The lion lies down. (1 Viewer)

romany

Member

• Jul 23, 2004

• #1

Hi All


I always get a rush from watching Perigrines! They are such show stealers. Whenever one appears above the water the sky explodes with waders, there is a HUGE commotion, alarm calls fill the air; in winter there can be hundreds of birds wheeling arround; an amazing sight! Such a great entrance!
Today, however, I watched a Perigrine on Martin Mere quietly preening itself on the ground, sat on a warm stone in the sun for half an hour, right in the midst of its prey; ducks, coots, moorhens, and lapwings all around. Such a tranquil scene, the lion lying down with the lamb! I had all the time in the world to watch its every move, close up through my scope from a comfortable seat in the hide. I could'nt take my eyes of it! After half an hour I had to move on. I expect that when it eventually took flight all hell broke loose! The day was worth that experience alone.

Tom.

 

J

joser

Well-known member

• Jul 23, 2004

• #2

Sounds like you had a really good time. By the sounds of it, the Peregrine was taking advantage of this nice weather, while its still here!!

 

R

RichUK

Flying Nerd

• Jul 23, 2004

• #3

Nice little report, Tom.

Rich.

 

romany

Member

• Jul 24, 2004

• #4

BrianB said:

Great experience, the sort of thing that makes a good day special.

Love the avatar by the way

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Hi Brian

It really was a good day. Saw the Avocet with its young. Whenever one of the many Dunlin got within 20 feet of it the mother would lower her head right down and charge towards it. So graceful and elegant, even in agression.

Glad you like my avatar. He is "Mr Natural" a Robert Crumb cartoon chracter from my hippy days :hippy:

Tom

 

romany

Member

• Jul 24, 2004

• #5

Joser4red said:

Sounds like you had a really good time. By the sounds of it, the Peregrine was taking advantage of this nice weather, while its still here!!

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Hi Jo


Thing was......I wanted everyone to see it, but there was nobody around.
I felt like running down the path and flagging down anyone with a pair of bins round their neck!

Tom

 

romany

Member

• Jul 24, 2004

• #6

RichUK said:

Nice little report, Tom.

Rich.

Click to expand...

Thanks mate!

Tom

 

M

mountain man

Guest

• Jul 24, 2004

• #7

Tom,

Was it from the North West Water Hide? I always get brilliant views from there.

Tom.

 

romany

Member

• Jul 24, 2004

• #8

tom mckinney said:

Tom,

Was it from the North West Water Hide? I always get brilliant views from there.

Tom.

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No Tom it was the first very long hide to the left of the In Focus shop. I think it's the Catty Bank Hide. The Peregrine was on a grassy island on the mere. I was sat at the first window as you go in. If you follow a straight line back from the distant water tower to the grassy island you will see the very stone it was sat on. Maybe it's a favourite preening spot. I will be looking for it there every time I go from now on.


Romany Tom

 

pauco

Старлин&

• Jul 25, 2004

• #9

Hi Tom, what a great sight, it makes it all worth while to me to see a raptor so at ease with the world. Martin-Mere is a great place for raptors there has been a pair of peregrines nesting on the gas tower you can see from the mere for the last 2 years, and the female hunts the mere and marshside at soutport. As tom has said you want to try the north west water hide, as it offers some great veiws.
bert.

 

romany

Member

• Jul 27, 2004

• #10

Hi Bert.

Ahh.........so it's a gas tower, not a water tower as I had assumed.

Yes the perigrine was relaxed as can be. I suppose when you are cock of the walk you can afford to sit back and relax, put your talons up, preen a few feathers, enjoy the sun and survey your kingdom at leisure. I assume that apart from us the Peregrine has no enemies? Hence the great success story since we stopped pouring deadly chemicals over the land, such as DDT. Does this magificant bird have anything to worry about at all?

Tom

I am a great fan of this bird and eagerly await delivery of "The Peregrine" by J A Baker.