Peregrines 2014 - fledging drama

What a drama!!  The peregrines on Quadrant House didn't nest last year but they have returned with a vengeance this year and produced four healthy chicks.

Fledging from such a high building is always fraught owing to the sheer sides of the main building. In the wild, on a cliff, youngsters flying for the first time might lose height but still be able to land on a ledge lower down and perhaps clamber back to the nest. Quadrant House is unforgiving and some chicks fall to the ground where they may be run over or predated.

This year, three of the chicks appear to have fledged without too much difficulty but No. 4 has had us all with our hearts in our mouths.

Last night he threw himself off in a show of bravado, completed a short circuit, lost height, tried again, lost more height and ended up clinging to the face of the block, fighting with the wires intended to stop birds perching.



Showing the chick, twelve floors up but eight floors below his dad!

Fighting the anti-bird wires

He tried to go up:

Not much success going up, so. . . ..

but fell lower and clung to the pebbledashing by his talons:

. . . . he loses height, but manages . . . .

. . . .to cling to the sheer side by his talons. Then, he manages . . .

. . . to claw his way back up to the wires . . .

. . where it was clear he was going to stay for the night.

Jane, one of the most stalwart volunteers decided to return at first light to see if he had survived the night.

Jane arrived at 04.00 and was pleased to see that the chick had survived. I arrived at 04.35 and was similarly heartened.

At 05.30, we looked up and the chick was gone. Over the next few hours he flew several times to different faces of the building, eventually ending up a few floors below where he had started. He later flew to the roof of a low building nearby, where he stayed for most of the day, at one point fighting off angry magpies and crows. When I returned later in the day I was able to admire this magnificent bird in all its beauty from relatively close quarters.

Sutton chick No. 4

This evening he flew again but is spending another night in the thundery rain. He hasn't eaten for over 24 hours and today's efforts must have weakened him. We don't yet know if he will survive another night. I do hope so!

Drama at Quadrant House as first peregrine chicks fledge!

We knew it could be any day this week but when it happened, none of us was prepared for it. At about 08.30 one of the chicks, No.1 suddenly threw himself off the top of Quadrant House. Clearly it was his/her maiden flight because his feet were down awkwardly and he lost height during the brief circuit. Although dad flew with him on the approach, he didn't quite have enough height to land on the roof again. He clung for a minute or so to the concrete before launching himself again and landing on a lower tower block on the other side of the railway line. Here are some photos showing the heart-stopping sequence.

Dad (top left) shadows his chick on his maiden flight.
Unfortunately the chick is unable to gain enough height.

He clings on for dear life with his claws to the sheer side of the concrete slab

"Can't hang around here all day. I'm off!"

"This is better. I've got my legs up now and life is in the fast lane!
I think I'll head for that other building!"

"Ooops. That building is looming very quickly!!
I'd better put the brakes on"

"Ouch!! Who put the spikes there".

Shortly afterwards, chick No.2 followed suit but just managed to scramble back onto the roof of Quadrant House! Here are his pictures:

No. 2 approaches the top of the Reed Building after a short flight.
It looks as if he won't make it!

Will he?  Won't he?

Oops! Not quite high enough!

Wow! Just made it.

Later, dad patrols the skies.

We're still not sure whether there are still four chicks. The longer we can see only 3 chicks the more likely it is that the fourth one has died or flown off alone.

Watch this space for more news.

Sutton peregrines nearly ready to fledge!

The 4 chicks born to the peregrine falcons on the roof of Quadrant House, Sutton are in the news. They're on the front page of the Sutton Guardian this week.

On Friday, 2 of the chicks were trying out their wings while running along the parapet but the adults weren't taking much notice. They were doing the same today:

Today, the adults were more active, flying round the building and calling to encourage the chicks. This shot shows the parents. The male is on the left. He's considerably smaller than the female but the angle of this shot doesn't show the female at her full size.


Male peregrine left - female right.

Here is the female in flight to encourage the chicks. They didn't all hatch at the same time (because the eggs were not all laid at the same time) so only the first ones to hatch are nearly ready to fly. The others will take a few days longer.

Peregrine falcon - female

Peregrine falcon - female

At one point both adults went after a pigeon. The chase was very exciting for about 200 metres before the pigeon got away by plummetting into a tree!

Later the male caught a small bird (perhaps a sparrow) and dropped it to the female without landing:

I'll keep you posted as the young birds fledge. Watch this space!