Ealing Hospital Peregrines
In the summer of 2020, a pair of Peregrines took up residence at Ealing Hospital. The hospital staff were delighted when they realised that they kept the pigeon population down. We reached out to them and they agreed to let us install a nestbox on the roof. We named them Dusty and Freddie (after Dusty Springfield and Freddie Mercury) and kept our eyes and camera on the box. Our first box, while beautiful and well crafted, was too big to set it on the type of ledge the Peregrines prefer and so the first year, there was no nesting (we hope to reuse this box in another setting if we can.) For the 2022 season, Sean threw a box together with some wood scraps and an old pallet and installed it on the northeastern edge of the hospital. And we waited to see what would happen!
Latest News!
New! Peregrines Live!
Welcome to the Ealing Hospital Peregrines live! We now have a permanent live stream of Dusty and Freddie and their nesting activity, watch as they raise their chicks in real time! To see what they were up to last year, learn about their story and to see their adorable chicks from ringing to fledging, check out our photo story and video. Also, if you would like to bookmark the feed, use this link as it will always redirect to the feed if youtube changes the URL if the stream is interuppted.
There are a few content warnings for this live stream
Peregrines bring back prey for the chicks, tear it apart and feed it to them, and this can be a bit graphic. Sometimes the prey is still alive when they start plucking it. If you think you might find this distressing, maybe don’t watch the feedings. This is natural behaviour for birds of prey but even seasoned naturalists can find it a bit much sometimes. The second thing is we have adopted a non-interference policy. What this means is, aside from ringing the chicks, we are strictly observing only. Nature isn’t always kind and sometimes baby chicks die. If this is really going to upset you then you may want to give this live stream a miss. Obviously we hope that everything goes well but we want everyone to be prepared if it doesn’t and to understand that we will not be interfering to rescue the chicks. We need to let nature do it’s thing to produce the healthiest and most capable birds for the future. (The only exception to this is rescuing the parents and fledglings from man-made dangers like pigeon netting which is not part of a natural setting.)
Highlight Reels!
Success in 2022!
It took an extra year, a new female peregrine, two different nest boxes but the hospital peregrines bred successfully and had three healthy chicks all of whom fledged successfully! Here is their story in photos. Special thanks to Malcolm Bowey and David Gordon Davy for their excellent photos and dedication to observing the peregrines! Sean also wrote about their journey in a blog post for Animal Journal and we have a new video documenting their journey
we learned more about our pair...
And so it begins...
Starting to set up the first nest box
fingers crossed!
aaand they didn't visit the box at all so we had to move it, maybe that will work?
fortunately all was well
We were hopeful, but no nesting took place.
But the pair were still keeping the parakeets and pigeons in check!
nom nom nom Photo by David Gordon Davy.
Sean got an idea for a different box that would fit on the ledge on the wall of the hospital…
he snagged a pallet from Horsenden and used it as the base
We have loads of wood donated to us so we had a box built in no time!
That's the look of optimism!
Who could ask for a better place to raise their chicks? Photo by Sean McCormack
YES! They like it!
Looks like there is a new girl in town!
And it looked like she might be incubating.... Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
YES!! They made babies! Woohoo!
Freddie is a bit clumsy sometimes
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Sean and Phil, a licensed bird ringer, get the first look at the chicks. They are just tiny little fluffs!…
Sean and Phil were back when the chicks were a bit bigger, to ring them. Photo by Sean McCormack
Oh hi! Photo by Sean McCormack
Just chillin waiting for their bling Photo by Sean McCormack
Freddie keeping the family provisioned Photo by David Gordon Davy
oopsie!
and Dusty 2.0 defends the nest from potential predators
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Everyone is enjoying the peregrines! Photo by Nicola Goddard
yay!
Brave little chicks just hanging out waiting for dinner. Photo by Caroline Farrow
so cute! Photo by Caroline Farrow
Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Peregrine watch party! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Photo by Malcolm Bowey
They grow up so fast! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
FEED ME! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
You can see the family resemblance! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
I feel like someone is getting told off! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Exercising their wings getting ready to fly! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Wing flapping or pooping? It's hard to tell. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Parakeet for dinner. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Pay attention kids, this is how it's done! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Look mum I'm doing it! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
I can do it too! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Self care is very important for new mothers! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Perfection. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Can I help you? Photo by Malcolm Bowey
yes keep eating those parakeets! keep nature in balance! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Wing flapping really ramps up now. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
concentrate, you got this... Photo by Malcolm Bowey
and then you lift your wing like this and turn your tail like this! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Still working tirelessly Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Dusty the second seems appreciative Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Pretty sure this is Freddie. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
yay dinner! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
here it comes! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
ooo I can't wait! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
hey where are you going? Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Hello!? I'm over here! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Geronimo! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Fighting off the gulls, we've all been there. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Gull talking smack Photo by Malcolm Bowey
a bit less cocky Photo by Malcolm Bowey
I'd fly away too if a peregrine was going into a stoop above me! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
And stay out! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Getting closer to flying!
Such a handsome family!
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Fledging never goes exactly according to plan
Yes my little Diva you are indeed the drama.
The teenage glare transcends species Photo by Sean McCormack
But eventually we have success!
Photo by David Gordon Davy
They are now really getting the hang of it!
Photo by David Gordon Davy
Mum and Dad still bringing in the food though Photo by Malcolm Bowey
waiting patiently for food Photo by Malcolm Bowey
patience rewarded with a juicy parakeet! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Peregrines everywhere! yay!
ugh Mum and Dad want me to fly with them Photo by Caroline Farrow
Do I want to fly up there? I'm so comfortable. Photo by Caroline Farrow
Naaahh I'm gonna take a nap. Photo by Caroline Farrow
Dad having a quick beak clean Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Dad giving flying lessons Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Flawless takeoff! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Look at the excellent form! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Now it's juniors turn Photo by Malcolm Bowey
up! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
up! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
aaaaand...... Photo by Malcolm Bowey
away! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
easy peasy Photo by Malcolm Bowey
lemon squeezy! Photo by Malcolm Bowey
Oi! Who put these spikes here? Photo by Malcolm Bowey
I'm pretty and I know it. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
and I'm a badass flyer too. Photo by Malcolm Bowey
from fluff ball to almost grown up!
And we couldn't be more proud of them!
and this isn't all! We managed to get camera footage from the time they were ringed until they fledged! Watch…
