The week that was

 

It’s been a bit busy out over the last week, primarily undertaking a nocturnal watching brief at Battersea Power Station, keeping an eye on the peregrines most nights whilst works took place, plenty of activity and hunting. On the 2nd night they were both out at 11.40p.m hunting from the North East chimney, I could hear a good passage of Redwings going over, suspect that there appearance was connected to the movement, opportune and reaction hunting.

Both stayed on the chimneys for a good 2-3 hours and in this time period, disappeared several times and returned a little while later, very much suspect they were catching and then caching prey.

Also cleared out there prey ledge in preparation for the 2022 breeding season, a good range of prey as you can see, this included.

2 Woodcock
2 Black Tailed Godwit
2 Black Headed Gulls
Various Ring Necked Parakeet
Moorhen
Little Owl
Unidentified Wader


A wide range, much I would suspect taken nocturnally, the unidentified wader has got me going and looking further into this, quite remarkable if it is what I think it is.

Also completed another Kestrel Box ready to go up, hope to get this positioned in the next week or so, got a nice Oak in mind but looking at placing this without using screws. It’s a relatively big box so looking at using Straps etc that will not damage the tree. It’s an awkward one though, as the tree grows, you have to keep adjusting the straps regularly, otherwise they will just snap and you will end up with the box on the floor, if accepted, obviously disastrous.

An even bigger box is the 2nd Barn Owl box to compliment the 1st one, placed a little while back, this should be completed shortly.

If you recall the 1st Barnie box was active pretty early after only a day, however it then got even better, checking on the Trail Cams shows daily roosting in it so looks like full acceptance and at times 3 Barn Owls!

A Little Owl has even visited it, so looks like I will be making a box for these in the future.

                                                                       Little Owl

                                                      Different skyline at Vauxhall nowadays

                                                                The Power Station

                                             Pair of peregrines up there, favoured NE chimney

                             Scaffold recently dropped, straight back roosting on the brickwork 

                                                                 Prey from the ledge

                                                    2 Barnies on box with one arriving

                                                   3 Barn Owls - possibly juveniles

                                                                     Kestrel Box

                                                     Barn Owl box coming along