[Lopez]

Saw a peregrine last week, and its nest with 5 eggs on it, on top of a tower block in London...

It certainly wasn't too happy when we started throwing ropes over the side of the building, rather pissed off and loud in fact.

The council official that came running up the stairs a short time later mentioning the word 'illegal' worryingly often didn't seem too happy either, and i assume the bird watchers that were observing the birds with telescopes from Canary Wharf and called the authorities must have been frothing with rage. 

In my defence, neither me nor the company that contracted us, knew there was a Peregrine nesting there. And i was simply amused at a bird going all nutcase. Who would expect a bird ban in the middle of London?

Apparently there are 20 pairs that nest in London, up from 3 ten years ago. They are loving the abundance of pigeons and plentiful high rise buildings.

[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, the law is arguably getting out of date on Peregrines. Current situation is 'disturbance' is an offence, and ignorance is no defence. However they are no longer in the endangered situation they were when the law was brought in, so it seems increasingly harsh. Thankfully they tend to be more bark than bite, but watch out for Owls though, never mind the legalities they'll have your eye out!

[Jim]

especially the snowy owls at the chesnut centre just before feeding time when your son is wearing a hat that resembles a small hairy rodent of some sorts!
Yowsers!

[Lopez]

I have no problems with the law regarding disturbance itself, but the 'no ignorance' issue i found a piss-take.

While i understand that putting signs in a council estate 'forbidding' to go on the roof because of the presence of an endangered animal is as good as an invitation for the scum to go f**k with them or even try to make some money selling them, they cannot expect people to know of their presence by a stroke of divine knowledge or even be able to accurately identify what that screeching inbred pigeon really is.

FWIW, at least i got the satisfaction to moon Canary Wharf in full knowledge there was a bunch of people with telescopes and binoculars attentively watching our moves.   

[SA Chris]

pretty brown, peregrine or buzzard.

Peregrins are fairly recognisable, very yellow bill and the distinctive 'sideburns', about the size of a rook.
Buzzards are pretty big things though, bigger than a crow for instance.
did it look like this

http://www.digital-images.net/Gallery/Wildlife/BolsaChica/PealesPeregrin_3214.jpg

Cheers, will need to have another look at my (admittedly awful) photo. Bird expert at work who knows what's in the area put money on peregrine or possibly sparrowhawk.
or
this
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/resources/listimg/birds/2010%20jan/buzzard_wx_PE@body.jpg

[john horscroft]

Me and the missus on the way back from S Wales stopped in a motorway sevices - not the most likely spot for some wildlife action.  I noticed a buzzard looking menacing above a rookery.  As he gets closer, all the rooks take off and try to mob him, only for the Buzz to completely ignore them and calmly land on one of the nests.  Unfortunate rook chick is clearly visible in his talons as he takes off again - bloody amazing.

[SamT]

Saw two peregrins circling high about endcliffe park a couple of weeks ago (in the warm weather).  Nice.

(once saw one above sharrow enter a dive and plummet straight though the middle of a flock of pigeon.  )

[Johnny Brown]

I have no problems with the law regarding disturbance itself, but the 'no ignorance' issue i found a piss-take.

The problem is, make ignorance a valid defence and you've got a worthless law. You didn't get prosecuted though did you?

[Falling Down]

First Swallows of 2012 and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker at my folk's place just by Panymwyn.

[blacky]

If I were you Lopez I'd be kicking off at my employer/client as somebody put you in a position where you comitted a disturbance offence. It would be very harsh if you were prosecuted for this, not knowing what the bird was etc., but it could have been much worse. If a rope or whatever had cleaned out the nest there would have been trouble.

Given that peregrines are pretty common now on buidlings and other structures I think you roped access guys need to be seeking assurances from the client about presence/absence before starting work in the breeding season and satisying yourselves of absence/no risk of disturbance before starting work.

Apart from the legal implications i don't think anyone would want a face off against a surprised peregrine at the nest, did you clock its talons

[hongkongstuey]

some recent spots from SA

[fried]

First Swallows of 2012 and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker at my folk's place just by Panymwyn.

