I saw both male and female today...both looked fit and healthy to me so I would not rule out the possibility of their attempting to breed. Fingers crossed.
Manchester peregrines update: Sadly it looks like we wont be having any chicks this year. But the parents are still giving us great views, so catch them and us in Exchange Square until 15 July
Travelling along the Mancunian Way at c 4:30 today there was a peregrine sat on a building to the south of the road opposite the intersection with Sackville Street (i.e. near Faraday Building). From my brief view it looked a big bird, so possibly female.
Lunchtime VP from work rooftop - a peregrine flying to and from the town hall, stooped a couple of times from the spire but I think came back empty-taloned each time. After a while it flew off in the direction of the Cathedral.
Single peregrine seen flying over Town Hall at 7.15 this morning, then two around the same location at approx 9am, giving more prolonged views. Probably perching up on the spire, though on the opposite side to me.
both resident peregrines showing well this aft/eve & both tucking into some stashed prey. i have not seen any peregrines around faraday tower on a few visits now & i have been informed that the pair may have just been over wintering.
Images attached of male and female together and another of the female alone (looking to her left) taken on 28th February 2018 the image of the male (which is seen looking to his right) was made on 25th February 2018. All images capture in late afternoon sun.
The birds seen at the Faraday Building are not the same birds as those which have previously bred in the city centre. The male bird is without rings and the female has an aluminium ring on her left leg and no darvic (coloured ring) on the right leg.
Adrian, glad you established the identity of the other peregrine ( the ringed on left leg female) as I wasn't too sure of that one after finding out about the unringed male. This will now mean that these 2 peregrines are definitely not the media city pair as the female there is unringed & male is ringed on right leg. All good stuff Hopefully catch up with you soon.
The birds seen at the Faraday Building are not the same birds as those which have previously bred in the city centre. The male bird is without rings and the female has an aluminium ring on her left leg and no darvic (coloured ring) on the right leg.
nice photo andrea, the male is the top bird, female below. I also seen both male & female this afternoon on the cis tower, distant photo attached, male on the right, female on the left with a full crop. no peregrines seen at faraday tower earlier on.
both male & female on view this afternoon in usual location. after a lot of photos & confusion about the recent sightings at faraday tower peregrines I can now safely & confidently say that there is in fact a 3rd peregrine falcon around. today I got photos of a bird eating prey on faraday tower & not bearing any rings on its legs, photos attached, I'm inclined to say that this bird is a male ! but I still get things wrong
both male & female on view this afternoon, eventually, I had a good mooch around looking in all the usual spots, twice, and then they were just perched up in the first place I looked. the male had a little dive at a pigeon but gave up straight away & flew off.
I paid a visit to the university north campus faraday tower this afternoon, on my arrival at 3.55pm there was a peregrine falcon perched in the same place where Reynard has been watching one. I took several photos & in the first photo attached the peregrine has a full crop & bloody talons, i could not see its legs to see if there was any rings. at 4.10pm the bugger flew off without me seeing it go I decided not to move from where I was stood & hoped it would come into view either side of the building in front of me, within a couple of minutes a peregrine returned & perched a little further to the left but was not quick enough to get a photo of its legs, eventually I got a shot & it looks to have a metal ring on its left leg, this would then mean that it is not the city centre female peregrine as she has a metal ring on her right leg, so this peregrine is either the young male, who has a metal ring on his left leg then he should have a red darvic on right leg with letters RA. or maybe this is another peregrine also when this bird returned I noticed that it did not have a full crop, see second photo, I do think it is the same bird maybe the short flight off helped to empty its crop I left at 4.35pm as I desperately needed the toilet, I also paid a visit to the regular sight at 5.05pm & 1 peregrine was on the top of the arndale which soon flew off & headed into Salford, no other sightings up til 5.30pm. a thanks to Reynard for spotting & reporting the sighting.
Managed to get a better (though still not perfect) shot. Briefly back after a fortnight's absence. Colleague saw her with a notably smaller male, so we're fairly confident this is she.
One has been on the University North Campus Faraday tower (what's left of it) intermittently for most Jan so far. Seen feeding on 8th and 9th. Pic taken 15:00 on 11th all fluffed up against the cold.
How do I tell if it's male or female? I know the F is bigger, but that's not much help when you can only see one.
both male & female on view this afternoon, both landed on the arndale at one point. the male almost caught a pigeon above me near the cathedral needless to say I lost view of it as it carried on down deansgate. a funny moment with the female as she flew overhead & headed towards one of the new buildings up cathedral approach,101 embankment, she was looking to land on the letters on the front of the building, the letters saying SWINTON, & as she went to actually land on the letter N she couldn't as they were stuck on letters she then turned around & decided to land on the premier inn. currently one of her favourite perching spots is covered up & has scaffolding around it, just like the cathedral
Fri 22nd Dec: 1 Peregrine perched on Arndale Tower, viewed from Shudehill bus station.
