One YMCA provide accommodation for Peregrine Falcons
The livestream is now over until next breeding season
Young Peregrines move on from One YMCA accommodation
Thursday 11th July 2024
Our two young Peregrine Falcons fledged in late June, leaving the nest on our Watford hostel roof behind them. It has been amazing following their story and we look forward to the adult pair returning next year. It will also be great to catch up with the progress of the young birds with them being ringed.
A huge thank you to Barry Trevis for his help and advice regarding the birds and further thanks to David Faraday from Express Telephony for his help with setting up the camera and livestream. Thanks also go to those involved with getting the equipment on to our roof, ringing the chicks and spreading the word about our special guests.
We are delighted that the young birds successfully fledged, much as we are when our hostel residents spread their wings and leave us to move on to a home of their own. Our residents can often travel a long and bumpy road from the point where they enter our support accommodation to rebuilding their lives and regaining their independence. If you have enjoyed following our Peregrine family, please make a donation to help us support more people experiencing homelessness.
Now that we have said farewell to our Peregrine family, we are delighted to confirm that we will be holding an Abseil Fundraising Challenge from the very same building, our Watford Charter House Hostel, on 28th September 2024. Head to our events page for more details: Events! – One YMCA
– Guy Foxell, CEO
Donate today Give a gift Learn more about One YMCA Sign up to our eventsUpdate from Barry Trevis, Herts Breeding Peregrine Co-ordinator
Friday 31st May 2024
Peregrine chicks have been raised on the roof of Charter House in the centre of Watford since 2017. As a licensed bird-ringer/nest recorder and holder of a government license to visit the nests of such a specially protected species, I have ringed seven nestlings there since 2021. This year there are two chicks, the progress of which has been followed through a public live-stream webcam creating much interest from the local community and beyond.
Photo Credit: Barry Trevis, Herts Breeding Peregrine Co-ordinator
Yesterday, 25 May 2024, I went with colleagues to carry out the ringing of the young Peregrines, just three weeks after they hatched. The parents have been looking after them well, and on checking them over, we saw that both young were in good condition. We fitted a ring on each of their legs. One is a British Trust for Ornithology metal ring, a bit like a license tag, the other is a larger ring which is coloured orange with black lettering which enables us to track them in years to come.
Many people ask why we need to ring birds? If we don’t put rings on these birds, we won’t know much about their origins or their future. Those with the colour-rings, which can be read from a distance, let us know exactly who each bird is. That means we have a much better idea of how long they live, their movements around the UK and even abroad, along with their relationships, as sometimes pairs might not get on and split up or have mishaps. The ringing gives us a way of tracking the family trees of Peregrines.
In addition to fitting the rings we also took measurements; from these, particularly their weights, we can ascertain the sex of each bird. Female Peregrines are much larger than males. On Saturday we concluded that we have two male chicks.
Although one can never be sure whether all of the chicks will make it to the flying stage we are very hopeful that the YMCA two will fledge from their nest ledge around the end of the third week of June and will be seen around the area for some months to come before finding their own way further afield.
If you have enjoyed watching our livestream, please help us to continue supporting this family and our other more usual beneficiaries by making a small donation.
If you would like to make a larger donation please click here.
You can learn about the community critical support that we provide for vulnerable people across Herts, Beds and Bucks here.
Donate today Give a gift Learn more about One YMCAGetting ready for the Peregrine Falcons
Thursday 28th March 2024
Vegetation has been cleared and a nesting tray installed on our hostel roof, and we are thrilled to say that a pair of Peregrines have not only shown interest in nesting there but have also now laid four eggs. Bird expert, Barry Trevis, has been advising us regarding the birds, and built the bespoke nesting tray for us. We have also been partnering on this with David Faraday from Express Telephony who has installed equipment to allow us to share a livestream of the Peregrines’ activity.
Barry has been advising One YMCA on the breeding Peregrines on the Charter House roof since late 2020. The site was the first confirmed breeding of the species ever in Hertfordshire in 2017, along with a pair on a pylon at Wymondley, near Hitchin in that year.
Last year we changed our plans to hold a fundraising Abseil Challenge from our building to avoid disturbing a visiting pair, instead using one of the carparks at Atria shopping centre to descend, thanks to manager Simon Plumb. Unfortunately, the birds failed to breed in 2023. This year, we have planned around the breeding season and will be holding a fundraising abseil from Charter House in the autumn; in the hope that the Peregrines will breed successfully.
If you have enjoyed watching our livestream, please help us to continue supporting this family and our other more usual beneficiaries by making a small donation.
If you would like to make a larger donation please click here.
You can learn about the community critical support that we provide for vulnerable people across Herts, Beds and Bucks here.
Donate today Give a gift Learn more about One YMCARead about the history of Peregrine Falcons at One YMCA, Charter House, Watford town centre.
Read the History of Peregrine Falcons at One YMCA
FAQs
Where does the name Peregrine Falcon come from?
Peregrine comes from the Latin word ‘peregrinus’, which means ‘wanderer’ or ‘pilgrim’. Outside of the breeding season Peregrine Falcons around the world are known to travel great distances although Peregrines in the UK tend to stick around.
How big are Peregrines?
Peregrines Falcons are 39-50 cm in length, with a wing span of around 95 – 115cm and can weigh 600 – 1,300g.
How fast is a Peregrine Falcon?
A Peregrine can exceed 200mph when they are diving to catch their prey. This makes them the fastest recorded animal on the planet.
What do Peregrines eat?
Peregrines will often eat Pigeons, although they will eat a wide range of other bird species.
How can I tell the difference between a male and female?
Males are smaller with dashes on the wings and a clean, white breast. Females are much larger, heavily barred on the wings with flecking on the white breast.
Are Peregrine Falcons endangered?
Peregrine numbers were low in the 1960s because of human persecution and pesticides in their food chain. Improved legislation and protection has helped the birds to recover and their numbers are increasing. However, they are still persecuted – birds are illegally killed to prevent predation on game birds and racing pigeons. Eggs and chicks are also stolen for collections and falconry. Peregrines are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Which states that it is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or take a Peregrine.
Why have they chosen to nest on top of a One YMCA hostel?
Traditionally Peregrine Falcons nest on cliff faces where the female will scrape a shallow hollow in the loose soil, sand, gravel or dead vegetation where she will lay her eggs. They choose high, out of the way, spots with tall buildings becoming more common, particularly as there is lots of food to be found nearby.
Do Peregrines mate for life?
Yes, generally they do mate for life and will return to the same location each year to nest.
How many eggs will the female lay?
Peregrines normally lay 3-5 eggs each year and each egg takes about one month to hatch.
What are male and female Peregrines called?
Females are known as ‘Falcons’ and males are known as a ‘Tiercel’.
What if the livestream isn’t working properly?
If you find that the picture has frozen/isn’t working please try refreshing the page, changing your web browser, and checking your internet connection first. If there still seems to be a problem please email us at [email protected].
