Staff given live link-up to protected species thanks to 'peregrine cam'
10/04/2007
Staff at the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are being given a unique opportunity to watch nature in action.
A pair of protected peregrine falcons have been nesting on the 10th floor of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital’s tower block since December 2003. And now, the Staff Lottery Fund has paid for a CCTV camera so staff can watch the rare birds live as they feed, preen their feathers and incubate their eggs.
The £750 system has a live link-up to the Trust’s intranet, allowing staff to watch the birds’ progress 24-hours-a-day on screens in the hospitals’ cafeterias. It is thought to be one of the only live CCTV cameras watching peregrine falcons in the country.
The birds were first spotted by the Trust’s Health and Safety Officer, Terry Cockburn, in 2003. Since then, together with a colleague John Wells, General Manager of Theatres and Critical Care, and other enthusiastic staff members, they have been observing and recording the movements of the birds and their feeding habits on a home-made database.
Terry said: “We have been fascinated by the comings and goings of these birds and we thought it only fair to share the experience with as many staff as possible.
“Peregrine falcons were once an endangered species due to the widespread use of DDT as a pesticide in agriculture which poisoned the birds and affected the eggshell thickness which gave poor hatching success. Sadly, nests were also robbed and the young birds taken illegally for use in falconry. Although the numbers have recovered since then, they are still relatively rare sight which is why it is so special for us to have our resident pair at GRH.”
Peregrine falcons are a protected species which tend to live in natural landscapes such as coastal and inland cliff faces, including disused quarries. However an increasing number of the birds are using manmade structures as roost and nest sites.
Sadly, many falcons’ nests are still targeted by egg collectors and it is against the law to disturb their nest site or interfere with the birds, so Terry and his colleagues have been in touch with the local police Wildlife Liaison Officer to officially register the birds’ presence.
Patients and visitors to the Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General
Hospitals are also able to watch the birds in action via computers set
up in Foster’s Restaurant (GRH) and the Blue Spa Café (CGH).
Peregrine falcon facts (taken from the RSPB website)
- The peregrine is a large and powerful falcon. It has long, broad,
pointed wings and a relatively short tail.
- Peregrines have suffered persecution from gamekeepers and landowners,
and been a target for egg collectors, but better legal protection and
control of pesticides (which indirectly poisoned birds) have helped
the population to recover considerably from a low in the 1960s.
- There are believed to be 1,285 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons
in the UK.
- Their diet consists mainly of medium-sized birds, such as wading
birds, pigeons and small ducks.
- Peregrine falcons are protected and it is an offence to intentionally
take, injure or kill them or to take, damage or destroy their nest,
eggs or young.
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