Three of the four peregrine falcon chicks nesting at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre took to the skies for the first time over the weekend (w/e 25 June) marking another successful year for Operation Peregrine, the round-the-clock protection watch manned by expert Trust staff and local volunteers passionate about wildlife.
Famed as the fastest creature on earth, peregrine falcons can reach speeds of up to 150 miles per hour when diving to catch their prey. Over the next week, the fledged chicks at Falls of Clyde will become adept flyers taking test flights across the gorge on the reserve before following their parents further into the countryside to learn how to hunt.
Willie Buttery, Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Visitor Centre Manager, said: “We had been expecting the chicks to fledge their nest imminently and the weekend turned out to be triply delightful as one chick followed the other from the nest.
“With the flights occurring during the early hours of the morning on Saturday and Sunday, it was fantastic to come to work on both days and find our chicks flying across the gorge. I’ve been doing this job for three years and there’s still nothing that can beat that feeling.
“We expect our fourth chick to follow suit and take to the skies in the next few days. And once they’re all airborne, our chicks will spend the next few weeks getting the hang of flying. This is a great time to visit the Centre as you can watch them flying leisurely across the gorge and then returning to the nest site to be fed by mum.”
Becky Priestly, Scottish Wildlife Trust’s dedicated Peregrine Protection Officer appointed thanks to funding from People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “This is the 13th year Falls of Clyde has succeeded in providing our resident peregrine pair with a safe and successful breeding environment. This amazing track-record is upheld thanks to our on-going vigilance to protect against wildlife crime which sees us watch our birds 24hours every day right through the breeding season.
“After personally spending so long watching over these chicks, it is truly remarkable to see them fly on their own and begin to gain their independence. By visiting the Centre, you can still see close-up footage of the journey our peregrine chicks have almost completed, from egg-laying and hatching to their fledging. The views of the gorge nest at Falls of Clyde are unrivalled as some of the best in the whole of the UK.”
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IMAGES © Scottish Wildlife Trust
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Nicola McGovern, SWT PR Officer
0131 312 4742
nmcgovern@swt.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. Willie Buttery, Visitor Centre Manager, and Becky Priestley, Peregrine Protection Officer, are available for comment on 01555 665262.
2. The Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre is open between 11 am and 5 pm throughout the year, excepting January and February when opening hours are reduced to 12 noon to 4 pm. The peregrine viewing area is manned between 0700 and dusk each day. Admission to the reserve is £1 per adult, 50p per concession, and free for SWT members.
3. Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre is one mile south of Lanark, off the A73. Follow signs for New Lanark Heritage Site. SWT visitor centre is in the Old Mill Dyeworks in New Lanark, past the Robert Owen School.
4. Operation Peregrine is managed in conjunction with The Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime initiative (PAW). This partnership is run by Scottish Natural Heritage and has the support of the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Police forces and wildlife organisations such as the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
5. The Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve welcomes over 60,000 visitors each year [with 25,000 visitors to the visitor centre].
6. SWT is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 35,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. SWT seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 reserves Scotland-wide.
7. SWT receives financial assistance and support from from a range of organisations, funders and individuals including Scottish Natural Heritage and the People’s Postcode Lottery.
8. The People’s Postcode Lottery is the lottery for charities in Scotland. Launched in November 2007, PPL represents a unique fundraising concept where players play with their postcode to win cash prizes whilst supporting local charities in Scotland. 40p from each ticket sold goes direct to charities in Scotland. To date SWT have received over £1,179,176.80 from PPL which helps maintain the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s network of over 120 reserves across Scotland.