All 5 members of the Peregrine family were just visible through the mist shrouding the Barclay’s building in Poole this morning. The poor visibility may have contributed to their inactivity early on, potentially limiting their ability to hunt by making it more difficult for them to pick out and target distant prey. On the other hand such conditions could also give them an advantage if their prey can’t see them coming! Either way, all three chicks look to be in very good condition and growing well, indicating that they continue to be fed well by the parents.
Just across the road in Holes Bay a very different style of parenting was being demonstrated by the Oystercatchers, who were also out and about with their young, feeding on the mudflats. Oystercatcher chicks – like most waders – are ‘precocial’, meaning they are mobile and able to feed themselves from the moment they hatch. This more relaxed parenting approach requires much less food provisioning effort on the part of the adults, but greatly increases the vulnerability of the chicks to predators… such as peregrines for example!
Further raptor activity elsewhere in the harbour included both Kestrel and Hobby seen at Hotlon Lee, and an Osprey drifting over Coombe and then Hyde’s Heaths at Arne just after midday. Also around the Middlebere area, the Great White Egret was seen once again.
Muggy conditions like those we’ve had recently are perfect for getting out onto the local heaths in the evenings to look for Nightjars and Glow Worms. We have a limited number of spaces available on our guided Nightjar Experience tomorrow at 8pm on Slepe Heath, which you can book onto here.
Brittany Maxted
Oystercatcher chicks – Holes Bay – Holes Bay Nature (Twitter)
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