The depth of knowledge and sheer joy of working with iconic birds has stood out for me this week during chats with RSPB colleagues at peregrine watches up and down the country.
I've been trying to find out more about these amazing birds, with a focus on differences between rural and urban peregrines. There's a hint of a difference but nothing concrete beyond the obvious difference of one lot nesting on cliffs and quarry faces and the others choosing high-rise towerblocks, chimneys or other tall structures.
So what is this intriguing hint of a difference? Night feeding. There have been several unconfirmed reports of peregrines in city's nipping out for a late night snack. Is this a benefit of having a street-lit environment or have peregrines always done this when they get an attack of the munchies after hours? The simple answer is that we don't know. It's hard to see a peregrine flying at night in the pitch darkness of a Herefordshire night at Symonds Yat compared with the orange lit glow of a cityscape. If you know different please do leave a comment.
As for diet, country peregrines seem to favour pigeons as much as their penthouse dwelling relations. Yes, diets are supplemented by blackbirds, thrushes, kingfishers, swifts and many other birds, sometimes even the odd rodent, but peregrines love the taste (or is that the availability) of pigeons.
Peregrine territories are dictated by the availability of food and nesting sites. There are two distinct areas, the first being the nest and daytime roost sites, the second being the hunting area. The first is their inner sanctum and as such is fiercely defended but peregrines seem a bit more relaxed over incursions to their hunting grounds. Noise doesn't seem to bother these birds much, nor do people milling around them; having said that, they'll soon let you know when you annoy them.
In the past century we've seen peregrines nesting choices adapt to use first quarries and then man-made structures. Ever since the first peregrine was caught and used as a hunting bird, right through the war years when we hunted them to save carrier pigeons delivering secret messages, we have had an impact on their lives. It seems we are starting to learn to live side-by-side, but egg thefts and persecution continue, so this relationship has still got a long way to go.
Come and find out more about peregrines, and how we're tackling criminals who target them and other birds of prey, at our trailer outside the Tate Modern starting 19 July.