Wednesday 21 February 2007

More prey details

Detailed sifting through the bird remains retrieved from the platform last week (a very unpleasant exercise to say the least) revealed the remains of several woodcock, lapwings and thrushes (especially fieldfares) plus single snipe, golden plover, black headed gull and little grebe, among others.
On the nave roof were more woodcock and lapwings but most interesting was the whole (if soggy) corpse of a knot.
It seems the Derby peregrines have caught at least four knot since November, as well as the bar tailed godwit and turnstones reported earlier. These (essentially coastal) waders must be overflying Derbyshire at night in mid- winter without ever landing. A knot was also caught at Coventry Cathedral not long ago, adding further weight to the evidence we are gathering of their movements to and fro (presumably between the east coast and the Severn estuary) .
All very interesting stuff!

No comments: