Peregrines and Ravens 2009 (1 Viewer)

[joannec]

Great stuff, Joanne (& Adrian).

Watching local Kestrels over the last few days: I think they are laying but not yet incubating.

Good luck to your kestrels. Had a pair on my patch, bred successfully for years, but something happened to the female last year and it seemed that no chicks survived. I've seen a new female but only once. Hope she stays around.

 

[dantheman]

Very nice. Been quite a while since I've seen either a Raven or a Pergrine perched up, let alone doing the family/nesting thing. Must be especially nice being able to watch and study them as much as you want to. Hoping they continue to have a good season...

Was just wondering was how long it takes to whitewash the cliffs each year...? Or could it be chalk?

 

[Rockbirder]

Ravens.

Great news Adrian. I hope you'll keep us posted on their progress. And very nice pictures too.


Great excitement at the cliffs yesterday....I arrived late in the afternoon to find almost twitch like numbers of bins and scopes. The gaping red mouths of the raven chicks are clearly visible; you can just about see them in the first picture. These youngsters are growing up in the fine spring weather we've been having. I counted three but there may be more as it seemed that the parents were feeding another one or two out of sight. Very attentive parents with both taking it in turn to feed them. There was nearly always one at or very close to the nest throughout my visit. They catch baby rabbits on the grassy tops of the Downs and bring bits back. There also appears to be a larder ledge which the male likes, picture below of him, I think. The bird on the nest I think is the female....it's so hard to tell these two apart. It's all happening with the raven family......

....in contrast to the Peregrines. The female is out of sight most of the time tucked back on the nest ledge but I do get a glimpse of her. Her mate is high up keeping watch. It's likely that she has started incubating.:t: This is a closely monitored site and the chicks will be ringed with green colour rings. If anyone sees peregrines that are green colour ringed it would be very good to hear this news as they could be offspring from previous years from this female.

A few pictures, not great as I am still getting to grips with digiscoping.

Hey up Jo', you're very lucky to be able to watch Ravens on the nest like you do. Here in darkest staffordshire Ravens can be seen daily during winter but during the breeding season they almost disappear. Well, they certainly do in my neck of the woods. During late winter i had a flock of 30 feeding on a dead sheep behind where i work, but now i will be lucky if i see more than one or two before August.

cheers

Andy.

 

[joannec]

Thanks Rockbirder. Ravens aren't common in SE England, only been breeding here for a few years but I think they will become more common. I can't imagine 30 at once.

Today's Excitement at the Cliffs

I spent far too much time at The Cliffs today.....a morning visit was quiet with only one raven on the 'larder ledge' No sign of the other one and a single red gaping bill poking up from the nest. No sign of the peregrines. We left and spent the morning birding on the coast but got defeated by FOG......couldn't see far and what birds we did see looked dull. Highlights were mergansers offshore and an obliging rock pipit. Did find two different peregrines to the pair I report on in this thread though.

Called back into The Cliffs in on our way home and so glad we did. Afternoon seems to be the most eventful time to watch here. One of the ravens is on the larder ledge when we arrive and we soon find the other in a nearby tree; soon joined by the other. They are so devoted to each other. They perch together and the male (I think) preens the female for what seems like ages....very sweet and they seem to enjoy the time away from the kids.

I find what I think is the male peregrine on a favoured high ledge. Suddenly 'he', just after the ravens return to their nest, takes off and flies towards the peregrine nest ledge (which you will remember is only about 3 or 4 meters from the ravens nest), does an aggressive swoop with loud calls over the ravens and the peregrine flies off towards the town. Soon returns, freaking out the jackdaws, sending them all up in a cacophony of sound.

But....and this is when it gets hard..... I discover another peregrine....came in unnoticed as I checked this ledge earlier. I find the MALE so I had been mistaking the female all along today! :C So two, male and female, here but neither on the nest ledge (except briefly)......and I thought the female was already incubating.....guess not or not too seriously yet. It seems like too long for the female to be away form the eggs if she had already started incubating.

The pictures are of the female first and second the male. As I reported earlier, there is not much difference in size between these two. The white patch behind the mustachial stripe on the male is very white, on the female it is greyish. The chest on the male is bolder and whiter and on the bill, I just noticed this today, has more yellow on the male and more dark on the female. Is this an age thing? ( Halftwo: I hope you'll confirm this) Am I right in thinking that the bills of young peregrines are yellower than older ones? This would fit as I've learned from a friend that this female has been nesting here for 8 years and this is her third mate. Sorry about picture quality: they are so high up and distant and my equipment is really at it's limit! It is all just so exciting though!!!

