Early layers, 5 eggs and Parliament

There are 2 pairs that I keep an extra eye on when it comes to early laying, both Falcons this year laid there 1st egg on the 15th.In direct comparison to 2015, one was 4 days earlier with the 2nd 4 days later, with a relatively mild winter I had thought that both, given previous year’s form would both be earlier than the 15th.

However, the 15th is 2 weeks earlier than the standard March 28th-April 2nd so the early date can be expected given that London is south and boast’s warmer temperatures in the City, 2 degrees warmer I am told.

As I write this entry on March 25th many pairs have caught up in laying, of the 10 pairs that I monitor, 8 have laid and are incubating, some not fully so likely the early stages of laying.


5 Eggs


It has taken me so long to write this blog entry that one of the 1st layers on the 15th has caught me up and laid 5 eggs no less. A remarkable clutch which, if all hatch, will keep the adults, especially the Tiercel rushed off his feet to provide food. The pressure will then increase when juveniles are near and full grown, each one will demand whole prey for itself, both adults are going to be extremely busy birds.

It is my first clutch of 5 eggs in London in 17 years of monitoring some of London’s Peregrines, the only other 5 I had was a site in Kent, now gone sadly.

Her laying times for each egg have been outstanding and consistent and seem to buck the trend of later eggs taking longer – see below.

1st egg - March 15th

2nd egg – 53 hours 21 minutes later

3rd egg – 53 hours 26 minutes later

4th egg – 53 hours 14 minutes later

5th egg – 55 hours 10 minutes later

The Tiercel in particular, given his smaller size is already struggling to cover all 5 while she feeds or has a preen, here and there an egg pops out but relief from the Falcon is never too long so hopefully all will hatch.


Parliament


It is early days yet, but the Parliament pair are holding to territory on their wintering site and may possibly attempt to breed at Parliament for the 1st time.

Falcon laying up

The alternative is that they just may summer on Parliament, however this may be unlikely as they have been seen copulating.

I have been watching them for the last few months and if you recall from past blog entries on the Parliament Peregrine Diary, their breeding site has always been upriver. However this is now in the process of demolition so the pair have now returned to their ‘home’ site.

Hopefully it will be good news come the end of the Easter holiday.

A confiding Wren checking me out

Magpies building a nest 

Photos below are from an earlier visit in the week, as you can see Egyptian Geese at Parliament and even investigating potential chimney nest sites across the road – remarkable.

Rainham RSPB

March 17th





My usual circuit on a grand sunny morning at last also produced a good mornings birding, I added 3 year ticks to the list.

With spring now in sight it is just good to be out, thoughts are now turning to Wheatear, Sand Martin and Little Ringed Plover as the early arrivals, none seen but Rainham I expect will turn up one or the other very shortly.

All ticks were encountered on the river wall with Corn Bunting being the first followed by a flyover Grey Wagtail and then 2 Chiffchaff’s in the bramble.

I was also hoping for Rock or Water Pipit as these are now on the turn into summer plumage and appear very smart, especially the Water’s.

On walking round the Reserve, displaying Redshank and Lapwing seemed to be everywhere whilst overhead produced 2 Marsh Harriers, a Peregrine and a Common Buzzard.

Displaying Redshank - everywhere

Having met Russ earlier, he had then found a Jack Snipe from the new scrape hide, slightly distant and well camouflaged, it still gave good views. My previous effort was a bird in flight earlier in the year so this was very welcome.

Well camouflaged Jack Snipe

A bit more visible avoiding the Moorhen

For my next visit, hopefully some spring migrants.

Beckton Sewage Works

Green Sandpiper and Grey Wagtail making the most of the sunshine on Sunday.

Rainham RSPB

February 27th


With some spare time at last a visit to the reserve was in order, of late I have not had the chance.

The morning started off well along the river wall with an overhead calling Yellowhammer, a hard bird to get at the site, if I recollect I have only ever seen perhaps 4 or 5 in all the years I have been watching the site.

Moving on then produced 2 Ruff flying off the reserve with a flock of Dunlin, first thoughts were Redshank but as they got closer quite clearly Ruff.

I then had good views of a Water Pipit along with at least 4 Rock Pipits on the saltmarsh; I also had 3 Black Tailed Godwit, one showing the first signs of summer plumage.

A very good start to the morning, a walk round the reserve then produced 2 Marsh Harriers, around 60 Golden Plover and on arriving at the woodland, a singing Goldcrest.

A good sign of the times is that you now take seeing a Marsh Harrier on the reserve for granted every time I visit,good to see the birds fortunes have changed dramatically from past years.

I wonder if it will ever happen for Hen Harrier?

No sign of the Dartford Warbler around Ken’s Hide, didn’t even see the Stonechats.

Not Rainham but my garden - Blackcap now a regular on the apples

I was quite happy at that for the morning, on arriving at the centre for a cuppa, Ruth came in and said an Iceland Gull was on the other side of the river.
Distant views were then had and showed a 1st winter bird, excellent, a big thanks to Ruth for the shout and well done to Jonathan Wasse for finding the bird.
Topping it off , as I looked at the Iceland Gull, an Avocet walked straight through the scope view, a much needed year tick.

