Breeding Success

I keep an eye on two Peregrine eyries within the boundaries of my south-west Leicestershire listing area. One site has become hard to monitor as the pair there have moved the nesting site to a ledge which is much further from the viewing point, but not so the second pair. I was watching two young on the nest ledge from a safe distance when something caught my eye. It took a second or to to work out where the movement came from but when I did I was surprised to see it was a juvenile Peregrine. It must have set out on its first flight, as it was quite a distance from the eyrie. Luckily I had my camera with me, so I blasted off a few shots and then retreated just in case the parents were watching. The pair have raised three eyases (chicks) this year.

Juvenile Peregrine

Staying with the breeding theme, the seven young Shelducks are still doing well at Cotesbach Landfill site and the Herring Gull chicks in Leicester are piling on weight on a diet of old pizzas and chips.