How to see Peregrine Falcons up close!
A few days ago my wife and I drove to Plymbridge Woods at Plympton which is about an hour from Dartmouth. We decided to visit the woods because of the Peregrine Falcons who nest there. It is the start of the breeding season and I had seen online that the first egg had been laid.
We first visited the woods a couple of years ago after reading about the Peregrines who just happen to be my favourite bird and the most exciting of all birds of prey, in my mind.
In the middle of these charming and picturesque woods is an old disused railway viaduct. Built in Victorian times from wonderful bricks the viaduct stands at the site of an old slate quarry: Cann Quarry.. It has been turned into part of a brilliant cycle path and is now tarmacked.
In addition to this new function the viaduct also acts as a rather grand observation platform for the nesting falcons. They started nesting on this site many years ago and Plymouth University took an interest. They have installed a webcam to overlook the nesting site. This entails more work than you might imagine as the birds move the nest almost every year, necessitating a relocation of the camera. As Peregrines love nesting on cliffs and rock faces this makes the work rather precarious but regular.
Back on the viaduct the RSPB have set up an observation site complete with monoculars, trained onto the nest or individual birds. The results are stunning. When we were there our first view of the nest was a little disappointing as the male Peregrine was sitting on the single egg and was almost completely obscured by a gorse bush. We left and carried on our walk through the woods, stopping next to the river for a picnic lunch in the sunshine, peace and quiet.
On our return through the woods we climbed up to the RSPB site and once more looked through the monoculars which had been re-positioned since lunch. The sight was fantastic. There right in front of us was the larger, female Peregrine taking the sun on a rocky outcrop not far from the nest. As clear as day. She stayed there a long time and seemed oblivious to the small group of fans watching closely from the bridge. It really made our trip worthwhile, the best and clearest sighting ever!
YouTube - watch the Plym Peregrines flying!
The visit to Plymbridge is always enjoyable because it is a wonderful location, in a valley with footpaths alongside the shallow river. This time there were lots of fallen trees along the valley floor and in some cases into the river but as this is a National Trust site the whole area is managed. By that I mean that most of the trees are allowed to stay where they fall, only being tidied up to clear access or pathways. They all add to the almost magical quality of the woods.
We were also lucky enough to spot a pair of Dippers fly up the river following the twists and turns through the sunlight.
In a few weeks time the eggs will hatch and then the parents will begin serious hunting to feed the hungry chicks so definitely a good reason to return. The thing is we never need a really good reason to return, the woods are special and worth a trip in their own right.
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