Congratulations The first person to read this is the 1500th viewer of this thread
Not bad for a thread about 1 bird Well 2 really. OK 4 if you include the Ravens

I'm bored, can you tell?

Cheers Dean.

Dean Macdonald wrote:

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The roof(level 3) of the Market Place car park gives great views. Just been up there.
Lot's of activity with great close up views of the birds in flight. The male Peregrine attacked a Raven right above my head

By the way, the Bolton News reports today that we have Kestrels nesting on the town hall

Cheers Dean.

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Probably saw the same attack from Newport Street about an hour ago. The raven turned on it's side and showed it's tallons as the peregrines attacked this continued again until the raven alighted on the clock tower! Amazing and surreal seeing them in my town centre.
Before hand both peres cruising around the square.
All this happening and people just walking by not noticing! What's wrong with people!

Peregrine seen several times over Victoria Square at lunchtime. Raven seen on nest, shifting position. Another took off from N side of the clock a little later.

Didn't see either Peregrine today

One Raven landed at the nest at 8am and appeared to be feeding chicks, though i couldn't actually see any. Both were active around the rooftops at lunchtime but didn't visit the nest.

Dean.

i feel it's a tongue in cheek reaction to the lunatic fringe theory, judith.

Male Peregrine flew in to clocktower at 0815hrs (unharmed)and started calling to the female.She appeared at 0820hrs and promptly flew off in a NE direction. The male was showing well say below the clock tower till 0900hrsat least until work interupted.

One was stillshowing well at 1225 sat on the stone rail below the clock tower.

2 Ravens flying around the area most of the morning flying past the office window distracting my work!!

I checked out the unused top floor of my works building today, which would have been good but unfortunately the parish church is in the way. I've got a couple of other places to check out on fri.
It does seem difficult to find somewhere that looks down on the town hall clock. The outskirts of town, with a scope, look like the best options.

Dean.

1 bird again today on the parish church at 8am. No sign at lunchtime. However, i have found a spot close enough to work where i can see the side of the clock where the tray is.

Both Ravens were in the area at lunchtime but didn't visit the nest while i was there.

Dean.

Welcome John - another Bolton town centre watcher!

The fact that only one Peregrine appears to be being seen these last 2 days is good news, as perhaps the female is down on eggs.

1 bird circled the clock and landed at 1pm. All the activity now seems to be around the clock tower. Which is a bit further away from my viewpoint. Think i'm gonna have to start taking my scope to work.
Raven on the parish church at 10am

Dean.

For anyone who is interested in Peregrines, there is an excellent article in April's edition of BBC Wildlife all about how city centre Peregrines hunt at night. It defiantly is a good read.

K

This a.m. my first visit, 9.45 watched male bring food to female which was sat on the very top of the clock tower, superb and all against a brilliant blue sky
Cheers Ian

I went into Bolton early today to have a look at the Peregrines, which were both on the nest tray on the N side of the Town Hall clock tower (unfazed by the chimes) - at one point they appeared to be making a scrape. The best viewing point is the LH side of Upper Bark St Car Park, with a scope. Neither bird appeared to have a Darvic ring, which was a bit surprising, given local Peregrine chicks have had such rings fitted now for a few years.

Imagine my surprise, though, when a Raven landed on the uppermost corner of the clock tower, just below the dome - on a nest! How we've missed that, I don't know. If you look at the base of the dome from the NE corner of Victoria Square (eg near HSBC bank/WH Smiths), there are two finials at each corner of the dome base (at least I think that's what they are called! - decorative urn-like structures). The nest is wedged between these but can be seen with bins from below.

Both Peregrines immediately tried to attack the Raven but couldn't get to it as it was safe between the finials. It's quite possible the Ravens already have chicks, as I know of one nest where there are already at least three young. It's impossible to see into the nest, so I suppose we'll have to wait until they are big enough to be seen. Perhaps it has been used in previous years.

Perhaps it's as well we have the alternative trays on Bolton Parish Church. Whilst Peregrines are normally dominant over Ravens, it is not always the case, as I have observed personally when I actually saw a Raven take Peregrine eggs a few years ago now!

The pair have now gone to the town hall and are exploring their new nest tray there, displaying, bring prey etc etc - all day today and yesterday apparently, even the general public are noticing.

The GMBRG is not badly off, thanks to ecological consultants who pay for data, also Ken had some wood over from a previous sheet of marine ply we paid for, and his employer kindly donated the rest required. I will reclaim the cost of the gravel!
Whilst on this subject, I'd just like to reiterate that observers whose records are used for ecological consultants do get paid. For 2007, £434 was shared out to 11 observers and I keep a running total year to year, so that tiny amounts get carried forward to the next year until a decent minimum is reached.
It's obviously luck whether or not one's records are used, but people observing in the city centre come out well as that's where a lot of development is.

Both still perched on the ornamental stonework, one E face, one S face, at 1330hrs. I am pleased to say we put a couple of nest trays on the (secure) tower today. The pair was also displaying around the town hall yesterday. I do wish they'd make their minds up. It's costing a bomb in gravel and nest trays (thanks again to Ken Haydock who made both, this last one at very short notice)

Birds displaying again at 8am and 1pm. One landed on church tower with prey.

Dean.

Both Birds on the church tower today 1pm.

Dean.

Both birds sat on Parish Church tower 1pm today.

Dean.

Pair displaying today 1pm. Male flew from Parish Church to Gasometer, where the female was feeding on a pigeon. Male took off again and displayed for about 15mins before heading back over town centre. Female then took off with it's meal and headed back towards the church tower. Flew about 10 feet above my head(i could nearly smell the pigeon) and landed back on the church. Best views i've ever had of Peregrines and right in my own back yard Had to go back to work though, i was already late.
This is fantastic news.

Cheers Dean.

Possible Raven again today. Difficult to be sure as very distant.

Dean.

Still no Peregrine. Large crow (possibly Raven) circled the clock today 1pm.

Dean.

Fri 1st Feb.

Peregrine again on Parish church, same place. It was there at 10am and still there at 1pm.

Cheers Dean.