 

[joannec]

Very nice. Been quite a while since I've seen either a Raven or a Pergrine perched up, let alone doing the family/nesting thing. Must be especially nice being able to watch and study them as much as you want to.

Sorry Dan, I missed this. I just can't get enough of it!!! I could watch them all day.

(Whitewash3......think you got decorating on the mind!)

 

[halftwo]

Hi Joanne,

Have been looking this up in Forsman and in BWP.
Can't find a mention of bill colour/age relationship - other than juvs vs. adults.
Maybe someone else knows?

If a second male is tolerated so close maybe he's a youngster from the pair from last year. Did you note any juv. features?

H

 

[joannec]

Hi Joanne,

Have been looking this up in Forsman and in BWP.
Can't find a mention of bill colour/age relationship - other than juvs vs. adults.
Maybe someone else knows?

If a second male is tolerated so close maybe he's a youngster from the pair from last year. Did you note any juv. features?

H

Thanks H. I didn't mean to imply there was a second male (although I think there could be) but that the second picture was THE male and a youngish one as he's only been around for two years at this site apparently.

 

[halftwo]

So two, male and female, here

Sorry, Joanne, I was half asleep & mentally removed the first comma, as quoted above.

 

[paulwfromtheden]

Great thread Joanne, really impressive research and photos.
I think I have been to this spot with you haven't I?

 

[Himalaya]

I went to a Raven nest site some days ago and its very in view. The eggs had not hatched. There were quite a few pigeons nesting in the area. What could stop the raven from taking the eggs or young of the Pigeons? I guess nothing unless theres some moral decency code when near your own nest site?

A Buzzard came along and the Raven really drove it off. The Buzzard back-flipped and kinda made that mew sound.

 

[joannec]

Thanks Paul, you have been to this site.

I went to a Raven nest site some days ago and its very in view. The eggs had not hatched. There were quite a few pigeons nesting in the area. What could stop the raven from taking the eggs or young of the Pigeons? I guess nothing unless theres some moral decency code when near your own nest site?

A Buzzard came along and the Raven really drove it off. The Buzzard back-flipped and kinda made that mew sound.

Sounds like your ravens are a little behind the ones I watch as you'll see for my next account....wonder if yours are a young pair. I'm not sure there is any 'moral decency code' between birds when it comes to food but with pigeons there are so many that a few losses through egg predation probably have no real impact on their numbers as they have multiple broods each year.

Speaking of buzzards; I watch a rookery at another site which is very active now. Yesterday 5 buzzards were circling low above the rookery. The rooks seemed to take it in turns to chase them away. It eventually worked but took some time ......or maybe the buzzards just decided to move off of their own accord. I don't really know.

 

[joannec]

Raven Fledging Behaviour

I've not been down to the cliffs in over a week, not been feeling too well but happily, better now. The chicks really are growing, stretching and flapping their wings....parents are busy, both still attentive but not so much on the nest; it must be getting crowded with this growing brood. Today I could only see two chicks though which is a bit worrying, possibly some have died. You'll remember that last time I was here I counted three gaping bills and suspected another one or two were in the nest tucked further down.

No real action from the peregrines today, the male perched high and no sign of the female.

The raven pictures below show:
1) raven chick practising wing exercises.
2) chick and parent, mother I think.
3)two chicks and parent on the left and
4)the dad keeping his distance.

I'm going to stick my neck out a little and say I think they are about a week away from fledging.

 

[halftwo]

Sorry to hear you've been off colour, Joanne, and glad you're well now.
Looks a week at most 'til fledging I reckon.

 

[joannec]

Sorry to hear you've been off colour, Joanne, and glad you're well now.
Looks a week at most 'til fledging I reckon.

Thanks H....better get down there every day in case I miss it then!

 

[Himalaya]

The eggs of the pair that i have seen have hatched. Must have happened in early April sometime. i could count 2 gaping red mouths. Im guessing as im up North they may breed later but ravens have been recorded nesting in Dcember in the Himalaya's.

A pair of Raven's has nested at that site since 2007 Im guessing, when i first noticed them. In 2008 I had noticed them again but it was mid-May and i noticed 4 birds in total. 2 were clumsy flyers. i realised that Raven's use the same nest site over and over again and this year i have been rewarded. the nest site may not even be 10 metres above ground level and whenever i have approached i do not stay there for long because the adults fly from the nest and at times disappear out of view.

I noticed a lot of pigeons, wood pigeons nesting on the small cliff. im surprised the adult raven's do not predate the adult pigeons. If they tried to take the eggs or the chicks would the pigeons fight back?

