Wildlife Preservation Autumn 2012.indd - Wildlife Protection Society ...

and falcons
Simon Cherriman
Some rocks crumbled beneath my bare feet and bounced away down
the chalky-white cliff to the river below. I stretched down, slowly,
my back facing the sheer drop, my chest pressed up against the
cliff face as I slid onto the ledge. I could feel dirt pushing under my
fingernails as my rigid fingers struggled to grip onto the loose cliff
edge. I kneeled down, slowly, carefully, trying to control my shaking
knees and calves which throbbed with adrenalin. I could see the white
streaks of falcon scat as I squatted onto the narrow ledge and peered
along towards the nest site. I glanced to my left at the breakaway
on the opposite side of the river, several hundred metres away. And
before I could consider the twenty-metre drop inches to my left, the
peregrine falcon stooped towards me at break-neck speed.
Keeeeeeeeee-kek-kek-kek-kek-kek-kek-kek!! Her screech rang out
across the valley. This prompted the male, who sat atop the dead
perch-tree further upstream, to launch his attack.
Ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-kek!! His scream was as loud as hers as he
shot past me at eye level, like a bullet, then peeled upwards for the
next attack like a fighter-jet.
Peregrine falcon nest site
Peregrine falcons are known for their aggression, being eager to
defend their nest site with repeated stoops and screams until an
intruder has gone away. I didn’t want to disturb them too much,
just to photograph the nestlings, which came further into view as I
crawled toward them on the ledge. One of my dreadlocks caught
briefly on a spiky finger of rock that poked out from the spherical
‘ceiling’ of the cliff ledge, causing my hand to slide momentarily
forwards and push a handful of gravel off the ledge. The rocks and
gravel bounced downwards and showered into the water below. There
wasn’t much room under this blow-out! Less than a metre wide,
the ledge was made from hardened clay, partly covered with soft,
eroded chalky gravel. Without bending my neck I strained my eyes
sideways to inspect the side of the ledge, then the roof above me.
It was crusted, jagged and windswept, carved out over centuries by
prevailing winds and spattered raindrops blowing in from the west.
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