Saturday 21 May 2016

Bath Bitch Bird in Norfolk Latest

 Before in Bath- butter wouldn't melt

Two years later in Norwich - watch out chicks...
On Saturday 14th May, a large dominant female bird was seen visiting the Cathedral Spire at Norwich. At that point our resident female appeared to be submissive to the female and was taking no action against the ‘intruder’. At that time the chicks were still being fed by both the male and the female.  The following morning, it was noted that the ‘intruding’ female had a blue ring on her left leg, at the time the letters on it could not be distinguished. However it was seen that she was starting to have a noticeable effect on our female throughout the day, harassing her and preventing her from delivering food to the chicks. The last noted time on our webcams where our female was seen on the platform was at 8.29am on Sunday 15th May.
On Monday 16th May, the day of the ringing of our Norwich chicks, the letters on the ring became visible and were confirmed as GA, this is a bird that hatched and was ringed at St. John’s Church in Bath in 2013, the sister project to our Norwich peregrines. GA was seen around the cathedral and on the spire. At one point seen on the window apex above the nest box and throughout the day catching prey, plucking and storing it on the very top of the spire. The Norwich resident female was not seen at all throughout Monday and all feeds to the chicks were delivered by the male.The ‘intruding’ peregrine, GA, is of breeding age, when she was ringed in Bath in 2013 she was described as “a large, feisty female”. However this is not the first time she has visited Norwich Cathedral, as she made an appearance in Norwich in the summer of 2015 and has appeared several times over the last winter. Sightings in the local area have also been reported showing she has been around in Norfolk over the last couple of weeks and we believe she may have been roosting in the nest box that we recently installed at Wymondham Abbey in February this year, as a blue ringed female had been observed.
GA seen briefly in the Norwich Cathedral nest box with the male and chicks at 8.00am on 18th May
The potential outcome with the introduction of GA into the arena here at Norwich, is that our female seems to have been chased away from the Cathedral, though she may still be in the area. The male now appears to have become the sole provider of food. He will continue to bring in food as often as he can, however as the chicks continue to grow and develop over the next 10 days or so, they will require increasing amounts of food. It is in this situation that ‘nature, red in tooth and claw’ may be seen in action and on our cameras. At this stage sibling rivalry may occur and the strongest and fittest of the chicks will pick on the smallest and weakest if food is in short supply.
The policy of the Hawk and Owl Trust, confirmed by Conservation Officer Nigel Middleton is that we will not intervene should this occur. This differs from the situation earlier in the week when the chicks were ringed by a licensed BTO ringer. On that occasion a veterinary surgeon was present to take samples for DNA and throat swabs as part of a research project into DNA profiling. It was a veterinary decision based on animal welfare considerations to treat a sick chick.
Peregrines are a Schedule 1 species of bird that are protected by law and for the Hawk and Owl Trust to intervene would require us to hold the relevant licence to do so. To justify obtaining such a licence there would need to be evidence of a complete abandonment of the chicks by both the parents. As the adult male is still seen to be feeding the chicks as best he can, what is happening now would be regarded as a natural occurrence and as such would not justify intervention from the Hawk and Owl Trust.


(The Hawk and Owl Trust - 2016)

18 comments:

  1. Oh, dang, I hope that the male is up to the task. Don't know why the gal from Bath would intrude. Is that a common thing to happen?

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    1. It's a hell of a long way between Bath and Norwich - I just don't know.

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    2. Of which we are both truly grateful.

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  2. I can't believe she came all the way from Bath. She seems to have been 'friendly' at first before she scared our bird away. Typical female behaviour between rivals me thinks. How horrible. I hope our bird comes back and sends her on her way.

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    1. The trouble is that the females are far larger than the males, so the dad can't do anything about the Bath bird.

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  3. I've been watching this continuing drama since you first provided the link, Tom. As of tonight, the Hawk and Owl Trust had not updated the report you share here about the intruder.

    The female chicks are very enthusiastic feeders on whatever the adult male delivers. Most of them seem to be able to feed themselves. It's the smaller male chick that might not make it. On the day the four chicks were ringed, it was discovered that he had an infection, and that was hampering his ability to feed. He was given antibiotics, which it was hoped would help his chance to survive.
    When the adult male comes to deliver food, he first feeds the females, and then gives the male chick an opportunity for a solo feeding.
    It's hard not to have some anthropomorphic feelings about all this. Hoping all the Norwich chicks make it through this situation.
    By contrast, the Bath triplets seem rather cool and calm as they develop feathers and practice spreading their wings.

    Best wishes.

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    1. I've managed to attain some sort of detachment over the last few years. This was helped by the knowledge that if one chick dies in the nest, it is fed to the survivors. Waste not, want not.

      I read on the Bath feed last night, "We regret to report that Cuckoo feathers have been found beneath the Peregrine's scrape". I haven't heard a Cuckoo around here for about 15 years or more!

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    2. Having this web cam opportunity does allow us to get a better grip on how nature operates.

      The Cuckoo feather report is interesting.

      Do you know if any of the Bath chicks are male? I have not seen that mentioned.

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  4. I hope the chicks are ok and the mother bird.

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  5. I've witnessed cows taking new-born calves away from their mothers; rather like certain women who snatch babies from maternity wards.

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    1. Not as much as farmers in the milk and veal industry.

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  6. I was pleasantly noticing what good parenting was going on at the Norwich peregrines (the Bath chicks were often left alone). Then I read this on news page of 18th May and it has anguished me. I hope she is able to get back to her chicks again to help the male with the feeding.
    Greeting Maria x

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    1. This time of year, Wood Pigeons are shot as vermin, and the surviving parent continues to feed the chicks with twice the work-load. If both parents get shot, then the chicks feed the magpies and crows.

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  7. Following on from Cro's comments, we had a milking cow (number 55) who stole every other cow's calf and we really had to watch her carefully. I really don't know the answer with these peregrines - if they are such endangered birds it does seem sad that one will probably die.

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    1. I think cows get even broodier than us humans, don't they? Peregrines are doing quite well now, mainly because of the breeding programs such as Bath and Norwich. They are in more danger in places like Scotland, where they are still shot to protect the game-birds like grouse, which are born to be shot.

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  8. A couple of years ago, one of the Norwich chicks made a low and fast swoop on its maiden flight - straight into a glass wall on the top of a block of offices. You never know what is going to happen.

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  9. I wish that we could watch both Norwich and Bath at the same time. Whenever I go from one to the other I feel that I have or will have just missed something.

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