from Sunday Herald, 27 March 2011
They are fierce, they are famed as the fastest creatures on earth, and now they are under 24/7 surveillance.
A pair of peregrine falcons nesting at the Falls of Clyde nature reserve in New Lanark has been put under constant guard to protect their eggs from thieves, and their chicks from human predators.
The stakeout is being launched this weekend by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, as the first eggs have been laid. A team of 30 volunteers will maintain a round-the-clock watch on the nest to make sure it is not disturbed.
According to Tom Hall, the trust’s Peregrine Protection Officer, the birds faced a real threat. Last year a wildlife criminal was caught in Birmingham airport attempting to smuggle peregrine eggs abroad, he said.
“Thankfully the stolen eggs were saved, and Falls of Clyde eventually became the home of three of the chicks to hatch from them,” he added. “For the next three months, our peregrine nest will never be without a pair of vigilant eyes watching over it.”
The peregrines, which mate for life, will also be able to be viewed online at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s website, thanks to a live “nest cam” feed. Visitors to the hide at the Falls of Clyde can see the show on a large-screen TV.
The peregrine guard has been funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery. “We are thrilled the money we raise can go to such an important and worthwhile cause,” said Clara Govier, the lottery’s head of charities.
There are only about 1,400 pairs of peregrine falcons left in the UK, because many were poisoned in the 1950s by the pesticide, DDT. It made eggshells thinner, making it more difficult for the birds to reproduce.
The UK is home to a fifth of the European Union’s breeding population, and about two thirds of them are in Scotland. Their wingspan stretches up to 100 cm, and their eyesight is at least eight times better than humans.
Peregrines are said to be the fastest living creatures, capable of diving at speeds of 200 mph to catch the small birds that are their prey. Their talons strike with so much force that their victims’ heads often break off.
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