They always seem to arrive in the U.K before they arrive in Paris which I find strange, must be different migration routes (or I'm going blind). Cuckoos heard at 95.2 last weekend.

[Lopez]

I have no problems with the law regarding disturbance itself, but the 'no ignorance' issue i found a piss-take.

The problem is, make ignorance a valid defence and you've got a worthless law.

 True. Which is why they should find a way around it to warn or discourage people without actually giving so much info so as to encourage any one to 'go have a look'.

 I certainly wouldn't have taken any sort of prosecution lightly, and if the case arose then toys out of my pram would be found as far afield as Jupiter.

 The flaw is obvious of a law that puts you in such a position that you can be prosecuted for being around an undisclosed location. If the location is undisclosed, then how are you supposed to avoid being being there?

 I don't make big bucks as a government consultant, and yet can come up with a few solutions which i can offer for reasonable fees.
 
For example: Big sturdy lock, only keys held by council, sign next to lock saying "All roof access unless for emergency work is temporarily forbidden. If you need to access the roof for such emergency works please contact the council on 0845 696969"

Simple yet effective.

Cheques or PayPal only please.

[Lopez]

Blacky, yes, you are right. My employer however just laughed...

It just occurred to me that it can be a good idea to contact the London Peregrine Association to get a list of Peregrine locations to avoid the situation again, and pass the list to other RA companies in the capital so as not to damage the nests accidentally. I'll see what they think about it

Apart from the legal implications i don't think anyone would want a face off against a surprised peregrine at the nest, did you clock its talons

 Yep. Before we knew it was a Falcon, the guy from the contracting company asked whether birds sometimes attacked us. I confidently said that none in London do so, although in some sea cliff climbing locations you may get overzealous seagulls and puking fulmars.

 On arrival home i researched about the Peregrines, and came across a few articles saying how Peregrines defend their nests aggressively... Being a sitting duck hanging off a rope being in the receiving end of the sharp talons of a 200mph diving Falcon seemed like a faith narrowly avoided 

[Falling Down]

First Swallows of 2012 and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker at my folk's place just by Panymwyn.

They always seem to arrive in the U.K before they arrive in Paris which I find strange, must be different migration routes (or I'm going blind).

Interesting. I wonder if it's a City vs Country thing or whether, like many other migrating birds, Swallows give France a wide berth in order to avoid ending up in the cooking pot?

[fried]

First Swallows of 2012 and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker at my folk's place just by Panymwyn.

They always seem to arrive in the U.K before they arrive in Paris which I find strange, must be different migration routes (or I'm going blind).

Interesting. I wonder if it's a City vs Country thing or whether, like many other migrating birds, Swallows give France a wide berth in order to avoid ending up in the cooking pot?

After a lot of research, it seems that swallows that migrate to the U.K come from South Africa, whereas swallows that migrate to Western Europe come from north of the equator in West Africa.

[gme]

Spotted a coypu in the pond next to the intermarche in milly. I believe they live in the uk but I have not spotted one before.
Kids thought it was great but helen just thought it was a big rat and therefore even worse than the normal size ones.

[andy popp]

Just seen a couple of cranes - a might turn into a twitcher at this rate.

[AndyR]

some recent spots from SA

Very cool!

[fatneck]

gme, I spotted them as well and assumed they were giant rats!

Am at Pex now and a pair of Grouse just flew in! First for me at Pex

[andy popp]

Have you seen the (presumed) buzzard there yet Si?

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Spotted a coypu in the pond next to the intermarche in milly. I believe they live in the uk but I have not spotted one before.
Kids thought it was great but helen just thought it was a big rat and therefore even worse than the normal size ones.

Eradicated in the UK.

[fatneck]

Have you seen the (presumed) buzzard there yet Si?

I have seen them there before Andy but only way above. Did you see it  actually in the quarry?

[lagerstarfish]

Eradicated in the UK.

my mate Dave The Coypu says other wise

[Johnny Brown]

A mate of mine reckons he saw a vampire in the woods near surprise view.