Every year we are wary of our Peregrine Falcon chicks at fledging time as urban birds have a tendency to launch themselves in the wrong direction.
Their initial flights are unsteady, ungainly, tentative and exhausting for them to use their wing muscles for the first time. This is why we hold “Fledgewatches,” visit the hospital site regularly, and check the webcam to ensure we can see all the chicks.
So imagine our surprise when at 21:25 on 11 June we get this notification on Facebook from Emily Isabella-Louise…
“Can someone attend St Bernard’s Gate next to Ealing Hospital?
One of the chicks has been sitting, possibly stunned, on a car for some time.
Trying to keep idiots away trying to take selfies.”
The female chick (ZBS) had run out of steam and landed on the first available site; a car roof parked in the apartment complex opposite the hospital, well away from the nest!
After taking a breather to regain some strength (and having selfies with the locals), she flew off. But again she went in the wrong direction towards the Landis shop on Uxbridge Road opposite the hospital (as I said, they do launch themselves in the wrong direction). Her last sighting that night was on a fence by the shop.
The following morning, several dedicated volunteers were scanning the skies around the hospital for sightings but she couldn’t be found.
So at lunchtime, Sean launched “Operation Find ZBS” or “OFZBS” for short.
He started searching around the shops but with no sightings that morning, it was time to knock on doors.
Picture the scene
You get a knock on your door and open it to see an Irishman with bed hair, binoculars around his neck, a large net and a Hello Fresh box showing you his phone with a picture on it asking…
“Have you seen this bird?”
Some had seen ZBS the night before, but no one had seen her that morning.
Just as Sean was running out of doors to knock, he heard the distinctive alarm calls of an adult Peregrine over the hospital and saw Dusty swooping down below the nest site. This meant at least one of the chicks was around there.
Hoping it would be ZBS, he made his way to the hospital where he faced another challenge. The Facilities Manager wasn’t on site and the alternative contact was not as clued up on Peregrine matters. So without support, Sean started the mad hunt by searching high and low within the hospital grounds, in the two courtyards, behind bins and in many other possible hiding places but no sign of her.
Coming outside he could still hear the alarm calls and realised that she must be higher up and not at ground level.
Getting onto the flat roof beneath the nest box, Sean spotted ZBS behind some steps in a corner. He successfully captured her in the net!
Now you’d think she’d be exhausted and not put up much of a fight, but oh no, she was feisty! Showing her talons at Sean and gripping onto the net, proving that she was most definitely Dusty’s daughter!
Sean carefully transported her back to the main roof and left her in peace to settle down from her adventure.
Back at ground level Sean saw a chick on the parapet and was delighted to ID it as ZBS. She was back at home safe and sound, none the worse for her adventure.
A short while later she was joined by her brother and not long after they received a food delivery from a parent (not via motorbike). As she’d probably not eaten for about 12 hours, she must have been hungry but left a little Parakeet snack for later and promptly fell into a deep sleep.
The adventure of ZBS even made the local news; you can read the article here.
Now the chicks are flying strongly they are having hunting lessons from Dusty and Freddie. I’d recommend an evening visit to the hospital as you might see a food pass or even their very first kill.
A big thanks to Emily Isabella-Louise for letting us know ZBS was having an adventure, all the volunteers who went out looking and the intrepid Sean for persevering to find and relocate her, despite those talons!
Our Ealing Hospital Peregrine Falcons will never cease to delight and amaze me!
Emma Chard-Cumming
EWG Secretary (and lifelong Peregrine fan)
