The Lincolnshire Bird Club

LBC members cannot have failed to become acquainted with the vicissitudes of the Louth Peregrines, especially as narrated through Geoff Mullett's and John Clarkson's LBC posts going back to December 2007. It was as long ago as that when Geoff first reported a pair of Peregrines on and around the tower of St. James Church, Louth. It was even arranged as long ago as 2008 for Bob Sheppard to install a nesting tray on the N side of the tower to encourage the birds to nest.

The Peregrines have since appeared regularly each year in the winter and early spring periods, but they have failed to stay and nest. In February 2010, for example, both birds were reported as landing on the nesting tray after having circled the church for some minutes. In January 2011, Geoff reported definite signs of the two birds bonding, screaming to each other when bringing in prey, sharing food and roosting together on the tower.

A major sticking point appears to be public access to the tower as early as March and into April, which puts paid to any nesting activity even if nesting overtures have already been made. Apparently, although the walkway around the tower is very restricted, while there is access to the E side, it is still possible to put one's head around the corner and view the nesting tray on the N side.....hardly conducive to encouraging the Peregrines to nest. As one webpost pointed out, the Church council might well close the tower completely if alternative funds were made available. At St. Wulfram's Church, Grantham, where the Church staff have shown excellent cooperation, there is only one key to the tower door and absolutely no-one has access to the tower from January until after the young Peregrines have fledged.

A high point was reached in February 2010 when John Clarkson and Bob Sheppard met with the St. James Church rector and churchwarden to iron out certain issues regarding the Peregrines. The meeting went well and it was agreed to close the tower from the end of October until 5th April and to sponsor a webcam. The future looked bright.

However, the birds still didn't nest for whatever reasons in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and in those more recent years some of the members of the church staff, despite agreed policy, seemed to have been less than cooperative ....for example, by opening the tower up to Christmas as compared with the previous date of October, and even opening it up again in March. I'm sure Geoff could present further details as to the problems encountered.

The Louth Peregrines' history, then, is a sad one especially when compared with the successful Peregrine projects in Lincoln (as promoted/sponsored by the RSPB) and the St. Wulfram's Church, Grantham, Peregrines (as promoted/sponsored by LBC).

It could well be that the key to the successful breeding of Peregrines on St. James Church, Louth lies in the preceding paragraph ...." as promoted/sponsored by". Inevitably, individuals, however able and committed, lack the 'muscle' of an official organisation as well as the time and the desirable/necessary funding that an official organisation can provide, and after 4 years of able and committed individual efforts, sad to say, the Louth Peregrines still haven't nested on the church tower.

Just a thought, then.........as the RSPB promotes/sponsors the Lincoln Peregrines and as LBC promotes/sponsors the Grantham Peregrines, might it be suggested that the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT) does its bit for Lincolnshire Peregrines and agrees to promote/sponsor the Louth Peregrines ? After all, the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (DWT) is a joint sponsor of the Derby Cathedral Peregrines and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT) sponsors the Nottingham Trent University Peregrines.

Wildlife Trusts have an excellent record with regard to Peregrine projects and, given the will to become involved, with its corporate expertise, its muscle and funding ability plus the specialist input and local knowledge from Louth Peregrine champion, John Clarkson AND the technical advice from the Lincoln and Grantham Peregrine teams, the LWT could well bring success to a Louth Peregrine Project.

Money may not be the main issue here but it can always help any project to develop its full potential. Further, while the cooperation of the church staff on the ground is an important factor, failing that cooperation, other factors appear. One is the will and decision-making of higher authority - the Bishop's Office in Lincoln, for example, which wholeheartedly supports the Lincoln Cathedral Project. Public opinion is very important ....and funding for publicity is usually needed to sway that. It is precisely in dealing with such matters - possible liaison with higher Church authorities and others, and dealing with the public - that an official LWT presence, rather than that of individuals, could play a vital and more substantial role.

Clearly, we also need the full cooperation of the Peregrines but by all accounts they haven't been given a fair deal to date. The birds would most probably nest if fully given the chance and there are even some informed observers who say they surely would.

