Salt end peregrines 2020 | stories from a live peregrine nest camera

This is the story of a family of peregrine falcons living on an industrial site in Hull. Known as the ‘Salt End Peregrines’, these birds live high on a cooling tower at Salt End Chemical Park where live cameras follow their every move. Scroll down to see how the story has inspired new artworks.

Click here for a brief history of The Salt End Peregrines| Click here for the story of The Salt End Peregrines in 2019

April 23rd – May 12, 2020 –Watch the Chicks Grow. Stories from the Salt End Peregrine Camera

The peregrine chicks have grown at an amazing rate. In six days they doubled their weight and at three weeks they are now 10 times their hatching weight and need round the clock care. The male does most of the hunting, but it is the female that tears up the prey into small morsels to feed the chicks. The short film below was made from clips taken from cameras inside the nest and shows her tenderly feed each chick in turn. I found it interesting how she hops into the nest carrying her prey in one claw. Often she will have collected this from a cache where the male leaves it for her.

The female is also mainly responsible for brooding. These chicks are too young to maintain their own body heat and so they depend on her body warmth. They are getting a little bit big for her to sit on though! Watch the following clip to see how they are now more than half her size. I’m expecting the chicks to be ready to fetch in the first week of June, so keep checking in to see the action!

April 21st – 23rd, 2020 Hatching Time .Stories from the Salt End Peregrine Camera

All four peregrine chicks have hatched successfully! It was nail-biting to watch as the chicks emerged one after another. The first two hatched overnight on April 21st-22nd then the third hatched at midday on the 22nd, but there was a long anxious wait for the final chick and I was relieved when it finally emerged at 5pm on the 23rd. Watch the video clip below it see it chipping through the eggshell. Earlier, the adult peregrine seemed a little confused and actually tucked a bit of broken eggshell under her to brood!

All four chicks are now being cared for by the adult pair. It’s lovely to see the female shuffle down on to brood them, its so important that the chicks are kept warm at this stage. The female is in sole charge of feeding the chicks at this early stage. Watch the clip below to see her head out to fetch their first meal. Peregrines will often cache food somewhere close to the nest, where they can keep an eye on it, and the male often lets the female know when he delivers something new to this cache. Notice in the film below how, after the chicks have finished their first meal, the female flies out of the nest with the remains of the catch. Peregrines like to keep a clean and tidy nest, if they don’t they risk their infection, and so they clear away food once it has been eaten. She will most likely bring this back to the nest later for the chicks to finish off. 

April 6th, 2020 Incubating the Eggs. Stories from the Salt End Peregrine Camera

The Salt End Peregrines have been taking good care of their eggs. The male and female both take it in turn to incubate the clutch. Although the female does most of the work, the male has been helping her during the day quite a bit. Sometimes when the female is desperate for a break she seems to squawk loudly at the male as soon as he turns up. It sounds as if she’s quite cross with him for taking so long. Often she will then run out of the nest, dropping headfirst off the tower. In the clip below she pauses for a moment before making a leap for freedom. Watch as the male then settles onto the clutch of eggs. He really has to shuffle himself down on to them! Male peregrines are smaller than females and he doesn’t seem to quite fit on these big eggs! I’m expecting these eggs to hatch next week, so keep tuned to see the chicks!

Sunday March 15th – Friday March 20th, 2020 A Total of Four Peregrine Eggs Are Laid. Stories from the Salt End Peregrine Camera

16:20Hrs | Friday, March 13th | 2020 The First Egg is Laid. Stories From the Salt End Peregrine Camera

Watch the following clip to see the female as she lays the first egg of 2020. This peregrine is an old hand at parenting and this will be her sixth clutch to be raised at this vast industrial park. You can see her on this live clip as she labours, then steps aside to reveal a red-brown speckled egg. Interestingly, she doesn’t sit down immediately on the egg but appears to take a rest with it safely by her feet for a short while before finally settling down to incubate. Click on the image below to play the video.

Peregrine Falcon Facts

Peregrines lay up to five dark brown, speckled eggs  These are incubated for 29 to 33 days, mainly by the female, with the male also helping during the day. After hatching, the chicks are covered with creamy-white down and have disproportionately large feet. At this point both male and female leave the nest to hunt to feed their young. They have to work hard since peregrine chicks grow very rapidly.

In six days they double their weight and at three weeks old they are 10 times their size at birth. Chicks fledge 42 to 46 days after hatching, and remain dependent on their parents for up to two months.

Click here to learn more about peregrine falcons

Peregrine Paintings

Inspired by the Salt End Peregrines

The peregrine pair at Salt End has inspired a collection of paintings. I use the nest cameras to study these birds so that my paintings are as accurate as possible. Scroll down to see the full collection:

The Look Of A Peregrine, painted by Robert E Fuller

You may also like to follow:

Barn Owl Nest Camera | Kestrel Nest Camera 

Read More:

https://www.robertefuller.com/the-peregrines-of-salt-end-a-history/

https://www.robertefuller.com/filming-a-peregrine-falcon-nest-in-an-extreme-zone/

https://www.robertefuller.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-peregrine-falcons-the-facts/