Sat 23rd Dec: 1 bird seen chasing pigeons above St Anns Square, then flying low over my head across Deansgate and along the side of Kendals. 1 hour later a bird seen flying past the Cathedral.
Nice to see the birds doing something other than just sitting around.
Male & female both on view this afternoon, on the last few visits I have noticed the female has actually been lying down on a favoured spot rather than perched upright, she did stand up at one point walk along then plonk herself back down, well she is getting old now ! The male got some food from a nearby larder (a new one that I have not noticed before) then fly off with it & went out of view.
Three peregrines over Piccadilly Gardens around noon today. A male and female engaged in what looked very much like display; male flashing around, stooping and diving, and even what looked very much like food passing-like behaviour on occasion (though, as far as I could tell, neither had any actual prey); a second male also about, though he'd appear and disappear (too high to make out colouration on any of them). Watched them for about 20 minutes.
What was likely to be happening here? It seems an odd time of year to witness this type of behaviour. Simple pair bonding? Young male getting into practice with parents watching on? Stunning to watch, whatever the explanation.
spent the afternoon watching both male (RA) & female peregrines, good views in the sunshine. the female had a bath & spent some time preening & drying herself off, a couple of photos attached. the male at one point was perched on the letter E of the arndale, not seen any on there for a long time, but then I haven't been in for a while. he also brought some food in, not a recent kill, was from one of the larders they have nearby.
I forgot to mention that back on the 1st of july I had taken some photos of the female & noticed that she had lost a talon on her right leg, after looking at todays photos she had grown that talon back.
-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 5th of November 2017 08:46:26 PM
3.45pm two birds in very close proximity. One plucking a food item. The two were still together just before dark. I am fairly confident and happy to say one of the birds was the resident female.
Looked out the bedroom window just at the right point this morning; one of the peregrine falcons carrying a large looking prey item from near the Hilton flying northwards along deansgate. Lost sight of it past sunlight house.
the male & juvenile were both on show this evening, the juvenile had flown up from a building top & landed on top of an ariel it looked very wet so probably just had a bath, it then stayed there for some time preening, the male close by. no signs of the female.
At least one Peregrine has been loafing on the Town Hall Clock Tower pretty much every time I checked today - one bird screeched in and dislodged a second from a favoured perch at one stage.
Spent an enjoyable hour from 3.15 this afternoon watching a peregrine on a cooling unit halfway up the Premier Inn near the Cathedral. I'm not sure if it was an adult bird but it was having an extensive preening session and I got some strange looks whilst loitering with a camera!
On way back from Rochdale I looked out for the Manchester juv. It was kicking 7 bells out of two crows which made their exit over the Manchester arena. The juv returned and was not very good at landing on various locations. It finally rested on a high rise when it decided to harass a grey heron which was flying very low over Cateaton street and corporation Street. It finally rested on 1 Deansgate.
I visited Manchester on 12th July and had some good views of the juvenile and the female. The juvenile harassed the female for food but she was having none of it. Late into the evening the juvenile was hunting by herself.
(IMHuO) "in my honest opinion". it took me a while but I eventually got it, with some help from the rspb though
HuMBLE opinion??
Emphasises the point with thes bloody things , anyway, I'm getting off topic here, sorry...
What a silly burke I have edited it now & now back to something I forgot to mention, the adult female also made a quick dash after something & it looked to be a kestrel but only a brief glimpse of it.
i spent over 4 hours this morning/afternoon watching the peregrines, only 3 seen the whole time spent there, juvenile female, adult female, 2yr old male (RA). the juvenile had a couple of short fly arounds, male & female doing some hunting but never brought anything back. the adult female did spend some time on the crane next to Victoria train station even whilst it was moving, she kept changing her position as it tilted. I have attached a photo of her whilst she was on the crane showing her metal ring on right leg. as Adrian says one can only speculate what has happened to the other 2 juveniles. Adrian, to me also it does look like the male & female are only caring for this juvenile. I spent some time chatting to the rspb whilst watching the peregrines & they were happy to show lots of the public good views of the juvenile at one point.
(IMHuO) "in my humble opinion". it took me a while but I eventually got it, with some help from the rspb though
-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 1st of July 2017 06:38:25 PM