This link takes anyone that's interested to the Peregrine nest site up on a not-so-distant church steeple. One adult bird was inside earlier today, though haven't seen any action since.
https://www.stmaryhighamferrers.org/general-7
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This link takes anyone that's interested to the Peregrine nest site up on a not-so-distant church steeple. One adult bird was inside earlier today, though haven't seen any action since.
https://www.stmaryhighamferrers.org/general-7
All quiet at the moment. I think I’ve said before Peregrines are my absolute favourite birds. I have a soft spot for raptors in general though.
There are magnificent videos on you tube of the ‘stoop’ . You must take a look, it’s breathtaking.
The Peregrine and the Pigeon
She climbs the wild and winding stair,
crossbow silhouette on salt sea air,
hugging the cliff, caressing the uplift,
majestic aloft on patient drift.
Sea and sky in sudden shift,
she folds her wings to feathered fist,
and drops below like hurtling stone,
the wayward pigeon now not alone.
But struck as if from a thunderbolt,
head snapped back in death-throe jolt,
his life exploding on the breeze,
the puff of plumes upon the seas.
The ebbing of him, gripped fast she heaves,
his dead weight to the cliff's high eaves.
April 2013
❤️ Another good one Fishman…you really are wasted.
I can promise you I haven't touched a drop Darksky. But thank you :hugs:
Wasted, I've never been so wasted. I've never been this far out before. Perimeter, walk.
You’re gonna be soo proud of me! I knew that was Marillion:yahoo:
That's cool! I live in VA a mile from the Shenandoah National Park. The wildlife is amazing! I've seen falcons, hawks and eagles many times. On the way to work today I saw four birds of prey including a red tailed hawk. Not to mention deer, bears, bobcats, coyotes and a plethora of rodents and such (racoon, skunk, oposssum, etc.) on a fairly regular basis.
Nature is amazing :)
FMP
Lucky man FMP. We’ve got deer on our bit of Mother Earth. They are stripping Mr.D’s conifers. We used to have dogs but we lost the last one not too long ago. I reckon the deer are fully aware of this:winks: We also have a lot of buzzards riding the thermals.
Not seen any peregrines yet Fishman but I did catch the church bells ringing at 11.30 this morning.:D
Nothing to do with this topic (but I am known to ramble) but have you seen there is a new darksky designated area on Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli) in Wales. The first in Europe.
I am very passionate about darksky areas and light pollution. There are so many stars up there and we only see a minute amount of them. Birds are singing under lampposts at 3.am. We had a holiday in Denmark one year; it was obviously not one of these areas but I have never seen so many stars, the sky was full. I spent many hours outside, just me, looking up and really seeing what was above us. So many people don’t care and it never crosses their minds.
It is also, by the way, why I am Darksky on here….just in case you’ve wondered.:D
I did wonder where you got your username Darksky, I assumed it was because you felt you were under one. Northumberland is another 'dark' county. I remember staying there in a self catering cottage with two mates. Crikey did it get dark at night. The only nearby structure was a sheep farm.
FMP - Red-tailed Hawks are much prized by the falconry fraternity.
I listened to Beautiful and Easter while I was preparing the dinner today. I have my firm favourites. Such lovely melodies.
Gosh, don’t these threads always get back to basics with us.
They do. Beautiful taken from their Afraid of Sunlight album 1995. Easter from Season’s End 1989.
Do you ever see that new game show with Ross Kemp? The other day they had LOTR characters.
PS - I couldn’t possibly listen to Marillion before going out anywhere. They would get me so hyped up!!
I reckon those Peregrines have borrowed Frodo’s elven cloak. I haven’t seen sight of one yet. I suppose though, they haven’t started on the nest yet. Things will pick up.
I have caught a few episodes of that Bridge tv show. But I missed that one. Let’s be honest Fishman….me and you together would have smashed it and come away with loads of cash :yesyes: Not as much if they did a Marillion one, you would be helping me along but you, being the biggest Marillion geek ever ( it’s true..don’t get denying it) would nail it and bankrupt the BBC.
It is a bit early yet for much activity, I 'think' they assessed the site. They were both wearing hard hats and carrying clipboards. Anyway falcons, unlike hawks and eagles, don't actually build much of a nest. Its usually just a scrape.
Fish has done his FB broadcast today, 'Fish on Friday' :D
Is this the same nest you posted about 12 months ago? Birds are lovely, and so clever. Fascinates me that their small brain is so smart. And it still baffles science how birds know how to migrate and navigate during the migration. Like they can sense magnetic fields?
Yes its the same nest Wired, same parent birds too I think.
