Falcon names go to the polls

Ringed chicks

After nearly 300 nominations and some deliberations, six potential names have been picked to go to the polls.

As you will notice from our poll (at the top of this page), the six names are all female. This is because – as you may have guessed – we’ve been able to ascertain during the ringing yesterday that the peregrine falcon chicks are made up of two females and a male.

The male chick, as you will be aware from previous blogs, will be named Ernest in tribute to a Falconcam follower who sadly passed away last year.

So, we need you all to now vote for your favourite female name and the top two will be given to the remaining chicks. The deadline is 5pm on 30 May.

The names have been chosen by our Environment Team and are mostly in reference to inspirational people:

Lady Hay – Grace Marguerite Hay Drummond-Hay was a British journalist who was the first woman to travel around the world by air

Isabella – Isabella Bird was a traveller, explorer and writer

Amelia  – Amelia Earhart, an aviation pioneer and author, was the first female to fly across the Atlantic on her own

Katiyana – In Inuit language means ‘Night Snow’

Cecily – A female character from Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest

Gwendolen – Another female character from The Importance of Being Earnest

Whatever your favourites are, we’d love you to vote for them.

In the meantime, to update Falconcam viewers, we also thought we’d share an exchange of correspondence we’ve had with former television presenter Tony Soper, who is the co-founder of the BBC’s natural history unit. In an email Tony was kind enough to tell us: “I watched your saga through to the end last year – had it on the favourites bar!  Looks like a good start this year, I wish you all a successful season.”

We’d also like to let you know that the bird ringing this year was very successful. The three chicks were all ringed by professionals from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, causing minimal distress to the birds. If you’d like to read more about bird ringing, read Erin McDaid’s blog: The Importance of Bird Ringing.

And finally, we hope you enjoy the most recent video highlights from Falconcam.

Chris Birkle

Nottingham Trent University

The importance of being Ernest

Plump chicks following another good feed

Following a hugely successful naming competition last year which saw thousands of Falconcam viewers cast votes to name our chick Storm, we’re pleased to announce that this year we will again hold a poll to enable you the viewers to name the peregrine falcon chicks.

As many of you will remember, as a fitting tribute last summer we reserved the name Ernest for one of this year’s chicks as a tribute to a follower whose grandfather of that name -  an avid viewer of our falcon family – sadly passed away. Coincidentally, we’re also now informed that the eggs hatched this year on the eve of the gentleman’s birthday anniversary. As you will also recall the name Ernest came a very close second to Storm in our poll, so we’re very pleased to confirm that one of this year’s chicks will take the name which proved so very popular.

So, today we start the search for two new names. During the next seven days we would like you to email us with  your suggestions and we’ll compile a shortlist suitable for an online poll. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Tuesday 21 May and the poll will appear with a fresh blog at some point during the days that follow.

As some of you will remember in 2011 two chicks were named Kate and Will, following the royal wedding which was a tremendous national occasion that year. And last year the name Storm was chosen to reflect the chick’s battle for survival during the turbulent weather.

So inspiration this year may come from the fact that the weather has been diverse since the eggs were laid in late March. Mr and Mrs P had to endure heavy, prolonged snow when they started to lay their eggs, which was a cause of concern among many doting Falconcam viewers. So arguably you may think that names such as Snowy or Frosty could suit.

But following the prolonged cold weather we reportedly enjoyed the warmest bank holiday in years, so equally you may think that names such as Sunny or Spring would be appropriate.

Although one of the three chicks has been named Ernest, there’s nothing to stop you naming the remaining two after a famous trio, such as the Lucky, Dusty or Ned from the Three Amigos. You may even choose the Three Stooges as your inspiration and suggest names such as Moe, Larry or Curly.

Whatever your thoughts are, we’d love to hear them, so please send your suggestions to us as soon as possible.

Chris Birkle
Nottingham Trent University

 

 

 

How webcams can reveal hidden family values in wildlife

The return of Storm?

As we’ve watched the chicks hatch, and the parent birds devotedly feed and tend to them, we’ve been reminded of the wonderful family bond that quickly establishes between parent and young of many wild species. Whilst some species have a more laissez-faire approach to parenting, for others, such as the beloved peregrines on top of the Newton building, the investment in care and attention has become part of their success.

By investing time and energy in rearing their young these adult peregrines will have the best chance of securing future successes for their line – ensuring that their genes pass on to future generations. Whilst we have long been aware of the devotion of parent birds of many species, the advent of webcams has begun to shed light on another aspect of family dedication that was previously hidden from view.