THE questions now arise, of course,.....do we leave things as they are or, if members agree that there is a need for official sponsorship, (and the best candidate appears to be the LWT), how can the LWT be approached/encouraged/persuaded to take on the role of official sponsor of the Louth Peregrine Project ?

Perhaps one possibility is, inasmuch as many LBC members are also LWT members, the lobbying of LWT by those members could bring results. Perhaps an official 'nudge' by LBC might be in order. Members will doubtless come up eith other suggestions.

After years of disappointment, the bottom line could be that unless official sponsorship is forthcoming, we may never see Peregrines nesting at St. James Church, Louth and, of course, a " who cares ? " attitude is no answer at all.

Freddy

An interesting thread, Freddy. I just wonder whether John Clarkson or Geoff Mullett can give us an update? If anyone from the LWT reads this, perhaps they may care to comment on your sponsorship suggestion.

It would seem to me that the next step ought to be another meeting with the rector and the church warden to discuss what has and has not been happening since 2007 and to see what improvements might be made for the future.

Roy

Fair comment, Roy, and another meeting might be of use, but my own view is that after some 3 - 4 years of dealings with the church committee members the result is that the Peregrines are still not nesting on St. James Church, Louth and even if those church members were to change in due course, there is still no guarantee of cooperation.
Meanwhile, time passes....and passes.

Freddy

The peregrines have been absent for a few weeks now, but hopefully will start to make an appearance in late summer.

I was surprised, when showing friends around the church in December, to be invited to climb the tower. I declined, because the peg was present at the time, but queried the fact that the tower was still open. The volunteer seemed not to know about any restrictions. It seems to be a general rule that if the coffee shop is open, then the tower key is available. Problem is that the shop is now open until Xmas for the sale of Xmas cards etc.

Regardless what church officials might say, I know that the majority of them don't want the birds, if it means losing revenue. It needs someone to show them the figures from Grantham, presumably they do well financially from people coming to see the pegs there? It may also be helpful if any birders who are passing call in for a coffee and spend a few pence at the shop, maybe also drop the hint that that place would be packed if the birds were viewable on the camera.

Finally, we are going to have a new rector in the new year (the present one is retiring in October). If there could be a meeting arranged between him/her and knowledgable LBC members, perhaps with the promise of some financial aid to offset any losses from the closure of the tower, it might influence things. I know there are at least a few LBC members would make a donation to the cause

Geoff

Geoff,
A very interesting and useful post to forward the cause of the Louth Peregrines. As you imply, over the years some of the St. James Church staff have given every assistance short of actual help.

A Peregrine contingency donation fund sounds an excellent idea whatever happens. I remember you quoting a church official as saying at the end of last year that the church would lose c. £600 if the tower were to close for most of the year. As you say, however, as a start you know there are at least some of us LBC members who would make a donation to the cause if such a fund were initiated. The Louth area public might also donate if the plight of the Peregrines were brought to their notice eg. by an article in the Louth Leader/an item on Radio Lincolnshire. Then again, if the LWT are not interested in sponsorship, they might contribute.....especially as their HQ is only down the road in Horncastle.

Freddy

Hmmm I need to be a tad careful as to what I post on this matter on a public forum

The key people to approach are the Rector, Church Wardens and Parochial Church Council. If you 'go above' them you still have to negotiate with them with all the resentment of having bypassed them.

If the previous negotiators are willing then a meeting with the church officials and an official group like LWT and/or LBC might well be the way forward.

I would be reluctant to offer 'compensation' as this sets a dangerous precedent. Rather the case could be made of the kudos of having such birds nesting which is a nice enough carrot while the negative publicity of preventing such nesting attempts by allowing access to the tower could be the stick.

Not knowing that particular congregation I can believe the previous post suggesting that some of them are not happy with the peregrines. I have experienced similar attitudes regarding bats.

As I said I would suggest a meeting between the church and officials from LWT and/or LBC to make the case for not disturbing nesting attempts.

Surely a case can be made by those present.

As to money. I would suggest this is not raised partly because it sets a dangerous precedent and partly because the donors could well be held to ransom in the future.

