It's a while since I have posted but I have continued to be active, watching and filming peregrines and other wildlife in the Esk Valley in SE Scotland. Below is a link to my submission for the WWF short film competition, Life. Nature. You. Make the connection. This competition involves submitting a two minute film to fit this title. Peregrines have a starring role!
Disconnect and Reconnect
This film was shot in the Esk Valleys in Midlothian, Scotland. The Esk Valley contains some of the few remaining areas of decidious woodland in this part of Scotland, and are home to a diverse range of bird life and other wildlife. 'Disconnect and Reconnect' is one of several films I have made to highlight the natural environment near the city of Edinburgh. These films have been shown to many local and national clubs and societies and are intended to educate the public about nature, as we become more dissociated from it in our media and technology centred world. This film encourages people to switch off the media barrage just for a little while, and reconnect with this wonderful natural environment.

I have a project planned for next May, which is a comparative documentary examining complimentary bird species occupying equivalent niches in Scotland and in New England. Maybe I will have time to meet some of you when I'm over.

Best wishes,


Neil

just noticed, congratulations on exactly 12000 posts!

or critters, as I believe one says in the U.S. ....

For those interested, I have created a channel on Vimeo to host three bird documentaries I have made between 2007 and 2011. These were all filmed in southeast Scotland and have been screened at RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and SOC (Scottish Ornithologists' Club) branch meetings, as well as to a number of photographic and environmental societies. I will try to keep this updated as I have two more projects in the pipeline, due to be completed in 2012.
 
I hope you enjoy the films:
 
http://vimeo.com/channels/roslinnature
 
Neil

Hi Donna,

The close shots are a combination of positioning, natural cover and using a video camera which can take a long lens. I use a Canon XL-H1A camera, which is a HD camera, with an adapter and a Canon 100-400 f4.0-5.6 lens. This camera has a small chip so a large magnification factor (of 7.0) compared with my SLR camera (1.7). For the real close shots I used a 1.4x teleconverter. The nest itself is approximately 100 metres away when the shots are taken, and although it's not obvious from the video, the shots are taken through a gap in the branches of a large pine!

Here is a photo of the set-up (apologies for the poor quality, it was taken using my phone camera!)

Here is the video for week 5 (this weekend):

Peregrines 4th June 2011 (v2)

Cheers,

Neil

Hi Annette,

Thanks for the link The video and stills I have posted are not from the Falls of Clyde but from an undisclosed site in Lothian. I discovered the site five years ago; when photographing buzzards I accidentally captured a peregrine overhead and the following spring with some effort found the nest ledge. It's very well hidden and there are only a couple of vantage points to the nest.

Cheers,

Neil

Hi again,

Here are some stills (frame grabs from HD video) from recent footage of the Scottish peregrines.They work quite well as still photos!

Neil

Hi Lola, the nest build is interesting. As is often the case, these peregrines share habitat with ravens, and alternate their nest site. They will typically nest in the previous year's raven nest, hence the twigs compacted into the base of the nest.

You can see some of this nest behaviour in my movie, Oasis: The Birds of the Esk Valley. (It's 26 minutes long and includes a section on peregrines and ravens.)

Oasis: Birds of the Esk Valley

Cheers,

Neil

Hi again all,

Just another update on the peregrines near my home in SE Scotland. Three young on nest, approx 5 weeks old now.  I hope you enjoy it. I have done a minor edit on the '4 weeks' video originally posted before this edit. Here they are, including some close up footage of one of the birds through a gap in the foliage:

Peregrines 28th May 2011

A link to the birds at week 5 to follow.

Take care,

Neil

This is a sad story, but highlights a very difficult issue, which is energy production. Every means of energy production has its negative environmental potential - wind turbines are considered by some to be unsightly, and they can harm wildlife in this way. Tidal systems potentially spoil estuary ecosystems and can cause coastal erosion. Solar farms, as I learned recently on holiday in Spain, have to cover vast areas of habitat to produce meaningful amounts of power, although arguably have lesser impact in desert locations. We have all been reminded of the perils of nuclear energy with recent events in Japan. And fossil fuels create the CO2 problem and resultant climate problems. So we have to decide, what's the best compromise ? I don't know the answer. Such bird strike events are inevitable, but will hopefully be rare, with sensitive siting of such installations.

What we really need to face up to is the issue of us dramatically reducing our demand for energy in our everyday lives. I believe one component of this will involve shedding our dependance on private transportation, which is a privilege we have become accustomed to but not a fundamental right as some would assert. I know I wouldn't find that easy....

It's a long while since I posted and I'm very impressed with the new site layout. The Roslin Glen peregrines did well last year, successfully raising four young. They have paired up again this spring and I'm looking forward to watching their progress.

I have been busy in the past two years, producing a film called Oasis: The Birds of the Esk Valleys. Oasis is my third wildlife film, and first attempt to produce a full length (27 minutes) documentary. Oasis takes the viewer on a journey up the Esk Valleys in Midlothian, Scotland, and looks at the less well known birdlife in the valley. Bird behaviour, songs and calls are all shown in this film. The documentary begins with a description of the Esk Valleys and opens with winter flocks (waxwings, starlings and finches) . Further up the valley, in a steep gorge, ravens and peregrines are encountered and revisited later on. Waterside birds such as kingfisher and dippers have made a remarkable recovery as water quality has improved. Other woodland species such as tawny owls woodpeckers, redstart and nuthatches are studied. Oasis closes by observing some of the passerines of the upland Esk watershed such as whinchat, redpoll and grasshopper warbler. Peregrines are among the stars of the film!

Oasis has been shown at several meetings of wildlife and conservation societies and I'm pleased with the feedback I have received, in particular after it was shown at the Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference two weeks ago. It looks at its best projected an in full high definition, but here is a YouTube version for those who are interested, best viewed after clicking the resolution tab to 720p: Oasis: Birds of the Esk Valley

Oasis is most enjoyable along with some coffee and biscuits (or I guess for most of you folks, cookies!)

Neil

Forgot I have a short YouTube video. This also shows the nyjer seed feeder I mentioned in the previous posting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVfcYhnklHQ

Neil

Yup European Goldfinch (far more colorful than American ones  )

I understand there have been attempts to introduce these birds in the US, without much success. I have sadly seen these as caged birds. Deliberate introduction of non native species is always risky - notables being the European Starling and House Sparrow, and in Britain the Grey Squirrel).

European Goldfinches visit my feeders from time to time. The best way to attract them is to put out thistle or nyjer seed if you can get it. You will need a special feeder with small holes to prevent the seed spilling. Attached are a couple of pics from my feeders

Bozo in a bouncy mood in the hallway of my house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjP9FHj9U0I

Bozo burning off pent up energy including, at the end, a full 180 degree flip! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVaGTN0oG50

Neil

Molly not aggravated ; ears down = chilled! It was Bozo who was out of control - and who could blame him with two gorgeous girls at his side