A date with nature

The latest news from our Date With Nature projects around the UK. 

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Cracking start for Chichester peregrines?

Why don't you come and find out?

This weekend, join us as we turn on the nestcam at our Chichester Cathedral viewpoint for what we hope will be a first glimpse of a fluffy, white peregrine chick.

The male and female have been taking turns incubating their four eggs ever since they were laid at the end of March, and we expect the first chick to hatch on Friday.

If you can't make this weekend, don't worry, we'll be around until the end of June.

Posted by lucinda king at 13:49 on 21 April 2009. 0 comments

Monday, 20 April 2009

Find your perfect partner

Do you love talking to people? Love nature? Enjoy the outdoors?

Do I hear a yes, yes, yes? Then you sound like just the partner we're after to volunteer at one of our Dates with Nature.

And best of all, you can pick the place for our perfect date - maybe it'll be red kites in Northern Ireland, or possibly peregrines in Worcester, maybe you want to tell people about regal swans at Leeds Castle? In fact, we've got loads of dates for you to pick from.

So what are you waiting for? This could be the start of something beautiful.

Posted by lucinda king at 14:47 on 20 April 2009. 0 comments

Thursday, 9 April 2009

Eggs-cellent news

Just in time for the Easter weekend, we've got a few eggs of our own to share with you.

The goshawk pair we've been watching in the New Forest have so far laid three eggs. We expect a fourth in the next couple of days. So now is a great time to take a trip to the Forestry Commission's New Forest Reptile Centre and get brilliant views of the female on her nest.

The mute swans at Leeds Castle have also been getting in the Easter mood, with a couple of females now sitting on nests.

And not to be left out, the peregrines nesting on Chichester Cathedral are currently sitting on four eggs that should hatch at the end of this month.

We look forward to plenty more eggs being laid, and hope you do too.

Posted by lucinda king at 16:23 on 9 April 2009. 0 comments

Wednesday, 8 April 2009

Punks spotted in St Albans

No, we're not bringing you news of a Sex Pistols gig in this Roman city. Instead, we're talking about punks of a very different kind - young grey herons, who with their spiky (punk) hairdos can now be seen from our viewpoint in Verulamium Park.

At least three nests contain chicks, and over the coming weeks we expect lots more little heads to appear, as plenty of adults are sitting tight on eggs.

A few pairs haven't even started laying eggs yet, and are still nest building. So, visit us this Easter weekend and as well as watching the chicks being fed a protein-packed diet of regurgitated fish, you'll also get to watch males gather sticks and twigs to present to the females to be incorporated into their nest.

Posted by lucinda king at 14:06 on 8 April 2009. 0 comments

Thursday, 2 April 2009

In-spire-d peregrines now online

Not ones to be left out of the action, Worcester's peregrines have joined their Birmigham cousins online.

We're not too certain how many eggs the Worcester pair have so far laid, but they are already taking shifts at incubating them - meaning hatching can only be a few weeks away.

View the pair on Worcester City Council's website, or better still, visit us by St Andrew's Spire every Thursday to Sunday until 13 June.

Posted by lucinda king at 16:34 on 2 April 2009. 0 comments

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