Peregrine Nest (Live coverage)

[fishman65]

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

[Darksky]

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.

[fishman65]

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

[Darksky]

❤️ Another good one Fishman…you really are wasted.

[fishman65]

I can promise you I haven't touched a drop Darksky. But thank you

Wasted, I've never been so wasted. I've never been this far out before. Perimeter, walk.

[Darksky]

You’re gonna be soo proud of me! I knew that was Marillion

[Fishmanpa]

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

[Darksky]

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 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.

[Darksky]

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.

[fishman65]

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.