I have noticed theres always a pheasant lurking around the nest site and just wondered if adult Ravens were capable of beating pheasants to death? im sure pheasants would fight back though.

There appears to be Curlews in the area too. However, theres no Corvids within the vicinity. I wonder why? LOL

Thanks Paul, you have been to this site.



Sounds like your ravens are a little behind the ones I watch as you'll see for my next account....wonder if yours are a young pair. I'm not sure there is any 'moral decency code' between birds when it comes to food but with pigeons there are so many that a few losses through egg predation probably have no real impact on their numbers as they have multiple broods each year.

Speaking of buzzards; I watch a rookery at another site which is very active now. Yesterday 5 buzzards were circling low above the rookery. The rooks seemed to take it in turns to chase them away. It eventually worked but took some time ......or maybe the buzzards just decided to move off of their own accord. I don't really know.

 

[joannec]

....better get down there every day in case I miss it then!

.....well, I've not got down there every day; been away 10 days and it just shows what a trip to Paris does!

But pleased to report that the raven chicks are still around.....branchers I think they are now called. They've left the nest but hop from ledge to ledge within about 10' of the nest, no further. Only two chicks so whatever happened to the others will remain a mystery. Did the peregrines get them in their threatening swoops, deliberately or inadvertantly? I don't know. Two is not a great success rate for ravens; this pair fledged five last year. There's plenty of food around as they easily prey on the numerous baby rabbits on top of The Downs, easy peasy prey for these adult ravens. Both parents bring in food for this hungry pair and ALWAYS one or the other is very close on another ledge while the other hunts and brings back the food. I wonder if it is the close proximity to the peregrines that means one has to always be in attendance?

Both peregrines here today, the male on one of his favourite scrubby bits, the female out of sight, I presume on the nest ledge but she appears several times....it seems to me she is too much off those eggs....we see more than I would like to of her this afternoon. The male leaves his perch but he is soon back with a feral pigeon from the town which he proceeds to pluck and eat....he doesn't offer any to his mate. Meanwhile, she leaves her nest ledge and for about half an hour torments those poor ravens, repeatedly dive bombing those defenceless chicks.....is this what happened to the other ones? She swoops so close she could easily wipe out one. She dive bombs the adults and for good measure goes into a stoop at a jackdaw, (she misses). It is just incredible to watch her, swooping fast at the ravens and cliff and at the last possible second changes course and avoids crashing into the cliff....what agility...then veers away, somersaults over, and swings around for another go....this goes on and on, again and again, parent raven cronking away in response. It seems to me they could avoid half this agro if they just nested a bit further apart! Mr P continues to eat his supper and it is only when he is finished that he joins his mate in a token swoop at the ravens and it is then that she returns to the nest ledge.

A few pictures; I wish they were better but distance I think is the problem.

 

[joannec]

I've not been down to the cliffs for a few weeks.....meanwhile the raven chicks have fledged.....no sign of any ravens. A pair of jackdaws are busily dismantling the raven nest and rearranging the sticks a bit further up the cliff, still dangerously close to the peregrines ledge though.

The male peregrine is perched high up the cliff near the top directly above the nest ledge this morning. I'm sure he has a good view unlike me on the ground far below. He preens a bit, bobs a bit and well....just sits. I suspect the female is tucked away back on the ledge incubating the eggs or maybe they've hatched, I don't know. This female has a reputation for late laying so I suspect she is still sitting.

 

[Himalaya]

excellent report
spring has not finished yet but the ravens have fledged. i went to the raven nest site that i know 2 weeks ago - nest empty just 1 adult on top of the hill looked tatty - feathers missing. moulting? fighting? must have had some fledglings as the raven saw off a buzzard but this buzzard was giving as good as he got.

 

[joannec]

excellent report
spring has not finished yet but the ravens have fledged. i went to the raven nest site that i know 2 weeks ago - nest empty just 1 adult on top of the hill looked tatty - feathers missing. moulting? fighting? must have had some fledglings as the raven saw off a buzzard but this buzzard was giving as good as he got.

Thanks Himalaya. Things are pretty quiet down there just now but I'll report later when the peregrine chicks become visible. It is just amazing watching these birds; such a treat and wonderful that they are doing so well in a county that less than 20 years ago had none.

I'm now reading Ratcliffes, 'The Peregrine' thanks to the earlier recommendation, full of interesting insights into behaviour.

 

[s. james]

Joanne, there's also J.A. Baker's The Peregrine, don't kno if you've heard of it but it's good- haven't read it all yet tho. It's a bit of an unusual one (guy tracks peregrines thru Essex all winter) but has some great descriptions of behaviour too, especially hunting.