Yes birds and navigation. Swallows return to the same barn they nested in the year before. Arctic Terns fly to South Africa, then return to not only the same beach in Scotland as the year before, but within 2 metres of the spot used previously. Could we do that in an aircraft with maps and compasses?
Oh that's fascinating I remember watching the nest last year and there were some little cute chicks in there. Amazing creatures.
We have a big bird that flies around here. It's not an eagle, but it's almost as big. It comes out every summer and is like a beast in the sky compared to the other birds. I love watching him/her.
Could you describe that big bird Wired? If it's a bird of prey its likely a buzzard or kite. The main difference between those two in flight is the buzzard's tail is fan-shaped while the red kite's is forked.
Unless its a heron you're seeing. The long trailing legs will give him away.
You can also often hear raptors in flight, James. They have the most haunting call. It’s a definite cry, I could listen all day. Sometimes when they are in flight I park myself outside on the bench for ages, just listening and watching them. It funny how the pigeons take to the trees and hide. Can’t blame them.
Taken around 5 years ago and granted the quality is not great but still cool nonetheless..... A Barred Owl in a tree next to my vehicle when I was loading out from a show in the Shenandoah Park. It was a female and she had a young one nearby. She was making quite the fuss about me being there too!
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FMP
It's a buzzard. I was trying to think of the name for it and when you said it I remembered. It comes out every summer, has done for the last 5 years at least. We live on a hill, and it circles the valley and we get a nice view of him/her.
You've got dinosaurs where you live? Birds of prey are awesome. I didn't know the owl was classed as a BOP.Quote:
You can also often hear raptors in flight, James. They have the most haunting call. It’s a definite cry, I could listen all day. Sometimes when they are in flight I park myself outside on the bench for ages, just listening and watching them. It funny how the pigeons take to the trees and hide. Can’t blame them.
How did you even spot that in the dark? That's cool the owl didn't fly away. I've never seen one in the wild in person. Where do they sleep in the winter because surely you'd see lots of them in the trees?Quote:
Taken around 5 years ago and granted the quality is not great but still cool nonetheless..... A Barred Owl in a tree next to my vehicle when I was loading out from a show in the Shenandoah Park. It was a female and she had a young one nearby. She was making quite the fuss about me being there too!
Yes we have actually. Many is the day I look out over the fields and see Chris Pratt careering around on his motorbike chasing down his pack of errant velociraptors or simply waving his hands around controlling these wild creatures with just a twitch of his fingers. He’s an amazing chap really. Hes just so utterly believable, just like the movies.:winks:
I remember that day….my chickens escaped. He was marvellous with them.:D Such a hero.
It screeched and if you've never heard one, look it up. Very distinctive. She was making a fuss because she had a young one with her. The father showed up before I left with a kill for food. They typically nest and continue to hunt in winter as they don't migrate and stay in the same 5+ mile radius of their nesting area all their lives.
FMP
Groot’s nob! :roflmao:Where do you get this stuff fromTerry?
Yes I’m not below a bit of sarcasm. It is apparently the lowest form of wit, which makes me pretty low indeed because I find it hilarious.
13.45 this afternoon :yesyes: Bird present if you want to scroll back
And again around 17-10 Gorgeous creature isn't she. I wonder how long before she lays? She's testing out the scrape.
Absolutely beautiful Fishman.
I can’t wait until she lays, it’s going to be really exciting when they hatch too.
Does the male ever come or won’t he bother until he has to do the food run?
No, like males of all species he knows better than to get in the way of a female getting a home how she wants it :sofa: well, that is until he's dragged in to do any wall papering :biggrin:
I remember watching these birds at another church spire. Both male & female sat on the eggs. Once hatched the male mostly flew in and dropped a pigeon wing or small furry thing for the female to tear up until the babies could do it themselves.
I like how they've put a warning on for some scenes may be blah blah blah. Does that include the mating bit? :biggrin:
You two….:roflmao:
I am expecting him to step up and go off hunting. Is it all too soon yet and we are talking babies around May?
I think it could be between the latter part of this month through April Darksky (egg laying) Yes I think this male looks the responsible type, studious and down to earth :shades: He even shares incubation of the eggs, so very new-age and touchy feely. Probably even has a 'laying pool' set up and will hold her wing while she goes through it.
What a man….does he give lessons? Some hu’mans’ could learn a thing or two. Present company excepted of course.
I discovered a whole new level of fascination with the video this morning. Sounds!!! Because the iPad had the volume down I didn’t realise the camera picked up noises too. At about 7.05 this morning she arrived with her volume turned up as well. No sign of him but as she was in tongue lashing mood, he did well to keep away.