Wildlife News for July
Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2014 11:40 am
Volunteers in Beeston are celebrating after a round-the-clock watch over one of Cheshire’s rarest birds of prey helped to see four young chicks successfully take their maiden flights.
The rare Peregrine Falcons – one of only a handful of pairs in Cheshire – set up home again at Beeston Castle earlier this Spring and the feathered family have since been under the watchful eye of volunteers 24 hours a day.
The security stakes were high after just a few days of the eggs hatching when would-be intruders attempted to access the nest area high on a cliff at the castle.
A further attempt to reach the area by intruders was also thwarted by volunteers, demonstrating the very real threat from illegal egg or chick theft of the Peregrines, which have gradually recovered in numbers following devastating losses during the 1950s and 1960s through pesticide use.
With the brood of four chicks now fully fledged and in the air, the team, who have clocked-up more than 1,700 hours of volunteer time can relax and enjoy the spectacle of the young Peregrines being taught to hunt by their parents.
The young Peregrines will undergo weeks of ‘top gun’ training from their parents, as they develop the skills that will ultimately see them become the fastest animal on the planet, capable of dive speeds that are believed to be in excess of 200mph.
The adult Peregrines will aid the youngsters’ hunting prowess by capturing prey which they will then drop from a height, giving their offspring a chance to try out their own mid-air ambush tactics.
(Re-posted from Cheshire Wildlife Trust 11th July 2014)
The rare Peregrine Falcons – one of only a handful of pairs in Cheshire – set up home again at Beeston Castle earlier this Spring and the feathered family have since been under the watchful eye of volunteers 24 hours a day.
The security stakes were high after just a few days of the eggs hatching when would-be intruders attempted to access the nest area high on a cliff at the castle.
A further attempt to reach the area by intruders was also thwarted by volunteers, demonstrating the very real threat from illegal egg or chick theft of the Peregrines, which have gradually recovered in numbers following devastating losses during the 1950s and 1960s through pesticide use.
With the brood of four chicks now fully fledged and in the air, the team, who have clocked-up more than 1,700 hours of volunteer time can relax and enjoy the spectacle of the young Peregrines being taught to hunt by their parents.
The young Peregrines will undergo weeks of ‘top gun’ training from their parents, as they develop the skills that will ultimately see them become the fastest animal on the planet, capable of dive speeds that are believed to be in excess of 200mph.
The adult Peregrines will aid the youngsters’ hunting prowess by capturing prey which they will then drop from a height, giving their offspring a chance to try out their own mid-air ambush tactics.
(Re-posted from Cheshire Wildlife Trust 11th July 2014)