Chichester Peregrine Blog

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!

Two o’clock and no one here. Female 47 is still in the nest and has not fledged we think. No doubt she is sheltering from the rain and the RSPB have gone home – can’t blame them – it’s raining cats and dogs. Just another day at the office!!!

We haven’t yet seen number 47 (the second girl) fly.  The other three have been flying today though, getting more confident.

A hobby flew over unnoticed today.  The parents have both been chasing off anything that gets too close, but the hobby didn’t hang around – can’t blame him!

Mum brought a big pigeon in for the juvenile’s supper late afternoon, and dropped it into the SW turret for them to help themselves.  One of the youngsters appeared from the turret 20 minutes later, and cleaned his beak on the stonework before basking in the sun.

Late yesterday afternoon female 45 took her first flight.  Encouraged by food which Mum had dropped into the south west turret she flew for the nest turret to where the food was. Clever girl!!

The female 45 just fledged by flying from nest turret to south west turret to get the food just brought in by mum

After spending all day in the south west turret male46 returned to the nest turret at 4.15 this afternoon. 48 has been in the north east turret for much of the day. The girls remain in the. nest.

On a very gusty afternoon the second chick fledged.  The other male, 46, flew down to the green roof on the west side of the cathedral and stayed for several hours hopping around in the gulley at the bottom of the roof on the north side. Picture below.

In addition to this exciting news there was another visit to the cathedral from a male peregrine.  This bird landed on the nest turret – it was thought to be youngster from a previous year.