Chichester Peregrine Blog

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!

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.