July 2018 My local Peregrine chicks have left the nest site and are doing well.

I love how well the Peregrines are doing nationally in the UK and also local to my home in Gloucestershire.  They are one of my very favourite birds.  They have taken readily to our towns and cities and use the churches and tall buildings to replace their traditional cliff ledges.  For years I had not seen them in Gloucestershire.  They are even classed as Green conservation status. I always find them so exciting to see and watch.  They are real special birds.

getting the wings ready

Time to flex the claws

A few more to hopefully add to the population.

July 2018 Tewkesbury Abbey Peregrine chick growing well

These birds have failed to breed in previous years.  This year they laid three eggs.  One got cracked and one chick died as the parents did not bring in food immediately, or at least quickly enough.  This last chick seems to be growing really well and developing at a pace.  I suppose it would getting access to all the food brought in.   It is still good odds if this one fledges and makes it to become an adult.

Guarding the precious chick.

Next year the pair will be all  the more experienced.

July 2018 Sparrowhawks "branching"

It was a great part of this summer to watch these Sparrowhawks, from seeing the female sat up when sitting on eggs, to the downy white chicks developing, and now the young "Branching" away from the nest.  What a privilege this was and one of the highlights of my camera year.

Juvenile Sparrowhawk

Branching out

How can you not just love nature!

July 2018 The awsome Juvenile Cuckoo

This icon of Spring the Cuckoo is such a fascinating bird.  They have an amazing lifestyle.  The more you read about them the more interesting they become.  How their eggs match the particular host species.  They resemble Sparrowhawks to fluster their hosts. Their chick pushes out the other chicks with its back.  Their call resembles a nest full of the hosts hungry chicks.  The migration they undertake.  What a beautiful highly evolved bird.  I just love them.

Fledged juvenile cuckoo

This one was being fed by Reed Warblers at Slimbridge WWT.  It stayed undercover in the vegetation most of the time, but occasionally popped out enough to grab a few images.