I often have the 24/7 webcam of the St. Wulfram's Peregrine nesting tray as background when I'm sat in the Computer Room writing or doing some light reading.....it's a privilege to be able to occasionally glance at/watch the Peregrines LIVE at
http://www.lincsbirdclub.co.uk/pegcam.html
The lead character of course. until the eggs hatch, is the female.
The system refreshes a 'live' image of excellent definition from a camera every 5 seconds and at night images are seen using an infrared camera.
In 2010 the first egg was laid on 29 March and the first chick hatched on 9 May. The first 2011 egg (hopefully fertile) was laid on 30 March, so we should be getting some real action in the next few days. The female Peregrine will be most certainly relieved.....her incubation duty with her doing the longer sessions must represent a supreme exercise in 'avian instinctive patience', sat there day after day, often motionless, for over a month in all weathers. (It makes me reflect that it's a pity more of us don't possess a parallel 'human instinctive patience, me included).
The website noted above also gives a most interesting and readable 'History of the Grantham Peregrines and Project information', plus being a click away from the Peregrine Blog with recent images and news, AND with video highlights of the nest site in 2010.....a really comprehensive Peregrine package for Peregrine fans.
We are informed that in the identified remains of Peregrine prey collected at St. Wulfram's Church from May 2009 - January 2011 no fewer than 31 birds are listed. For me, the more interesting ones include :
Quail - 2
Knot - 2
Snipe - 3
Woodcock - 17
Feral Pigeon 116
but Wood Pigeon - 1
Green Woodpecker - 2
Swift - 3-
Jay - 1
Magpie - 1
.....and that list represents only 10 species out of 31.
I would certainly give this unique website a 5 star rating with full thanks (and admiration) to the Project Team : Bob Sheppard, Alan Ball and Andrew Chick.
Freddy
PS. If you are not an existing regular 'watcher', do log on......you won't be disappointed : you might even catch the male delivering a food item.
