Thursday 18 June – today field workers visited one of the last peregrine territories in the Forest of Bowland still containing un-fledged young. The site established on a steep sandstone cliff is located in one of Bowland’s more remote moorland locations and is owned by United Utilities. The site when first examined in the spring contained 4 eggs. On today’s visit both parents were calling above the site as we approached the nesting cliff almost 300 m. away. Using binoculars we could see 3 large well feathered chicks perched on the edge of the nesting ledge almost ready to fledge. It was therefore decided after capturing several record images to proceed no further.
Continue reading Historic Bowland nesting site ready to fledge it’s 3 young
Private Estates Nest 3
Visiting any private estate in the Forest of Bowland to examine Peregrine nests usually leads to a very disappointing and sad experience. Nests that had been located earlier in the spring containing complete clutches of eggs are, when revisited, found to contain a single chick, dead embryos or eggs which have failed to hatch at all. In the worst scenario, the nest is completely empty and deserted. Today was a mixture of both.
To my complete surprise this morning, when I examined site 3, three eggs had already hatched successfully and the fourth was on the verge of hatching. What a shock to my system, but I felt sheer euphoria; throughout the 3 decades I have been watching this territory tenanted by a variety of different pairs over the thirty years, never before has anyone recorded a nest on this estate containing 3 chicks, possibly 4 by the end of the day. This site will now be carefully monitored and photographed during the next five weeks up until all chicks – god willing – fledge. Any disappointing news, together with good, will of course be posted on the web site at suitable intervals.
Continue reading Private Estates 3 & 5 – update
Thursday 18 June – today field workers visited one of the last peregrine territories in the Forest of Bowland still containing un-fledged young. The site established on a steep sandstone cliff is located in one of Bowland’s more remote moorland locations and is owned by United Utilities. The site when first examined in the spring contained 4 eggs. On today’s visit both parents were calling above the site as we approached the nesting cliff almost 300 m. away. Using binoculars we could see 3 large well feathered chicks perched on the edge of the nesting ledge almost ready to fledge. It was therefore decided after capturing several record images to proceed no further.
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