Some of our webcam viewers may have noticed a third adult bird on the ledge recently (as pictured, on 27 April). As far as we can tell, this is likely to be Storm, last year’s surviving chick, or possibly even a chick from an earlier brood, which has yet to establish a territory of its own and may be hoping to lend his parents a helping hand with the new brood.

Over the past couple of years, similar scenes have been noted on webcams across the country and it would seem that, as well as peregrines, this behavior has now been observed amongst water birds such as moorhens. Whilst more research is needed into the precise reasoning for this, it would appear that the young chick is simply helping to ensure the future of its family line. I suppose it will also benefit from the experience – giving it a better chance of success when rearing chicks of its own in the future.

This is just another example of the scientific benefit of webcams. Not only do they allow us to enjoy watching birds in the wild, they can actually help us learn about them too.

Erin McDaid
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Relieved to see eggs hatch, but past trials and tribulations are leaving me feeling slightly apprehensive.

The first daylight sighting of the 2013 eyases

It was a great relief to hear that two of our peregrine eggs had hatched after some weeks of trepidation following the deep snow which blanketed the nest last month. Hopefully the third egg will hatch shortly and we can then look forward to watching the family grow. However, despite my joy that the adults had managed to keep their eggs warm in testing conditions, the events of last year, which resulted in chicks dying in the nest due to extreme weather conditions, are still playing on my mind.

Despite this being a very successful nest site with experienced and expert adult birds – the loss of chicks last year served as a reminder that the natural world can be harsh. With so many chicks reared from this nest in the past, the odds should be firmly on the side of success and hopefully the chicks will be strong and healthy with every chance of fledging successfully. However, with so many variables, including the weather, we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that we are watching wild birds and that they face precisely the same challenges as any other peregrine pair around the world.

Over the next few weeks the adults will need to find enough food to keep themselves and their growing chicks from going hungry. The adults will also need to keep out of danger and the chicks will need to avoid falling from the nest ledge until they are old enough to fly – or at least robust enough to survive a fall!

With a bit of luck all three eggs will hatch and three chicks, know as eyases, will fledge and we look forward to being party to their development ahead of what we hope will be their maiden flights some time in June – fingers crossed!    

Erin McDaid
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Thousands around the world log on to see falcons

Frosty talons on a chilly Nottingham morning

Although the falcon eggs aren’t expected to hatch until the end of April, since the launch of Falcon Cam 2013 visitors from around the globe have logged on to watch and read about our resident pair of peregrine falcons.

We’ve registered visitors from countries as far and wide as Australia, America, Russia, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,  Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Iraq, Argentina and many, many more.

More than 220,000 people have logged onto the cameras to watch the birds sat up high on the Newton building, while one of the birds has remained firmly sat on her eggs to keep them warm during incubation.  On average, each visitor spent an average of six minutes and 47 seconds watching the cameras.

There have been visitors from 99 different countries.  After the UK, the most common countries for visitors are America, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and France.

The peak number of blog readers since the 2013 launch was on Monday 25 March, with more than 4,600 unique readers. It’s surely no coincidence that this influx followed a weekend of snow which caused much concern among the doting Falcon Cam viewers, many of whom were worried for the birds’ wellbeing.

News of the falcons’ three eggs being laid ahead of Easter made the headlines, with stories appearing in the Scotsman as well as regional newspapers the Eastern Daily Press, the Hartlepool Mail, Northern Echo, Sunderland Echo, Western Daily Press and more.

BBC Springwatch presenter Martin Hugh-Games also mentioned the project in an article in the Daily Telegraph. And the picture at the top of this blog, which was taken by one of our members of staff, was circulated to the media by the Press Association.

Interviews with people from the university and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust also took place with BBC Radio Nottingham and a story was published on the BBC Nottingham web pages.

We may expect another surge of visitors to the cameras in the not too distant future. If the eggs do hatch before the end of the month, it will surely lead to thousands of people logging on in the hope of seeing new-born falcon chicks.

Although we’re yet to discover whether the wintry weather took any toll on the eggs, the anticipation of new chicks will surely create a great deal of excitement. Let’s just hope this year provides less of an emotional rollercoaster than last.

We are now accepting donations for birds of prey research

NTU falcon – Image captured on the falcon cam

Our falcon cam service is free and always will be. Nottingham Trent University is happy to cover the cost of the cameras, servers and staffing that make this project work. But, since we started broadcasting our falcons to a worldwide audience, we’ve had a few queries from people offering us donations. 

