Hi just thought Id put this one for interest really, I live in Manchester city centre, yesterday there was what I can only describe as a bird murder site on my terrace imagine my shock!, bits of guts feathers and a bird carcass everywhere.... so this morning it took me a bit by surprise, too see it again...once yes but twice..No..!! On opening my door to investigate (at the time I didnt realise what types of birds I was disturbing... ), they flew off and all I could describe to my work colleagues it was one massive bird that looked like a bird of prey and two smaller ones flying off with the big one carrying some of the remains.. Sorry excuse my complete ignorance! Anyway this evening, I was sitting in my lounge and guess who should arrive.... my new neighbours!! Anyway I was very excited to see two obviously young birds wandering around, and looking at the remains of this morning, well the first thing I did was google birds of prey Manchester and came across this website and the bbc one diary, unfortunately I didnt get any pictures (unless you want pictures of the murder site...!), I was too scared to move in case I scared them off! They definitely look like young peregrines (now that I am only slightly more educated..); I now have the camera at the ready in case they visit me again and will be sure to share them with you... any way just thought Id stick my little story on as I have found it all very exciting, and nobody seems to be sharing my excitement... So thanks for reading and thank you for posting info on the websites, otherwise Id still have been none the wiser!

4 birds, presumably the class of 2009 spent the best part of an hour playing around the top on the Arndale this afternoon.

RSPB staff will be in the square on an additional day this week

Tuesday this week - spread the news to your friends colleagues especially those who have not seen the peregrines yet!

I had some fantastic views late this evening of the adults and juveniles doing their 'Top Gun' training.

4 Peregrines in the air together at 14.40m flying over the Granada studios and the Opera house

Very hard to concentrate at work today with near constant Peregrine activity outside my office window.

Mostly 2, but sometimes 3 juveniles playing tag, carrying out impressive but ineffective stoops and generally getting frustrted by the local pigeon population.

They seem to have discovered the uplifts caused by the taller buildings, and at least one is making regular trips to the Town Hall.

For the first time since they have fledged I can see all 6 birds, 2 on the Arndale, 4 together on the Premier Inn.

Due tio the combination of finer weather and a stiff breeze we've been treated to a near constant display of Peregine activity this morning, lots of play chasing as well as some real hunting.

Never more than three in the air together.

The young birds are obvioulsy getting ideas above their station - they seem to be favouring the top of No 1 Deansgate and the Renaissance as well as "slumming" it on the Premier Inn.

A birding mate down south saw a photo of one of the adults on the "E" of Arndale and commented that it was very Mancunian for it to be on E. I didn't understand of course!

Thanks to the RSPB, was able to view the peregrine at approx 11:20 Sunday, it was sat on the bottom of the E then as well. Got a great start to the day today, walking from the car park to work, saw the peregrine from the road by the cathedral at approx 8:10, landed on a balcony of the Premier Lodge.

there is a peregrine on the 'e' of the arndale sign as i type!

This morning I was with a friend photographing kestrels near the city centre and when finished asked if I could be dropped off near the Triangle. I said 'if luck is on my side a fledged bird might land on the Big Wheel like it did last year when I was not there'. I dropped into a takeaway for a sausage roll which was half eaten when I got a call from Adam from the RSPB , he said 'Adrian there's a juv on the Big Wheel!' I was only about 50 yards away so I legged it with half a ton of gear on my back and the remainder of the sausage roll got stuffed in my mouth (that would have made a picture). When I got to the wheel we could not see the bird. I then realised that the light conditions were at the their worst and I would glare in the lens from the position I was in and I suggested to Adam we go on the other side of the wheel. So we did. After a few moments we saw the bird as the wheel turned. Since my camera was set on Manual exposure I briefly agonised over whether I should take a reading and possibly miss an opportunity to get at least some kind of picture. I decided to just shoot, and a good job I did because within a couple of seconds the bird was off. I had in fact over exposed a bit and lost focus slightly on a couple of shots but managed a flight shot and one with the bird on the wheel :while hand holding the 500 lens with a 1/640 sec camera exposure on a moving target, it was always asking for trouble. Well at least I got something.

I also saw a low level chase by the two adults. No one could have got that!

Two juvs have not yet fledged but I think they will by this Saturday/Sunday if the rain does not put them off.



-- Edited by Adrian Dancy on Saturday 6th of June 2009 12:16:07 AM

-- Edited by Adrian Dancy on Saturday 6th of June 2009 12:19:01 AM

Very active today although still only seen two young off the nest.

Adults hunting in the city Centre more than they have been recently and a few short flights from the fledged juveniles.

Webcam appers to have jammed though....

As of this evening two birds have fledged. Today adult male dropped on a crow which managed to survive the ordeal.

This morning at least three birds can be seen perched away from the nest - too distant to age or sex and at least two birds still on nest as seen on the Webcam.

-- Edited by Rob Smallwood on Wednesday 3rd of June 2009 09:47:18 AM

Yes I can confirm that at least one chick has fledged. I managed a long distance shot but cannot get ring number or sex of the bird. When it is sunny the birds can flatten themselves against side of tray in the limited shade and it will appear there is nothing on the ledge from the cameras point of view.

Adrian's photo was in todays Guardian - no picture credit though :(

Adrian saw one juv on the Travel Lodge today.

I'm often treated to distant views of the birds as they variously fly and perch around the City Centre, and can see the nest site, albeit distantly from my desk.

I happened to take optics in to work this morning, and was treated to several great flight views before I realised that where once there had been at least three well grown chicks there were now only two.

