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Saturday 8 February 2014

Flooded Out

 




As mentioned in earlier posts, most London pairs are now on territory, or at least the ones that I monitor are with most having already fashioned scrapes and totally bonded to their respective sites, if they ever left.
There is one site, the one that suffered and failed due to the Pirate Radio a few year back, that I have been checking recently and have only seen the Tiercel, and even then only briefly as he never stayed long.
At the time I thought it slightly odd behaviour as in the past, he usually hops down to the nest tray, sometimes I can hear him unseen chirruping away to himself most definitely inspecting the nest tray and getting all excited with Spring approaching.

He is not staying and I was wondering why, until Thursday when the CCTV camera which is focused on the nest site came back on line. Unfortunately the small balcony has flooded, the drain is blocked and 4 or more inches of water have filled it up over the nest tray.
As it stands they have no chance of successfully breeding so with the co operation of the management, at very short notice and Industrial Abseiling again, also at very short notice an Abseiler is going down to unblock the drain on Tuesday with myself present.

I have to say a massive thanks to both these Companies, I wish I could name the Company who manage the structure but it is a very sensitive site that not only I monitor, but also a Metropolitan Police Wildlife Officer keeps an eye on it also.

As I have said before in an ideal world I could name sites, it would make it 10 times easier for me to write this blog, and probably easier for people who read this blog to connect with if they knew the site and where it was located…one day hopefully.
As it is I have to be very careful what I say, where I reference it to and make sure photos don’t show land marks etc..., such is the world we live in with Raptor Persecution sadly.

I have not seen the Tiercel for this site now for a week, or the Falcon for that matter, my worry is now, due to the flooding are they off looking for pastures new and a new nest site and will not return?

Will they check again - with 4-6 weeks left for egg laying I am counting on it, watch this space.























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