Peregrines nesting in Town Hall clock tower leave an egg for the museum collection

Natural Pest control

Reports from local bird watchers reveal that the Peregrines may have been searching for a nesting place in Bolton as early September 2007.

Greater Manchester Bird Recorder, Judith Smith, established a meeting with Council Officials who were keen to enlist a natural predator to help keep the local feral pigeon population down.

Planning permission was quickly granted and a nest tray was installed by February of this year, bolted to the wall on the north face of the clock tower.

Territorial scuffles

Though the prospective pair looked to be keen to stay they seemed uncertain about the Town Hall location. For a while they settled in the Bolton Parish Church prompting the installation of another nest tray in the tower there. The reason why they had not settled in the Town Hall nest was a mystery.

Little did they know but an avian turf war was raging far above the heads of local shoppers and town centre workers. By the end of March it became clear that some Ravens had established a nest in a well hidden spot higher up in the Town Hall. Peregrines and Ravens are wary of each other and perhaps the Raven nest was a little too close for comfort.

By the end of April it became clear that lthe Ravens had luckily moved on. The Peregrines finally settled in their new home and the female could be seen sitting on the nest tray. It is unclear when her eggs were first laid but by the 20th May she was watchfully standing by three new chicks and an un-hatched egg.

Ringing the chicks

As part of the monitoring programme for these birds each chick had to be ringed at 16 to 18 days. After a quick check to see how old they were a ringing date was set for early June.

The process means that the chicks are fitted with a metal and a plastic identifying ring. A DNA sample is also taken to help with identification should these birds or their offspring fall victim to illegal poaching.

This small but necessary invasion of the chicks’ privacy yielded the un-hatched egg. Normally these would be taken away for further analysis but in this instance the egg was empty and the smelly specimen was presented to the Museum to become a part of the natural history collection.

Some more information about Peregrines

What do they feed on?

Feral pigeons provide an ample source of food. These pigeons derive from lost racing pigeons, which breed under bridges, on ledges etc and cause a lot of damage to council buildings, not to mention accidents when people slip on droppings under their roosts. The town hall is netted off in parts to prevent them using the ledges. When the chicks were ringed the remains of pigeons and young starlings were also found in the nest.

Are there any threats to Peregrines?

There are none from other birds other than Ravens. Peregrines are generally superior to Ravens, but not always. Judith Smith says that she has witnessed a Raven taking Peregrine eggs after forcing a Peregrine off her eggs. This is why the pair would not settle to breed until the Ravens had been forced to leave their nest. Unfortunately humans are a more likely threat to the species.

What other birds of prey can be found in the Bolton area?

Kestrels and Sparrowhawks are often found in suburban situations. Buzzards are increasing fast and may be breeding locally. Merlin and Hen Harriers may be seen in the winter months on the moor lands. Hobby is a summer visitor which is spreading but not yet proved to be breeding and Ospreys fly through on the way to Scotland.

Barn Owls (and perhaps Long-eared Owl) breed in very small numbers though Little Owl and Tawny Owls are more widespread.

When will the Bolton chicks leave the parents?

The chicks should fledge around the first week of July, and will probably stay in the vicinity of the Town Hall until the autumn, being taught how to hunt by their attentive parents. They will eventually drive them away from the territory.  Hopefully, this pair should now breed annually on the clock tower.

The above information, photographs and the answers were kindly supplied by Judith Smith.

Feed Keyword: museum-news