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The resident adult Poole peregrines were displaying to each other in the high nest box a couple of days ago. Day length is approx. the same as pre-breeding/Spring. The juvenile male (HG) from this year's brood continues to be a 'stay-at-home' bird.

Peregrine Falcons are go! See Hellie's fabulous guest blog on our shiny new website! @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @uptonpictures.bsky.social @britishnatureguide.bsky.social @bbcspringwatch.bsky.social @britishbirds.bsky.social @rspb.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Was out yesterday checking on some fledged hobby chicks from a brood we ringed on an urban fringe heathland site. All three chicks doing well. Won't be long before they head off on migration. The latest I have seen a family still at this site is 6th Oct. but most will be gone 2 weeks before this.

The trials of life in a Hobby nest! As the last to fledge, there's always a battle at mealtimes. Today, an older chick wrestled the food off its sibling, 'mantling' to keep it for itself. Ever resourceful, the youngest snuck in underneath - can you spot him? Read on at: drsg.co.uk/f/life-in-a-...

First wild White-tailed eagle to fledge in Dorset for 240 years Watching eagles has been amazing. With such a complex habitat mosaic, the forests in Dorset are able to support a whole range of specialist and rare species. See link more eagle info & congratulations to @forestryengland.bsky.social.

Wonderful news this evening! A pair of Montagu's Harrier has bred at a secret location in England this summer, the RSPB has announced:

Sadly we have to report that today a Goshawk came calling to the live Hobby nest. Nature is incredible & hard at times. Goshawks are also amazing. We've learned loads about the lives of these heathland Hobbies & thanks for your support Read on: drsg.co.uk/f/a-goshawk-... @forestryengland.bsky.social

We recently ringed the 2 hobby chicks at the Dorset Live Hobby nest camera. Video link: youtu.be/h1XWCEbYKZs Please visit www.drsg.co.uk to donate to our voluntary study group. Thanks. @forestryengland.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @raptoraidjimmi.bsky.social

Curious about why our live-stream wild Hobbies have a man-made nest? Do they not build their own? Read on for all the answers… drsg.co.uk/f/the-lowdow... @forestryengland.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social @raptoraidjimmi.bsky.social

Hobby chick ringing season is well under way. 3 chicks approx 18 days old on an urban fringe heathland site Dorset. Also a wood pigeon nest 5 feet from the hobbies. WP purposefully nest close to hobbies to gain extra protection as hobbies defend the nest area from other predators.

Dorset LIVE Hobby nest camera going good. Two chicks feeding well and growing FAST. Visit drsg.co.uk/f/a-peek-beh... to read a blog about the process of setting up and installing a camera system for hobbies.

Dorset LIVE Hobby nest camera is fully live! Please visit DRSG.co.uk to read blogs and find the 'go-fund-me' link. Enjoy! camstreamer.com/redirect/j4D... @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social

The Dorset LIVE Hobby nest camera eggs have hatched! Read about it here drsg.co.uk/f/hobby-chic.... The live stream will go public tomorrow. @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @dorsetwildlife.bsky.social

At last we are delighted to share with you this year's LIVE Hobby nest camera from a site within the Forestry England South Forest District. To view the live stream visit our website blog and click on the image. Enjoy! drsg.co.uk/f/fabulous-f... @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @harbourbirds.bsky.social

Poole peregrines. Yesterday evening and this morning 3 juveniles and both adults accounted for. One juvenile female hasn't been seen/found during this period...fingers crossed she reappears. The other 3 juveniles are doing well, strong on the wing, exploring and escaping from balconies unaided!

Poole peregrines, rescue #2 this morning (female HD). Released back on the roof and flew strongly away. Once again thanks to Stonewater (housing) for facilitating access. Fingers crossed this won't happen again!

Poole peregrines, the adult female is now bringing most prey to the wooden nest box. The adult male has been nest scraping in this box and two of the juveniles (DZ female and HG male) have been roosting in it.

We now know that all 4 of the juvenile peregrines in Poole have taken maiden flights. One (female HF) got stuck in a tricky spot for 24 hours. Many thanks to Stonewater (housing) for facilitating access over the weekend to help get this bird back on the roof.

Two days ago I climbed the tallest tree I ever have to build an osprey nest for the Devon Osprey Partnership CIC. A Monterey Pine 118 feet tall. Previous tall trees were, 110 feet (Redwood, Canford School.) and the Carey osprey nest 108 feet, trimmed to 105 feet (Balsam Fir).

I ringed a brood of 4 kestrels yesterday and one of them had a white talon. I've ringed approx 1200 kestrels in my career and never seen this before (lack of melanin).

Poole peregrines all doing well. Monitored frequently by a good team of local watchers. One juvenile was confirmed to have fledge successfully yesterday, the one male HG. He has been AWOL for 24 hours but returned this morning....right infront of the camera! Just the three sisters to fledge now.

