04-23T02:01:00.000-07:00

This is a pair that produce in captivity, both have been hand reared from the moment they hatched. And eyasses are produced through A I.(artificial insemination) Sky the falcon is 11 years old and the Tiercel Arnie is 10 years old. Every year both rear their young in there own pens. Arnie the tiercel gets the last young of the season to rear, once there is no need for him to donate semen.

Pretty quiet time

2009-04-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Not a lot really happening, The tiercel seems keen to incubate and has been doing quite long stints.

He also seems to spend a long time away as well. At the moment both the falcon and the tiercel seem to favour the side of the Catherdral on Irongate coming up from the city centre, to take thier meals and rest. Which overlook another nesting family???

Falcon has to catch her own tea

2009-04-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Arrived down at the Catherdral at about 6.15 pm. Andy was already there and he explained that I had justed missed the falcon come in with her tea. We watched her plume and tuck into her meal, at the top of the Catherdral. Should have been a good view from the pudding cam.

She then took a good rest up top, and then finally dropped down to the tray to relieve the tiercel, who seemed reluctant to give up incubation for a moment. He gave way and left, and then settled up top for a brief moment before taking off, to dissapear for about an hour, as darkness started to fall he returned to take watch. I found it interesting that the falcon had to catch her own meal tonight.

Typical Peregrine egg size and weight

2009-04-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

Falcon take's a break from incubation

2009-04-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Not much to report here so a few photo's from a few days ago,of the Falcon taking a break from incubation and has a spot of lunch, a moorhen. Just see its feet on one of the photos, also she dropped the head which Andy spotted. After she had her fill she dropped down from the top of the Catherdral and the tiercel gave way and she resumed incubation.

Tiercel on evening watch, and other bird life around the Catherdral

2009-04-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

I use a 400D or 40D canon body with a 100-400mm telephoto or a 300mm prime lens which I us with a 1.4 X TC or a 2.0 X TC. I am still learning as I go a long, but good light, and being in the right place is perhaps the most influencing factor to getting my photos. I know what you mean about depth of field. When trying to get close shots of small birds, it takes some mastering, again if the light is good the depth of field can be increased.
I went down to Catherdral last night not much happening Peregrine wise, but all looked well with the tiercel appearing just before dark to take up watch. Loads of other birdlife below and around the Catherdral.
The Derby Peregrine blog can use anything it likes Nick, which is doing a sterling job, and if I can be of any help at all, I will. One of my plans if it works out is to get detailed photo's of captive Peregrine chick development to sort of run along side the Catherdal chicks, which is sort of in trouble already because the Catherdral Peregrines laided early. But hopefully they wont be to far behind.
Regards Colin

A few Photos Of Derby Catherdral Peregrines From 2008

2009-04-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

2009-04-13T02:52:00.000-07:00

2009-04-13T02:46:00.000-07:00