Far better to appeal to their good nature
- to explain the kudos of having such birds nesting
- to embarress by saying many other places actively support peregrines nesting.

Finally, they can be assured that revenue will be forthcoming - from those who come to SEE the peregrines. I would guess the Cathedral coffee shop does well thanks to the RSPB raising the profile of the Lincoln birds. There is also revenue for the local economy. Only the other day while again enjoying the Lincoln birds I met a chap who had visited all the southern cathedrals witth peregrines and had just come from seeing the Derby birds to see those at Lincoln which I was pleased to put him on. And he had travelled by train!!

Such is the magic and pulling power of these spectacular birds.

All it needs now is to convince a church congregation

Sorry for the length of this - back to preparing my 'proper sermon' now

Hugh

Hugh,
What a great post and a superb contribution to the discussion from someone uniquely qualified to provide special professional 'inside' advice. I can certainly appreciate the positive angle of the kudos and the negative one of embarrassment.

There is no doubt whatsoever of the pulling power of Peregrines. The net is full of Peregrine webcams from all over the UK and I have even been watching some beamed from Canada and the USA (including, coincidentally, from Lincoln, Nebraska).

The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust proudly proclaimed at the beginning of May on its website regarding the nesting Nottingham Trent University Peregrines :
................'Our Peregrine family are now internet sensations, with over 100,000 visits to the Peregrine Nest Cam since its launch on St. Valentines Day (14 Feb 2011).'....= well over 1,000 visits per day.

Meanwhile,the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project (jointly sponsored by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust) announces that the visits to their Webcam and Diary to date in 2011 (and it's only 14 May) total 152,741. I know Louth isn't Nottingham or Derby but those figures really make one realise that " Peregrines are News".....and the benefits of sponsorship should not be overlooked.

Freddy

Superb work

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All good points view and a sensible debate.
But living in Louth I have to agree with Geof. until a new vicar is appointed and installed we will not get very far with planning. Knowing a volunteer who told me that back in about Feb/March someone had been up the tower, left the upper door open, and in the wind it was costantly banging. Also the keys to the tower are, 1 in the vestry and 2 behind the counter of the coffee shop. So if the staff do not know about the ban on using the tower then we have not much chance.

Mike Surr

.......it looks as if this thread has now run its course.

An original aim of bringing the 'Louth Peregrines' to the attention of new members and to refresh the memories of 'older' members has, I think, with well over 200 views, been achieved : all members are now aware of the factors involved.

We look forward to a successful outcome in due course of the discussions with the new Canon and, who knows, the Louth Peregrine project may even acquire a sponsor.

Freddy

And as if to lend weight to this discussion, the peregrine spent the day on St James today, the first time since 26 April.

Geoff

Members will recall this thread which I initiated last Spring in an attempt to encourage discussion on the chances of Peregrines nesting on Louth's St.James Church. I see from Geoff Mullett's Lincs Bird Reports post of today's date (5th January) that a pair was present on a date in November as well as December 2011.

As I commented on 20 May 2011 in my last post above :
" An original aim of bringing the Louth Peregrines to the attention of new members and to refresh the memories of 'older' members has been achieved, I think, with well over 200 views (now c 400) : all members are now aware of the factors involved."
" We look forward to a successful outcome in due course to the discussions with the new Canon and, who knows, the Louth Peregrine Project may even acquire a Sponsor"

Is there now any update on:

a. The Church staff's recent /current attitude and a ban on using the Tower ?
b. Has the new Canon now arrived ?
c. Are there any firm plans for a 'working group' to be formed to approach the new Canon in due course ?
d. Have any new factors emerged since May 2011 ?

Many thanks for any information.

Freddy

Hi Freddy.
Just playing catch up again. Have just read the whole thread and noted the sum of £600 lost, if the tower was closed for the Peregrines. As I don't know. Can I assume the tower is a tourist attraction, with the church charging for punters going up the tower to take in the view?

_________________
Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer

As far as I know,your assumption is correct, Derick, and one of the problems would be how the church authorities could be 'compensated' for the loss of income . Hugh Middleton touched on that subject in his post above.

Freddy