Knowing that they can often hide from the webcam and given the heat I thought one might be sheltering, but when it still hadn't re-appeared later I suspected that the first bird had flown the nest, whilst fearing that the energetic wing stretching and practice flaps might have tipped one over the edge.

I was delighted to receive confirmation this evening from Judith and Ian that at least one bird has succesfully fledged - great news all round.

Stood on the bridge outside Chethams yesterday and had one sailing over head at no more than 40ft up....fantastic :)

The peregrine chicks were ringed today and we have two males and two females.

Many thanks to all involved. A lot of time and effort goes into ringing and far more than you would ever imagine so to everybody, thanks.

Adrian

Just in case anyone is interested I will be doing a piece to radio in the morning at about 7.36AM on BBC Manchester Radio (Allan Beswick Show).

I visited the site at lunch time to see one of the birds see off a cormorant.



-- Edited by Adrian Dancy on Tuesday 12th of May 2009 07:23:14 PM

Much more activity today, lots of coming and going, both birds off nest for periods of time.

Yesterday adult bird came down very low to see off a grey heron in the middle of a street.

Whilst driving through town today,saw a Peregrine miss his late lunch......wonderful aerial views of a relieved pigeon,escaping and living another day

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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It's four!

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Yes, 4 confirmed and it was good to see the classic stoop today as well...breathtaking.

It's four!

BBC Big screen told me today that they can see 3 chicks! Of course there may be 4 (we were fooled last year). I will check out the numbers later in the week.

Weds 15th 17.50 p.m. a bird large enough to be female launched itself off the top of the CIS building towards the Arnedale: 5 mins later noted the 'E' was unoccupied

The webcam is at Manchester as usual, run by RSPB from Exchnge square and on the big screen there when nothing of "importance" being shown. At Bolton, the council never got round to installing the promised camera, so no oversight there. The y will be ringed at both places so can update you then.

stuartherring wrote:

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are there any plans for a webcam link for manchester or bolton peregrines like derby have on there cathedral

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Yes, a webcam has been put in place and ...as understand it it will have sound too. You should get very close views.

AD

Judith Smith wrote:

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No apparent about it, it certainly died. How, was a cause for conjecture, which, due to the lack of action by the local police there, can never be solved.

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the zero tolerance policy isn't working out very well is it...

are there any plans for a webcam link for manchester or bolton peregrines like derby have on there cathedral

No apparent about it, it certainly died. How, was a cause for conjecture, which, due to the lack of action by the local police there, can never be solved.

Did any one ever discover what happened to the juvenile apperantly killed i Northamptonshire last year???
Ian

Adrian,thanks for your hard work and dedication to these birds,I for one am following the 'diary' on the main website with great interest,keep up the good work.

cheers geoff

Our peregrines have 4 eggs!

After not seeing the male bird since the 19th March I was getting a bit concerned...tonight I saw the two birds mating. Out of shear coincidence Colin Brooks the steeplejack passed by me moments later and said looks like we'ell be busy again this year! I hope so.



-- Edited by Adrian Dancy on Thursday 26th of March 2009 07:28:21 PM

I have seen brief courtship rituals taking place but no aerial displays. The male bird seems to be the same bird as last year.

Just a timely reminder folks and more importantly for our newer members of this forum (which there are many ), that the location of the breeding site for the Manchester City Centre Peregrines should not be disclosed on this forum or to any other birder, despite it being obvious at times when you're around and about the area. Sometimes you never know who's reading on here and who's overhearing your conversations whilst out birding (or even who you're talking to if you don't know them).

9.30-9.50 this a.m. excellent views of the pair together near the nest building.
Cheers Ian

They are certainly more active this week - I've been distracted in several meetings by fly pasts!

HUGE GRIN.......At the Cathedral again this morning (10.30) in traffic and just in time to see a Peregrine with prey flying towards the radio masts on the hotel opposite, where its mate flew in to accept a food pass.It was a great moment and in the blink of an eye,the male on one mast and the female settling down on the other to her meal,a definite sign of bonding and l was 'dead chuffed' to witness it,as Paul C and Simon,can verify my excited calls to them as to what l'd just seen....HUGE GRIN...(still with me now)

Great views today at 4pm of two Peregrines flying around the Cathedral and the Premier Hotel,first time l've ever been happpy that the lights were on red!!
oops.....l meant Saturday 21st.

-- Edited by Melanie Beckford at 10:16, 2009-02-22

Same again today - note to self - get office windows cleaned!

Yesterday , both adults close together one being on the nest site.

Fmale very active this morning, coasting around the rooftops, looking very "skua" like in profile.

Ended up on the Town Hall but spent a while around Kendals - perhaps looking for a sale bargain?!

posts within threads cannot be moved without me cutting and pasting them so i suggest when you get any further info or if there's currently anything else to be said in the meantime a seperate thread on the discussions forum should be started

Paul Heaton wrote:

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so lets not jump the gun.

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No pun intended?

Just before we all become a hang them all lynch party may I make a couple of points,

We have an allegation that this bird was shot, now in the first instance this needs to be varified and statements need to be obtained, believe me many a person is happy to says what they think has happened, so lets not jump the gun.

I have taken matters like this to court before and if the evidence is there then we can still go ahead, however at present we have not established the truth, so lets see what we can discover. I am in touch we various people on this matter and we will see what we can find.

Oh and as this is a sighting post perhaps Ian may wish to move it, or when we have a full account of the facts I will put it in the other thread.

Keep birding

madness !but this sort of thing happens unfortunately,anyone can go and by a 22 rifle,if i think your over 16,and the person who shot it most likely wouldn't have a clue what it was and probably wouldn't give a damn if he did. This is a plus point for ringing(did i say that)from another thread,at least we know our peregrines move about a lot.