A sign of things to come?

This year is shaping up as not a bad one when it comes to breeding for the pairs that I monitor, I won’t say too much on the subject as it is still early days and I don’t like to tempt the fates.

One issue which has arisen again is early breeding in London, of the pairs, 4 are more advanced and have laid earlier than the normal March 28th to April 3rd laying dates, one pair at least have laid exceptionally early.
The pair in question (see March 10th blog) are looking like they laid over 2 weeks earlier than normal, I visited the site on Sunday May 12th and got my first proper look at them, I would age them around 4 weeks. With this and the others early breeding you look for reasons why, what is it down to, I have mentioned this before, London’s warmer temperatures, if that is the case why are they all not laying early, it is only a minority.
The earlier warm spell around Christmas, I had a pair copulating on December 23rd may have bought some pairs on earlier, why do some respond and not others; additionally it could be a change in pairings. If another bird comes in, beit Tiercel or Falcon and usurps the resident bird is the eagerness to breed and reproduce going to be stronger and more urgent, consequently copulations take place earlier?
Are the early birds younger pairings with normal layers being older birds and more established pairings?

December 23rd 2012 copulating

Lots of questions, it will be interesting to see if the trend continues long term. 

This year see’s the introduction of a new dark green ring for London, hopefully it will help if seen briefly and aid towards more ringing returns, talking of which I had some sad news recently when one of last year’s juveniles was found dead. The juvenile was one of a pair and was found dead on 22nd April 2013 5km’s from the nest site, it was ringed on 23rd May 2012.Cause of death is given as - entered building – found dead at base of chimney flue, the fact that it met it’s end on a known peregrine breeding site possibly means that there were other circumstances involved.

Unfortunately one of these is no longer with us.

An unfortunate end and I am off to its natal site on Monday morning to ring this year’s juveniles, hopefully they or it will fare better. 

Down south pairing have now hatched 2 of their 4 eggs so a great success story for all involved, good reward for everyone’s efforts to assist them.

What its all about.

Off to London again in the morning at dawn, at the moment I am working away 4 days a week so updating when I can. 

May 5th

An early start up London checking sites, great weather so can’t complain for a bank holiday weekend, from what I see Monday is even better.

I checked on the pair that I thought had laid early (see March 10) and this proved well founded as 2 rather large chicks were moving about, there were possibly more as it was warm, they could have well been ‘pancaking’. Just their heads and shoulders were viewable but looking at their heads I would age them around 16 days. Working it back basing it on the longest incubation period of 33 days it was likely that they were laid around March15th/ 17th possibly earlier. It could be that when I saw her on March 10th she was just going through the motions or they are actually older, whatever way you look at it they are certainly earlier than the usual March 28th – April 3rd laying dates.

A  peregrine at one site yesterday enjoying the sunshine

A co inhabitant at one site, male Black Redstart

Nathalie’s pair additionally laid earlier than the normal dates and I also confirmed a 3rd pair with young recently, again more advanced than the norm. London pairs seem to be rewriting the record books, the south has always laid earlier so it will be interesting to see it other pairings have followed suit or, is it just down to the milder temperatures and an earlier warm spell ? 

I then checked on the Parliament birds at their nest site for an hour, rather worryingly I recorded no activity, they are easy to miss, if she is still incubating and he is off hunting in a favoured area there’s your answer. Just to make sure I then drove to Parliament, no birds recorded which in itself was good news, if they fail they will likely return to Parliament straight away.

I intend to visit the nest site again on Tuesday morning, hopefully everything is ok.

Feral Pigeons are not easy prey, Peregrines fail on them a lot.

From then on I checked another 3 sites, all sitting tight, looks like it’s going to be a busy fledging time. 

April 27th/28th

Fair to say that this time of year is pretty manic and this year, fingers crossed is shaping up ok in regard to breeding for the sites that I monitor.

Over the weekend I checked a number of sites and all are looking promising for 2013, the worry is that if they all get their act together and fledge around the same time you simply can’t be in several places at the same time. If you are not aware juvenile peregrines do have a habit of grounding on their maiden flight, if they decide to go on a windless day it can be nerve racking watching that first sortie.

