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…
