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You are in: Manchester > Nature > Nature features > Manchester falcons: 2008 diary

Manchester falcons: 2008 diary

Follow the fortunes of the Manchester peregrine falcons and their chicks during spring 2008 with our falcon diary. Written by staff and volunteers of the RSPB:

Peregrine chick fledged (c) Adrian Dancy

Peregrine chick fledged (c) Adrian Dancy

Weds 11th June

They've fledged! The moment we have all been waiting for! First off was the female - by far the biggest of the four and described as looking like an aeroplane as she flew over the square. Then two more including a male who landed on Harvey Nichols and stayed there for the afternoon (expense taste this one!). He was a bit wobbly at times and kept falling off his perch but can been seen here in another shot from ace local photographer Adrian Dancy. Now is the time to see fantastic views of the birds as the perch round the square, learn to fly and hunt and start on the road to independence. We will be around until 6 July so there is still time to come down and say hello. And this does not mean the end of live footage on the Big Screen. We still have the bird feeding station at Chorlton Water Park from which we are getting live footage.

Saturday 7th June

More bird of prey interaction today with the male peregrine sparring with a sparrowhawk over the square and talon grappling. Another 'wow' moment from the resident stars of the show! In a stoop the peregrine has the edge but a sparrowhawk, though smaller and lighter, is a much more agile bird when it comes to twisting and turning and soon outfoxed the peregrine in close combat. The peregrine soon gave up and returned to the Arndale sign visibly in a huff to reflect on how he had been outsmarted. Later in the day the female flew through the square, did a left by Harvey Nicholls and headed off down the street. Rather reminiscent of a cruise missile! Later she returned and flew straight through the spokes of the Big Wheel!

To read previous entries in the Falcon diary, click 'NEXT'

last updated: 14/07/2008 at 17:42
created: 08/05/2008

You are in: Manchester > Nature > Nature features > Manchester falcons: 2008 diary

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