Chichester Peregrine Blog

Yesterday on a quick visit to the cloisters shop to deliver some merchandise with new pictures, Mum was sitting proudly in the lunchtime sunshine.  As I walked around the cathedral there was a considerable amount of noise as Dad came in and hid around the back on the north side of the spire. I didn’t see but I’m guessing there was no food brought in by the amount of telling off he was getting!

Although we were unable to spend too much time at the cathedral this weekend we did manage to get there on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday we arrived to find Mum and Dad relaxing after a substantial meal.  Dad was on one of the ‘spire-lets’ and Mum hiding in the castellations of the nest turret.  The calm was soon disturbed by an intruder in the form of a sparrow hawk, who although did not come very close was obviously an annoyance to Dad, as he set off like a rocket and then rose to a great height, where he proceeded to herd away several gulls that were patrolling the sky.  Mum was less than impressed and kept closing one eye.  Once Dad returned Mum went off to stretch her wings.  We must have talked to nearly a hundred people who were interested in what we were doing and at one stage had 25 – 30 people surrounding us!!!

Sunday was less eventful for the peregrines – Mum was doing some tidying in the nest turret when we arrived with Dad watching from above.  After joining her in the turret for a short while, Dad emerged and sat on a spire-let above the turret and Mum took her favourite position between the castellations of the nest turret.  Once again there was a great deal of interest in what we were doing and because we take a telescope many people were able to see our famous pair.

Many of you will have wondered why the Chichester Peregrine Blog dried up mid-season last year – this was due to some family problems and we were not able to keep it up to date…

Now we are back and this year we hope to make it through until the end of the season without mishap!! (That is either on our part or the peregrines’!!!)

This afternoon in beautiful sunshine (well most of the time) on our sojourn around Sussex we had the privilege to see many birds of prey including sparrowhawk, kestrel, red kite and six peregrines including our own favourite pair at Chichester.  In spite of the ladder still being in place (it would seem they have got used to it) our very own male and female were busy preparing for the forthcoming nesting.  Mum was in the nest turret for some time, obviously tidying up, and Dad had been sent to get food.  Dad returned with a white dove which he took to the north east turret and proceeded to pluck and eat.  He was in there a long time and needless to say Mum was less than pleased at the time he had spent in there obviously taking more than his share.  Eventually he appeared, after more than a little telling off by mum, with a full crop at which point mum went in and ate her fill in double quick time.  As we left she was contemplating returning to the nest turret to do a bit more renovation.

Spectacular pictures in amazing light at this time of year.

There has been a lot of talk about female 45 recently. She has been hanging around the cathedral and still begging for food. This is all very normal behaviour for a ‘teenage’ peregrine. Like any teenager they expect to have everything on a plate!!!! She is now spending more time with the family away from the cathedral and is doing very well. There is no need to worry about her at this early stage.

Around 7.30 yesterday evening, all three male peregrines (dad and young) were visible, and two of the females.  I couldn’t tell if the females were both juveniles, or mum and one youngster because they’re the same size now, and were in shadow.  All were perched and seemed perfectly content.

Monday about 2.00 pm all is quiet at the cathedral home of our peregrine family.  But wait here comes a juvenile and I can hear another one on the other side of the spire – they haven’t finished yet!  Alas I do not have enough time today to hang around and watch the spectacle of four juveniles in the air.

More pictures to appear in June 2011 gallery very soon.

Just a small correction – now that I have had a chance to look properly at the photographs Dad retrieved a collared dove not a pigeon!

At last a beautiful evening to to watch our juveniles be put through their paces by Mum and Dad. Dad was very low on the cathedral tonight when we arrived. He seemed to have lost something and eventually we discovered what it was. But first one of the juveniles appeared from the gulley at the bottom of the southern green roof. After a lot of chasing and noise Dad went back to the spot and ventured into the gulley. He reappeared with a pigeon, which we suppose had been dropped there by one of the kids. Needless to say he was chased by all and soon there was a juvenile sitting on the west green roof with a pigeon in it’s talons. As he flew off he was chased by his siblings to try to give up the meal. From what we could see, between all of them they had dropped the food. Lots of screeching and some amazing flying ensued. Six peregrines in the air, a beautiful evening and magnificent flying – what more can I say!!

I arrived this evening to find three of the juveniles sitting on the NE turret, and dad looking on from his perch high on the spire.  All was peaceful.  Until, one of the juveniles got restless, then decided he (or she) wanted to play.

He flew first to the SW turret, and sat for a while enjoying the sunshine.  Then, presumably got lonely.  He flew around squawking, then went right up to dad, dislodging him from his perch.  Dad dutifully flew around with the youngster for several minutes before going back to his perch.  He wasn’t there long before he was dislodged again – this kid was enjoying the game!  Dad wasn’t having any of it though – he went and hid on the other side of the spire.

Another juvenile joined in the game, and the two youngsters played in the air for a few minutes, chasing and tumbling around each other, before settling back on the cathedral.

It seems as though, while no one was watching, our lazy female peregrine decided that she had better join her siblings and take to the sky.  She has been seen in the air this morning!! Perhaps hunger got the better of her!