Dashing young Peregrine at North Cave

A trip out to the YWT reserve at North Cave last week and the undoubted highlight was a superb Peregrine Falcon aerial hunting display over the wetlands. A youngster judging by the amount of tawny barring on its undersides and a probable male by size. Dashing, fast and showy he may have been but for the 10 minutes he was in view not very successful ... making several swoops into a standing goose flock and although Peregrines take a wide variety of biggish birds including ducks and the occasional young Heron a Greylag Goose would not have ended well!

Like the majority of birds of prey in the UK, peregrines are doing rather well. Typically nesting on cliff faces and steep sided quarries, they've taken advantage of man made structures such as cathedrals and electricity pylons over the past few decades and indeed a pair attempted to nest on York Minster this year.




Renowned for its speed, reaching over 322 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop, the Peregrine is the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is a whopping 389 km/h (242 mph)!



This youngster was quick too and I got more blurred than sharp pics but he did come right over us at one point resulting in a good batch of images ....



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15



Peregrine Falcon_North Cave Wetlands, 13/08/15

Not the best pic but this last is one of my favourites... nicely spread tail as he pulled out of a stoop about 6 feet from the ground!