Have they - or haven't they?!

We think - we may be wrong, but we don't think so - we think, we are
fairly certain, the peregrines have hatched their first chick.

This morning (Tuesday, 25th) the activity was intense up there on the
ledge, with both parent birds in attendance most of the morning, and,
thrillingly, around mid-morning, the male bird arrived carrying food -
which, after flying by a couple of times, it deposited on the ledge.
Though we couldn't identify the prey item, we were delighted, because
that is the first time we have seen food being brought to the nesting
ledge. Peregrines have good reasons to keep the ledge clean while they
have eggs - for instance, not attracting carrion eaters, and not fouling
the eggs or the sitting parent while incubation is in progress - so food
being brought in is a reliable sign of a hatchling to be fed.

It has to be said, our peregrines are not the easiest to see, certainly
compared with, say, the cathedral birds at Derby, or the Cardiff City
Hall family, or even those on Wrexham police station. However, there are
compensations. Our bird list this month from the Lakeside Hide (often
written off by some as a "waste of time") has included most of the local
raptors - osprey, red kite, goshawk, buzzard, and yesterday a
magnificent male hen harrier soaring over the cliff - and several
specialities that people do travel to see (and hear), such as pied
flycatcher, wood warbler, and redstart. Even siskins are a thrill to
visitors who don't have them at home. When we put up a feeder outside
the hide in April, it took them about a fortnight to find it. Now we can
guarantee really close, confiding and photographable siskins any time
you care to come.

So come and make a Date With Nature in the Lakeside Hide. The next 3-4
weeks should be really special!