As the schools were closed yesterday I took a day off with the family and went tobogganing down the Ally Pally slopes with some of the kids' school friends.

Late in the afternoon one of the fellow "school dads" a keen Twitcher or bird spotter pointed out a majestic looking bird swooping across the front of Alexandra Palace and pursuing a pigeon down the hillside towards the Hornsey gasometer.

It was correctly identified as a young Peregrine Falcon - a remarkable site to see, in front of me - I was delighted to find that several images had been captured by local photographer and Friend of Alexandra Park StephenMid:
>see the images on Flickr

Here's one of the magnificent and rare bird. Stephen's photo shows "nature red in tooth and claw" as the Peregrine Falcon devours a meal of Feral  Pigeon.

 

This second image shows the location of the bird on the facade of Alexandra Palce just to the east of the rose window.

Peregrine Falcons are usually found nesting in a "scrape" normally on cliff edges I wonder if we might be getting a new resident and exciting addition to the ornithology of Ally Pally?

I hope so.

 

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Mat

This reply that I've just got from the BTO.......

Dear Stephen,

 

Thank you for your report of a colour ringed Peregrine.

 

Colour marking is a useful research tool for biologists studying behaviour and local movements.  All colour marking projects are registered with the Trust and, on the whole, we are usually able to trace the majority of reports and inform finders about the history of the bird.

 

We will now process your report, and send you some information about its origins. This process should take about  4-6 weeks.

If you see any more marked birds you can submit details directly to the co-ordinator via the EURING website: www.ring.ac   

 

For more information on the Ringing Scheme, please visit our website:

 

Thanks again for reporting this bird.

Best wishes,

 

Sabine

Well after saying yesterday evening that I hadn't seen the Peregrine for a while I saw it at 3:15 this afternoon just to the left of the Rose Window.

"Gus" (after the gusty conditions on the day of his birth) was fledged on 6th June last year.

Some dispute over the name.... Gus was the first name given, but the RSPB called him Bradley after a public poll and no-one has any legal rights in the matter.... A local suggested calling him Alex.

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