The Lincolnshire Bird Club

'Following the popularity of the 2011 webcam featuring one of the UK's most successful urban Peregrine nests, the trials and tribulations of a long-established family of these fascinating falcons is set to be streamed across the internet in high definition for the first time. Last year, the webcam hosted by NTU was viewed more than 250,000 times in just a few months as the pair once again raised a successful brood of chicks. The camera provided the public with their first glimpse of life in the nest, which sits almost 40m high on the NTU's iconic Newton Building. The webcam was also popular with LBC members, viewing the website c 950 times.

This year, a new high definition camera will provide an even better view of the birds' activities. As well as providing higher quality images, the new camera has a zoom function which will allow the monitoring team to track the adult birds as they move across the city, and infrared sensors will ensure the best possible viewing around the clock.

The new camera went live on 14 February and the adult Peregrines have already been seen in and around their nesting platform, suggesting that it won't be too long before the real action starts. There will also be a blog to provide more information about the activities in the nest.'
To view the webcam, go to

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/ecoweb/biodiversit ... index.html

Happy viewing.

Freddy
PS. .....although I think the Very Large NTU/NottsWT Board IN the nest is OTT. .....ie. the "watch me grow" chart. We also trust it is REALLY well and securely fixed !
PPS. Camera 2 gives us the 'street scene background',which I also thought was a plus factor last year. It includes the large plate-glass building across the road on the extreme left of the picture - The Cornerhouse complex - from which I had great views last June of the fledged young and adults perched on ledges of the Newton Building.

Today (Sat) I saw my first NTU 2012 Peregrine. One bird (the falcon, I believe) was perched on the ledge near the nest-platform at 3.20 pm when I logged on (Camera 2). It then sat there, like me, seemingly watching the traffic in the street below. After a few minutes, it edged its way along the ledge to the side of the nest-platform and I switched to Camera 1 for closer views.

At 3.35, it hopped into the nest and snuggled down for a time in the previously made hollow. It began moving pieces of gravel with its beak towards itself, sat in the hollow. After a few minutes it hopped back onto the ledge and flew off over the city.....having completed a bit of weekend DIY maintenance.

Freddy

A day trip to Harlaxton (near Grantham) today (Thu) to visit my daughter and grandson involved a 'shopping' trip to Nottingham.........enabling me to slip away from the ladies for "up to 4 hours" to Sherwood Street and the NTU Newton Building with its Peregrines.

No eggs have been laid as yet but both Peregrines have been seen regularly visiting the nest platform and nearby ledges on webcam since mid-February, which is when the 2 cameras ( No.1 - roving and remote; No.2 - static/fixed on the nest platform) came on stream.......see webcam site details above ......Feb 17.

Having watched the birds on camera for the past 2 weeks, I was really pleased to see them in the flesh/feathers today :

1030-1035 : the tiercel was sat at the far end of a ledge above the nest ledge.....as viewed from Sherwood Street opposite the Newton Building
11.35-12.05 : the tiercel was sat on the ledge a few feet from the nest platform.....as viewed from a sunny wall-seat by the Newton Building
12.25-12.40 : the tiercel was seen pecking at a prey item on the ledge as per 10.30am....as viewed from the 3rd floor of the "Cornerhouse" (the large plate-glass green building seen to the extreme left of the screen in some 'remote' views.) As the tiercel was having "lunch for one" I thought it was about time I did the same.....in the 'Bella Italia Ristorante' on the ground floor of the Cornerhouse itself. Buon Appetito ! ........and to think I missed that "4 hour shopping trip treat" just to watch a bird on a tall building.

Freddy
PS. Back home at 5.30pm, I logged onto the NTU webcam and there was a Peregrine sat on the ledge next to the nest platform on Camera 1 (close-up on camera 2) just as I had viewed earlier in the day and with the street scene below including the Cornerhouse........but this time it was the falcon and she then proceeded to hop across onto the nest platform, tidy it up and try the 'egg hollow' for size. She was still there when I logged off at 6.00pm, making a great picture as the street and building lights were being switched on.

Not long after both Peregrines had been filmed at the nest, there was more live full-screen action c. 5.00pm today (Thu) :

Camera 1 (the roving/zoom camera) had been turned around 180 degrees to zoom in on the tiercel at the 'other' far end of the nesting ledge as he sat there amid a mass of bird bones, feet, etc. To my amazement, a plump Wood Pigeon then landed on the ledge just a few feet away from the Peregrine, and proceeded to turn its back on the predator as it waded through the bones, etc. along the ledge. The Peregrine moved slightly once or twice, eyeing the Wood Pigeon but it didn't make a move ......and the Pigeon soon flew off without a backward glance, to live another day.......great viewing.

Freddy

Today, 14 March, we have our first egg.

What then surprised me , however, was that the falcon occasionally left the egg and perched on the nearby ledge, and especially that she left the nest and flew off at c.6.20pm leaving the nest and egg unattended.

Freddy

2nd egg laid am Fri 16 March

3rd egg laid on Mon 19 March

4 eggs seen in nest : Thu 22 March

There are now 3 chicks in the nest. Two hatched on Saturday 21st April and one on Sunday 22nd.

It's a delight watching them being fed during daylight hours on

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/ecoweb/biodiversit ... index.html

Freddy

The fourth egg has now hatched. The video of the occasion makes superb viewing.

Freddy

The appalling weather over the weekend (28/29 April) led to the death of 2 of the 4 chicks.

Freddy

Sadly, we've now lost a third chick. However, the remaining chick in the nest appears to be 'doing well'.

Freddy

Further to my personal visits in 2011 and in March this year, I spent 3 hours on/off today (10th May) checking out the NTU Nottingham Peregrines on the Newton Building in South Sherwood Street. I mainly viewed the birds from the top (public) 3rd floor of the warm and comfortable Cornerhouse (the green building on the left in some webcam shots, which serves as an excellent viewpoint out of the weather).

I had several very good binocular views of both the tiercel and the falcon on ledges near the nesting-tray and of both in flight around the immediate area. As I was leaving just after 1.00pm, the tiercel brought in a food item.

It was nice to spend time again with these urban Peregrines in the flesh/feathers rather than just as webcam birds.

Freddy

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