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.