Checked some Dorset nest boxes a couple of days ago to determine breeding stages of various species. Found polygyny occurring in a little owl box! There are two females in this box and twice as many eggs as normally laid. This is the 3rd species we have found polygyny in (kestrel + sparrowhawk)

All four Poole peregrine juveniles accounted for on the roof of Harbour Sails (ASDA high rise) 0650. Will this be the day one/some of them fly?

Poole peregrine 'chicks' developing well....exploring the roof and getting exercise....will be fledging imminently. Fingers crossed it goes well for them, we will be doing our best to assist any that end up on the ground. 🤞

Footage gathered will add to our data set studying Hobby diets....hoping to get a paper written before the year is out.

Hoping to deliver a live streaming Hobby nest camera this year. We have several cameras up on nests/baskets that were used last year; some are looking promising but we won't know for sure until eggs are laid! Average laying date is approx 14th June....🤞

Poole peregrines, all 4 chicks being fed and developing well despite the gulley where their nest tray is having flooded. There are some dry patches now for them to move around on. Won't be long before they hop up onto the flat roof and get more space for exercise.

We ringed the Poole peregrines brood this morning. 4 healthy chicks (3 females and 1 male). Ringed, colour ringed, biometrics and DNA sampling. White on blue colour rings (DZ, HD, HF, HG). Thanks to Stonewater for access and my experienced ringing assistant Terry Elborn.

Now the Poole peregrine chicks are bigger and moving around on the tray we have manged to see there are infact 4 chicks and not 3 as previously guessed. 😊

The male peregrine at Poole has decided the unused nest box is a good place to cache prey items.....it is well shaded.

Both adult peregrines in Poole have been visiting the nest box they 'should' be nesting in recently. The female is colour ringed and hatched on Winchester Cathedral 2023. This box is approx 15 feet directly above where their chciks are so I suspect is giving them a good vantage point.

Female Hobby this morning at the site where we live streamed a nest camera for the last 3 seasons. Good to see these birds back. We won't be live streaming from this site this year.....will try from new locations. 🤞

Poole peregrines, 3 chicks are now visible. Regular updates from a handful of dedicated ground watchers are reporting both adults doing ok. With any luck we will get some colour rings on these chicks end of next week.

Poole peregrines, both adults at the nest this morning (food delivery 0939). Chicks getting bigger each day!

Correction to yesterday's post. 2023 Poole adult peregrines died simultaneously (probable bird flu) approx 3 weeks after their chicks fledged and the chicks managed to fend for themselves.

Poole peregrines on Harbour Sails (ASDA high-rise) doing well. Both adults present feeding chicks this morning (0945). Fingers crossed this family does not succumb to bird flu.

Sad news the female peregrine at Christchurch Priory has been reported dead. Most probably bird flu as this is present locally. The body and eggs have been collected by DEFRA. 2023 both adult peregrines in Poole died simultaneously when their chicks were approx 3 weeks old, again probably bird flu.

The Poole, Dorset, peregrine pair do now have chicks! 30th April there were at least 3 eggs, this morning (2nd May) the eggs have become a fluffy white mass. As the chicks get bigger the images might get better! (terrible 4G camera installed at distance in haste just to record occupancy).

Female peregrine on nest tray at Poole very hunched up this morning suggesting she has hatched young under her (or imminent). I will watch constantly from first light tomorrow to see if feeding takes place.

Poole peregrines this morning....incubation continues. Here the male is incubating and the female (well fed) is standing over.

An interesting occurrence last week at an F.E. (Wareham Forest) osprey nest platform. A pair of peregrines courted/displayed for an hour or so. Almost certainly a new pair showing how dense the population is becoming..... considering less preferred nest site types. Nearest neighbours 2.4km.

Some bird of prey pellets from our travels to show size comparison. White-tailed Eagle (Scotland), Barn Owl (Yorkshire), Hobby Dorset.

Another beautiful morning in Dorset. Incubation continues for the Poole peregrine pair. With the not-so-good 4G camera being so far away from the nest its not possible to see eggs so we will just need to wait for hatching.

Hoping to set up a live hobby nest camera from Dorset this year.....🤞🤞

Super pleased to see reports of hobby in Dorset a coupe pf days ago!!! Here we go!!! 😁

Incubation will have started at the Poole peregrines nest site.....female and male on the nest tray virtually constantly now. Can't / wont be able to see eggs unfortunately as the camera had to go so far away from the nest tray.

Poole peregrines female in incubation mode. Not been able to see if any eggs yet. 🤞

I've been away in Scotland maintaining osprey nest cameras, back in Dorset now. Yesterday both peregrines in Poole were on the (ASDA) high rise and this morning one in the nest tray (in an incubating posture) for the 30 mins I was watching live. Zoom in to the end of the gulley.

The Poole peregrines have been visiting the nesting tray every day and doing all the right things. Here's a piece of poor quality video from the 4G camera keeping an eye (enable sound).