Over the years I have taken a number of juveniles back up, as you can imagine coming down in an urban environment, sometimes on roads is not good for their health, added to this if they come down too low the adults will not come down and feed them. Hunger is a great motivator and most find the will and strength to regain the height lost from that first flight, but there always seems to be one from a brood that will keep you guessing. 

Of late I have been working away and this will likely be the case for the next 6 weeks, this is one of the reasons that this is a late posting.

Down south looking more than good -eggs!

Over the weekend I also met up with Sam Hobson at one site who is helping Ed Drewitt, a friend of mine who checks the prey very kindly for me at a number of sites in London.Ed is writing a new book and Sam is helping out with photography, good to meet Sam and look forward to the new book. 

Red Kite - taken recently on a survey

I again had another look for the Hybrids, they have quite simply disappeared, in total I visited the site 3 times over the course of the weekend to no avail.

As I write this we are now into May, this is when the Tiercel peregrine will now be more active as the eggs hatch, and from then on the demand for food increases daily as they grow. It is a good time with much more activity, a time that I look forward to.

April 20th

What a morning, wall to wall sunshine from dawn so out early as per usual heading up town before they started lane closing for the London Marathon on Sunday.

First port of call was Battersea Power Station, where I am at last able to say we have a new female and furthermore she is incubating 4 eggs. The old female has, for a number of years become too old to breed and was infertile, they would go through the motions, pair bonding, ledge display, copulation and even incubation but unfortunately the end project was always negative sadly.
Given this and the Tiercel’s tendency to ‘flirt’ with other passing females I was surprised that the replacing of the female did not happen far earlier. I have observed enough intruding females to know that she was still too strong a bird and the pair bond despite the Tiercel’s roving eye was still very active.
Battersea Power Station Development Company have moved heaven and earth to accommodate the birds at great expense, and I will be working alongside them in keeping the peregrines on site throughout the construction period.

The latest arrival is a singing male Black Redstart, they are regular breeders, sometimes 2 broods, 2 separate foraging areas have been set aside for them by BPSDC,glad to say one is already in use.

From the Power Station, I then checked the Parliament pair, they are incubating as well, albeit on the same building but in a different area. Moving further east I checked on another pair, I observed the Falcon on this site incubating very early (see March 10th). As I observed her from distance it was quite obvious that she was sitting high with breast feathers fluffed out so there is every possibility that she may already have hatched an egg or 2.

Of the Hybrids there is no sign whatsoever; Crows have taken up residence of the area they occupied so it looks as if they have moved on as I can’t see either bird putting up with the presence of the Corvids.

Hopefully next weekend I will be able to confirm that the March 10th pairing do indeed already have young.

The Weekend

Back from New Zealand late afternoon on Saturday, a fantastic trip to see my family and am now starting to feel the jet lag, so if I waffle a little bit bear with me.

I was out at dawn on Sunday to check on the sites, very pleased to see that the nest box featured on February 2nd update has now been fully accepted and she is inside incubating. This is what makes it all very worthwhile and gives me a lot of satisfaction especially as this pair have failed a lot due to the weather.

Sitting tight

Elsewhere other pairs are sitting tight and one in particular I fully expect to hatch early, they may even shade Nathalie’s Charring X birds for hatching dates. 

On the Sunday I also looked for the hybrid pair, no luck but admittedly it was only a fleeting visit, I will put in more time this coming weekend.

The (pair)

Also, whilst visiting a site today where the resident Falcon is incubating, an intruding immature Falcon appeared and gave the resident Tiercel a very hard time for well over 20 minutes. Sometimes it looked as if he was really going for her in earnest, but in others he seemed not stressed at all. Paired Tiercel’s can be flirty so I suspect this was the case. Not last years Juv's either as these were ringed.

Unringed female intruder sparring with resident Tiercel

Immature

Tiercel returning

Down South looking good

Below is the latest photo from the site below, as you can see, either layed or about to lay.

Getting close to laying

More from the Coast

Below is a selection of photos taken at the coastal site referred to in February, as you can see looking very promising for breeding.

I must admit ledge display in a snow filled nest box is a first.