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.