After this I covered the area where the Long Eared Owl had recently been seen in the week near the Stone Barges, not surprisingly this proved negative.

A quick look then from Aveley Bay produced the final tick of the day found by Shaun, Great Crested Grebe.

A good morning with the patch year list now on 88, looking forward to next month when the first of the spring migrants start arriving.

The week at Hoo

To be more precise, the North Kent Marshes again and my regular survey area on Cooling Marshes, last Thursday’s survey was undertaken in decent weather at last.

Plenty of waders and wildfowl are now using the site as a high tide roost; the rain water as yet has not covered it although 50% has now flooded.

Thursday produced good numbers of Lapwing and Golden Plover along with Dunlin, 50 odd Grey Plover were also roosting as were a small flock of Curlew.

The Peregrine effect

Dunlin

Grey Plover coming in to roost

It has also attracted up to 8 wintering Green Sandpipers, the mid week survey also produced Bearded Tit, my first in a while.

A female Peregrine was also active and bunched everything up nicely to be counted.

Sunday’s survey was undertaken by myself and Paul, the highlight of the day undoubtedly going to 13 White Fronted Geese, these were the first we have had this winter and probably ties in with colder weather and a different wind change direction – north easterly.

Tucked in with a massive flock of 278 Greylag Geese there was also 19 Dark Bellied Brent’s amongst the flock, Paul later had a single Barnacle as well with the Greylag’s.

White Fronted Geese behind the Greylag's

Other birds of note were 189 Avocet, 150 of which were at the western end, a little unusual as they usually seem to stick to the Egypt Bay area.

40 Knot on the river were good, as was 8 Corn Bunting and a Little Owl in the Barn where we park up.

The little chap

Corn Bunting

North Kent Marshes

Feb 7th



Although a sunny day, Sunday’s bright weather bought with it a very strong wind for myself and Paul, as usual from the south west and part of the latest storm.

At times it was impossible to look through the scope, keeping  it still was a problem as was the watering of the eyes due to the wind.

Consequently due to the weather, normal passerine counts on the survey were low but being high tide I did pick up some roosting birds on my area, most notably Lapwing (800), Golden Plover (450) and at least 2200 Dunlin.

4 Green Sandpipers were again feeding together in the same flood was good, as was 110 Avocet roosting on the river west of Egypt Bay,17 Turnstone completed the river count.

Avocet

Part of the massive Dunlin flock

Giant container ship at Coryton

Grey Plover

Unusual sight of the morning goes to the photos below, whilst walking along the river wall a flock of Linnets got up and some got blown over the wall with the wind. I grabbed a couple of photos just in case a Twite was amongst them and noted something in the corner of my vision appear and disappear back below the wall, at the time I thought Crow.

Moving on as I was on a transect, I checked the camera later, it shows a Crow which looks like it has a Linnet, on closer inspection however the Linnet has been grabbed by yellow feet. I suspect a Kestrel or a Merlin has grabbed the linnet and the Crow was trying to relieve it of the prey.

Wind blown Linnet with the Crow/Kestrel/Merlin - who knows?

2016 - Peregrines

Unbelievably another new year and peregrine breeding season has arrived, January marks a very busy month for me, I enjoy it though, I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction when a nest box or a tray is used annually and aids in successful breeding.

To date I have cleaned out 5 nest boxes and 2 trays, all are in use and take quite a bit of substrate to fill up, especially nest boxes being far larger than a tray.

Nest boxes and trays are more or less successful wherever you go, both work and in most cases where I have placed either, it has often been they are desperate for a nest site position which the building/structure may not offer.

Tray’s always have 100mm of substrate and I try and do the same for nest boxes, some Falcons’ will just make a shallow scrape but others will sometimes go the whole hog and scrape out nearly to the bottom.

A new box, a bit different from the used one below

I am lucky enough to be watching a pair on CCTV, the mild weather over the last month has got them all a flutter and I have seen them several times in the nest box giving ledge display and ‘beaking’.

Southern Peregrines seem to be laying earlier and earlier, this is certainly the case in London, last year’s earliest date if I recall correctly was March 10th. Will they be early again this year due to the mild weather? It certainly wouldn’t surprise me in London with its overall warmer temperatures.

It could be that in the not too distant future with climate change and warmer winters, that NaturalEngland may well consider bringing the February Schedule 1 licence start forward to January, as pairs become territorial earlier.


One pair that have done exceptionally well over the last 3 years is the pair at Battersea Power Station, a new ringed female came in at the end of 2013 and they have accomplished successful breeding since 2014.

This year will be a challenge for them with works on the actual Power Station about to start in earnest. It is testament to the species resilience so far that they have adapted to the major works on site, even with chimney demolition and reconstruction.

With one new chimney already built, the peregrines are already using it whilst the remaining 3 are being taken down.

The Battersea Tiercel

Hopefully more of this at Battersea in 2016

Black Redstart - another species that breeds at Battersea Power Station

Practice makes perfect

Hopefully another successful year in 2016.