Latest news with #peregrineFalcon
BBC News
13-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tolkien inspires naming of Leamington's four peregrine falcons
Down the riders came, tearing down from the mountains of Mordor, through Rohan to the Shire - and there they found Frodo, Merry, Pippin and it might not have gone exactly like that but those are the four names which have been chosen for the peregrine falcon chicks hatched this year at Leamington Town Wildlife Trust invited people to share their ideas for the three females and one male before putting them to a final vote (Sauron was barred from voting).More than 900 took part in the poll and the Lord of the Rings-themed names emerged victorious, named after JRR Tolkien's hobbits. Other suggestions included the sky and stars as well as names with connections to Leamington - but ultimately, the trust said, the Middle-Earth theme was a "clear favourite".A spokesperson added that the names were submitted by Natasha and Charmain and Charmain added: "The Lord of the Rings is a British classic and these four little ones will soon wander."A live video feed continues to monitor the peregrines' progress after the chicks hatched at the end of April, at the Grade II listed town hall. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Young country diary: Peregrine v pigeon? There's only one winner
I was walking home from school when a group of pigeons scattered from their perch atop a nearby building. Then, out of the sky, dropping like a piece of shrapnel, was the source of the commotion. As the peregrine falcon levelled out of its stoop, it careered into one of the birds, the pair plummeting out of sight, the pigeon inevitably dead from the sheer force of the impact. The last remnant of the skirmish was a handful of small grey feathers that gently drifted to the ground where they lay, a testament to the hunting prowess of the falcon. The incident reminded me of one several months earlier. I had heard a crash from our balcony, and, looking out, I saw a juvenile peregrine falcon, which had maybe overshot while attempting to land and was now trapped there. It quickly righted itself and ruffled its wings, disgruntled and distressed. I watched as it managed to extricate itself, and wing its way back to Canary Wharf. I wondered if it was the same one, once clumsy, now grown up and a formidable hunter. In recent years, falcons have lived in many London landmarks such as the Tate Modern, Battersea Power Station and, most notably, the Houses of Parliament. It is amazing how their population had managed to recover from the 1950s when they were almost destroyed by a toxic agricultural pesticide called DDT. Now, the modern edifices of the London skyline serve as the cliffs that they call home. Olivier, 14 Read today's other YCD piece, by Oonagh, 11: 'The night I clicked with the bats' Young Country Diary is published every fourth Saturday of the month. The submission form is now closed, but keep the link handy, it will reopen on Monday 2 June for summer articles
