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Friday 15 March 2024

Peregrine Latest

 




Of the 17 pairs I monitor, 8 pairs have now laid eggs as of today, the earliest layer being March 9th with another pair possibly even earlier. Long gone are the days when most pairs laid around the end of March, testament I would expect to warmer temperatures and global warming. Last year I had a pair lay on February 28th which is the first time I have known a pair lay into February if I recall correctly.

The Factory pair laid eggs on the 11th and 13th, I would expect a further egg today likely, they usually lay around 50+ hours apart from each other. A concern with the Falcon, was seeing her standing on the egg, obviously not ideal, when I looked straight after at the egg, there was a mark. I am hoping that it was a blood mark from feeding on prey, hopefully so.



                                                                       Clumsy Falcon


                                                                          Broken?





On another site, unfortunately 2 Fireproof boards were blown loose at the nest site and one of them, then partially covered the nest tray.

As you can imagine at this time of year, pre-eggs or even on eggs, the last thing you want to do is disturb her at this stage, desertion is extremely likely, however she had not laid yet thankfully if she still could, with the board half covering the Tray.

With no eggs confirmed at distance by a long lens, a very careful operation was then immediately mounted with the owners, under licence, we then removed the boards in under 3 minutes, when she was absent, but sitting above the nest site but unable to see into it.



                                              One of these was partially covering the nest tray

Checking the site after and since, showed her none the wiser and back in the nest tray, as I write this, she could even have laid an egg or 2, a great result.



Elsewhere, as yet the Battersea Power Station Falcon, now at a minimum of 13/14 years of age, not surprisingly has not laid, much the same as last year. No doubt fertility and being able to produce an egg at this stage in her life, will play a major part.

Copulation/Display continues, and she spends hours in the totally accepted new nest box resting, forming an egg scrape within the Grit, but sadly it looks like it will not happen again, we will see. Given the number of singles around in the outer counties and even further afield, I had expected her to relinquish her territorial position at the Power Station to a younger stronger Falcon last year.





She is holding on well and has been a fantastic female since her arrival in 2012 as an adult, she has produced no less than 22 juveniles, all during construction, more than the previous Falcon 2000 – 2012, who produced 14 juveniles.

I will be checking Parliament next week, hopefully she has laid but where, old, or new?



                                   Has there ever been a more adaptive resilient Bird of Prey?



Friday 1 March 2024

Beckton Latest - February





The Kestrels on the Sewage Works are going well, and all the signs are that they will breed again, if they can deal with the sheer number of Crows.

The large presence of a number of Crows, is solely due to McGraths Refuse Centre on the Creek.
With a massive food source, the Crows have increased to vast numbers over the winter, the Sewage Works is overrun with them.

Hopefully the Kestrels will outlast them and the bond to the nest box will remain as strong as ever, however it does make you think, just how much mobbing they can take. Everywhere they go they are harassed by up to 6 Crows, sometimes more at a time on the Sewage Works, it no doubt effects there hunting efficiency which is not good when feeding young.

At the Outfall itself, Oystercatchers have arrived back to breed, they are already pairing up and displaying in the run up to breeding, I can remember when these did not arrive upriver to breed until mid-March, a sign of the times I suspect with global warming.

I haven’t heard a Blackcap as yet but plenty of Chiffchaff around, the Sewage Works, presumably like other Sewage Works, is a major wintering area for them with numbers often exceeding 25 birds in some winters.
















One bird that has been missing for the last 3 years, which I used to see on every visit is Green Woodpecker, not sure if part of a decline elsewhere but possibly linked additionally to something else.

It could possibly be down to the sheer number of Crows but along with this, I wonder if it could be since the arrival of the more aggressive Ring-Necked Parakeets.

2-3 pairs of the Parakeets now breed on site, winter numbers are up to 30, especially when fresh buds appear on the trees.

It’s a possibility that the feisty Parakeets could have out muscled them, both for old nest holes and new ones.







 

Friday 23 February 2024

Parliament Latest

 




February



Although I haven’t noted copulation as yet at Parliament this year, breeding signs/behaviour are again looking good, with multiple visits noted last week to the Nest Balcony on Victoria Tower.

An unusual scenario is occurring in the fact that one of the male juveniles from last year is still present, we will see what happens as we get closer to egg laying, will he be a hindrance, or assist in breeding?

Will he be allowed to stay come egg laying?

Male juveniles going into the following year, are usually still present at the discretion of the Falcon, there is absolutely no aggression also shown by the Tiercel – as yet, additionally it also depends on the local food source.

Its an interesting one and we will see how it pans out.





                                                                     Juvenile/ Immature



                                                                           Falcon



                                                       Tiercel above - Juvenile below




I had some good birds over last week, in terms of rares, Rook I would suspect be up there, for Central London a hard bird to connect with.

Kestrel was another, it’s been a few years since I saw one over Parliament and Victoria Gardens Park, once a local breeder in a house in Victoria, they are now long gone from there.

Good also to see a female Sparrowhawk up high, with the ever-present Crow, being mobbed but giving as good as it got.

A 1st winter Black Redstart was also seen on a few occasions, quite interesting to note that this bird was ringed.  




                                                             Black Redstart - ringed




                                                             Sparrowhawk and Crow


                                                                        Rook

The real shock was seeing one of St. James Park Pelicans appear above the buildings, catch the wind and start thermaling up, knowing of them, I had thought none were capable of flight!

This particular Great White/Eastern Pelican, to give it its full name, is the only one that can fly and does not have its wings clipped, as I understand it, it is deemed ‘wild’.

Its name is ‘Gargi’ and it was donated to the Park in 1996 from a Garden in Southend, Essex, how it got there I don’t know.




                                                                        'Gargi'






Dwarfing the local Crows, it came up like some ancient Pterodactyl, quite an incredible sight I must say to see over Central London, it made my day.





Saturday 17 February 2024

Battersea Power Station

 


February 10th



A good visit as they all are, with no less than 5 Grey Wagtails squabbling for a mate and territory squabbling at the Riverside, it seems to start earlier every year.

The Power Station, since I have been here, has always been a haven for them and they have bred every year since my arrival in 2000, along with Pied Wagtails, both species are extremely site faithful. These will again nest in the River Wall no doubt, any recess/niche hidden behind Buddleia growth will be firm favourites. The way things are shaping up, it again looks like 2 pairs of Greys and 1 pair of Pied Wagtail as per most years.

Also of note, there are 2 Chiffchaff, these are favouring the gardens aloft on the Power Station, it’s a bit of microclimate up there and no doubt to their liking.

Good to note in Aurora Gardens also that a pair of Blue Tits are already showing an interest in one of the nest boxes.












Eventually the Peregrines did show, she came in with a partial Feral Pigeon, and as per normal, the Tiercel showed up shortly after.

She headed straight to her favoured feeding ledge and began to feed and he then did little else, perching up a short distance away and quite content to just sit and wait for her.

She is still the same female, no copulation noted either throughout the morning, they do however continue to display in the nest box fairly regularly.

So, as it stands at 13+, she has not been replaced by another Falcon, so it could be that she will fail to produce an egg or 2, we will see. Egg laying, if it happens, I expect around the end of March.

Additionally it is still possible that she may be replaced in the next month or 2, there are an awful lot of single Peregrines challengers, waiting in the wings in London and the outer counties.