Movie Gallery at Kilrea
Saturday 28th April - incubating
13 days before the first chick hatches, these clips provide some idea of the peregrines potentially hazardous location and the quality of the cameras.
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Some perspective |
Great close up |
Friday 11th May – the first chick hatches at Kilrea
“I started to record the footage from the monitor so everything would be captured and rang the office staff and Marc Ruddock to let them know. That started a barrage of text messages and telephone calls going out to all interested parties, the quarry was like a maternity ward with anticipation. Shortly after 3pm we saw the first ball of white fluff, chick number one had arrived!” Craig Matthew.
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The first sighting |
The first good view |
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Oh what have we done |
Are you looking at me? |
Saturday 12th May – followed shortly by chick no.2
“I checked the website at 6am before going out to work; I knew there would be another arrival! When I got into the quarry I switched the webcam monitor on to see prey being brought to the nest and I could see two chicks.” Craig Matthew.
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Food |
Change over |
Sunday 13th May – the last chick arrives
“I came into the quarry this morning and she was on the nest so I couldn't see any of the chicks. Called back into the quarry in the evening and saw the three balls of white fluff on the ledge, confirming our 3 chicks have all hatched successfully. It’s been such a meaningful experience for all of us.” Craig Matthew.
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What a great shot |
Three balls of white fluff |
18th to 20th May - 1 week in.
“The first chick is a week old today and I think they are all getting a little more playful and moving around a lot more. We have a joke going that the Kilrea chicks will fledge before Carrowdore Quarry. We’re thinking of getting the local flying club at Aghadowey to give them the extra training!” Craig Matthew.
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The three siblings |
A happy family |
23rd to 25th May – almost two weeks old
“Brilliant close-ups of the chicks today, she had left the nest for a good five minutes. I observed feeding time for all the peregrine family, the male brought the prey in and after the female fed the three chicks she took the remainder of the prey to their roosting ledge to have a proper feed herself.
It's blast day at the quarry, it will take place later this afternoon. I’ll be watching the peregrine’s monitor closely and recording the footage. The three chicks where closely snuggled into each other and when the blast went off only one of them lifted its sleepy head, looked about for a brief moment and snuggled back down. So it certainly doesn’t inconvenience them too much.” Craig Matthew.
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Blast day at Kilrea |
Finding ones feet |
26th to 30th May
“I watched the birds early this morning moving around on their nest; the parents seem to be spending less and less time on the ledge with them. The chicks are getting too big to sit under the female anyhow and normally huddle up together for the body heat.
Later when I was in my office I notice a car speeding fairly quickly past; I discovered it was Michael Hardy making a hasty dash to the quarry face – Michael had been keeping a eye on the monitor while working at his desk and dropped everything when he only saw two chicks on the ledge and worried one had fallen. Fortunately and to Michael’s relief all three chicks were safe and sound with the missing chick obscured behind a rock." Craig Matthew.
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The three siblings |
Hide and seek anyone? |
Thursday 7th June – ringing
“We had a great audience at the quarry for the ringing of our three chicks. Marc climbed out of the basket onto the ledge and picked up the three chicks placing them into a wicker hamper. The female peregrine was flying around overhead making noise, but she soon quieted down and returned to the ledge keeping a watchful eye on her chicks, she is very attentive and tolerant.
Marc was able to identify the sex of the chicks by there size and weight, we have 2 females and 1 male. The male is a feisty chick and weighed in at 648g, the pupils named him ‘Rae’ after Kilrea! The females are always the bigger of the sexes and weighed in at 1060g and 1080g, they got christened ‘Breeda’ (after breeding) and ‘Hannah’ named after Mount Everest’s conquer Hannah Shields.
A successful and enjoyable day for everyone, I hope you caught some of it live on the website.” Craig Matthew.
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Hoisting Marc |
Back you go |
9th to 12th June – four weeks old
“I was at work for 6am this morning completing my regular quarry checks, while I was checking water depths I watched the male sitting very still on a roost he would use just above the nest. The chicks were busy sporting around. Later on, Michael zoomed the webcam in on Rae who was standing at the edge of the ledge busy flapping with the fluff flying off him, but going nowhere – the fluff is really starting to disappear with their new wing feathers appearing, they have grown incredibly too.
I don’t think the heavy rain showers are affecting the chicks as much as a few weeks back, I suppose their new feathers are more water proof than the fluffy down, but they did stay tight into the corner of the ledge.” Craig Matthew.
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New feathers |
Only 3 days later |
18th to 22nd June – fledging
“I checked on the birds while I was doing the water pumps at 6am. Two of the birds are at the front of the ledge. The young male was at the back of the ledge, the adult female was on the stockpile and appeared to be plucking a prey item. After about five minutes she flew up to the ledge with the breakfast and started to feed the young male, his sisters clambered back up to the nest to get some food too. The adult soon left them to it and flew off over the quarry.
I checked on the monitor early in the morning and the three birds are still on the ledge. Later at 11am I checked again and could only see two birds, so I went up to the quarry face and didn’t see Rae the young male on the ledge. I started to check along the quarry face and at the bottom I saw the bird hopping from stone to stone, it was Rae. I was able to follow Rae with the Webcam recording all the footage. He went down to the shallow water at the pump for a bath before he climbed up onto the stones again. As we were leaving we watched the young male take flight again, landing on the stockpile the parents would regularly use.
As I was ready to leave for home, Jim Wells arrived to check out the birds – again Hannah and Rae was on and off the nest – now you see them, now you don’t.” Craig Matthew.
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Great close up |
Getting ready to go |
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Rae the young male |
Now you see them |