So we are excited to announce two long-term research projects that we plan to operate at the University. We are seeking public funding for these to further the cause of birds of prey in the UK. We are also seeking donations to aid the work of our partners in this project, the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

NTU falcons – Three eggs in the snow (captured 28 March 2013)

You can donate to us through the NTU Alumni donations page and any money received will be split between the following:

Birds of prey DNA database

NTU Biosciences lecturer David Hughes is working on collating a DNA database aimed at protecting endangered birds of prey. He is doing this in association with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT) and Nottinghamshire Police to collate genetic fingerprints for peregrine falcons and goshawks.

Once formed, the database will be used to cross reference DNA samples collected by NWT officers and the police during investigations into suspected theft of chicks and eggs.

These DNA profiles will not only identify individual birds, but could also help in identifying their parents. In instances where eggs, chicks or droppings – which provide evidence of a bird having been present in an aviary – are found in suspicious circumstances, the DNA collected could point investigators to parent birds that are on the database. This evidence would help in dismissing any claims from suspects that the birds had been bred and reared in captivity.

Nesting success in peregrine falcons

Environmental Sciences lecturer Louise Gentle is investigating peregrine falcon nesting success. This will be measured by the number of chicks to fledge the nest, in relation to both behavioural and environmental factors.

This research will determine which factors are most important in determining a successful nesting period. Peregrine falcons will be monitored via the use of web cameras broadcasting from a number of nests across the UK including the one on NTU’s Newton building.

These findings will be useful for aiding the study of behavioural and evolutionary ecology in animals and it is hoped that they will also contribute towards the continued conservation of the peregrine falcon.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (NWT) is the county’s largest locally based conservation charity and has been working closely with Nottingham Trent University to protect the peregrine falcon nest on the Newton Building for many years. NWT works to protect all species and habitats across the county and advises a number of landowners about the protection of species such as the peregrine.

You can help by:

• Making a Personal Donation - You can make a personal donation to support Birds of prey conservation projects by setting up a direct debit or making a single donation. Make a donation online now, or download a donation form to return by post. If you have any questions about making a personal donation (including the tax implications) then please email Stephen Knott, Alumni and Community Giving Officer.

• Telling your Friends - If you have enjoyed viewing the falcon camera and reading this blog, please forward details to your friends so that they also have the opportunity to observe and support this important work.

If you have any further questions about these projects or the work of the Development and Alumni Relations Office please contact Stephen Knott, Alumni and Community Giving Officer via email or call +44 (0)115 848 8807.

A tricky weekend for all involved

Mother falcon protects her egg in the snow

Well, having hoped that our peregrine pair might delay laying their eggs to help avoid the emotional roller coaster caused by last year’s storms, the vagaries of the British weather have conspired to make things difficult again not only for the birds, but for those folk watching the nest via the webcams.

Having laid the first egg a week later than in 2012, the female might well have been hoping for better weather. Instead, ably assisted by her attentive mate, she had to endure a weekend of driving snow and subzero temperatures.

For those watching through the night on Saturday the viewing got pretty difficult as the snow piled up around what we believed to have been the female. At one point there was real concern for the adult’s health, but just when things looked bleak the male arrived to take over incubation duties – phew!

The sight of a snow covered nest has once again precipitated (if you’ll excuse the pun) a debate about whether some form of roof structure could or should have been erected prior to the nesting season. Rather than go into this debate in detail (it is largely covered in our FAQs) I’d like to reassure people that it was carefully considered.

Mother falcon protects her egg in the snow

Because of the success of this nest site over many years, we decided not to significantly alter the nest site.  We were concerned that fundamentally altering the ledge, a location chosen by the birds themselves, may have put the pair off nesting in the site altogether. Having viewed the pictures of the snow covered ledge, I suspect that much of the snow was blown in on the wind – meaning that any roof would have had to be pretty low down to have kept it out.

A roof  or cover would have altered the nest site considerably potentially risking spooking the pair into abandoning the nest site. Clearly we can’t be certain of this, but when a more box-like structure was trialed some years ago it proved unpopular with the pair, leading to the installation of the simple nest tray we have today; a design which has helped the pair raise a tremendous number of chicks. 

Everyone involved in the project to protect this nest site is now hoping for better weather and hoping that the events that unfold are more palatable than those of last year. However, let’s not lose sight of the fact that in raising a healthy chick despite of the appalling weather last year – the nesting season was once in general terms a success for this resilient and dedicated pair.