Is there a Bird of Prey next on the tall building on South Walls?

[c0tt0nt0p]

Whilst in town on Saturday I could hear loud noises coming from the roof of the tall building on South Walls (sorry don't know its name). I thought I could see a bird like figure near the roofs edge.

Then last night in the Asda car park at 8pm I could hear it again, very loud and very piercing. Can anyone shed any light on this ? Apologies if its been discussed previously.

 

[Gramaisc]

Whilst in town on Saturday I could hear loud noises coming from the roof of the tall building on South Walls (sorry don't know its name). I thought I could see a bird like figure near the roofs edge.

Then last night in the Asda car park at 8pm I could hear it again, very loud and very piercing. Can anyone shed any light on this ? Apologies if its been discussed previously.

View attachment 4653

Some chat about the lodgers from here down - http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/ind...-watching-in-stafford.9033/page-9#post-353386

 

[c0tt0nt0p]

Amazed I missed that

 

[Martin]

There is/was a peregrine falcon being used to control the pigeon population, I've heard it on the pylons by Tesco and have seen something on St Mary's church squawking away

 

[JTL85]

There is/was a peregrine falcon being used to control the pigeon population, I've heard it on the pylons by Tesco and have seen something on St Mary's church squawking away

It’s resident rather than owned by a pest controller.

 

[Jonah]

The pair have been nesting on top of the building for the last five years.

 

[bunique]

The pair have been nesting on top of the building for the last five years.

Really?! I've walked past there every week day pretty much and never heard them before this summer. Same over by Tesco

 

[Withnail]

It's really exciting isn't it?

They've nested here for years but if I'm not much mistaken this is the first year that they've actually stayed on.

Q. Do you come here often?
A. Only in the mating season.

I've heard them more than I've actually seen them, but I've done one or the other in all the places that have been mentioned above.

Last time I saw the fecker was flying up onto the pylon above the Queensville retail place.

Magnificent murderers.

 

[Stafford publishers]

Thankyou that explains things, I too have heard the noises, but couldn’t locate where it was coming from.

 

[Studio Tan]

The 'bird of prey' thing is fascinating, but it reminded that I'm more curious about the building on which it perches. A suspicious acquaintance of mine used to say it was some sort of regional government / GCHQ listening post. It has steel doors, cameras and bristles with antennae and looks to be a very substantial structure easily able to resist attack by a torch and pitchfork mob in times of insurrection. Does anyone know more about it ?

 

[Jonah]

Really?! I've walked past there every week day pretty much and never heard them before this summer. Same over by Tesco

I was told this a couple of months ago by a guy who was watching them with a telescope. He has been watching and photographing them all that time. My wife works nearby and she has heard them for at least the last three years.

 

[JTL85]

The 'bird of prey' thing is fascinating, but it reminded that I'm more curious about the building on which it perches. A suspicious acquaintance of mine used to say it was some sort of regional government / GCHQ listening post. It has steel doors, cameras and bristles with antennae and looks to be a very substantial structure easily able to resist attack by a torch and pitchfork mob in times of insurrection. Does anyone know more about it ?

The outer wall was breached by a car in an accident meaning it’s hardly well fortified, the back gates are regularly open and staff hang around smoking... so I doubt it.

 

[Noah]

The Regional Seat of Government in Cambridge had the diesel tanks to supply the generators outside in the open, unlikely to survive any relatively nearby strike. When BT had to put in new communications infrastructure they jackhammered a bloody great hole through the wall for the cables which was left open for the rest of the "active" life of the building. The government/military/intelligence mind doesn't always think things through properly.

 

[Gramaisc]

The Regional Seat of Government in Cambridge had the diesel tanks to supply the generators outside in the open, unlikely to survive any relatively nearby strike. When BT had to put in new communications infrastructure they jackhammered a bloody great hole through the wall for the cables which was left open for the rest of the "active" life of the building. The government/military/intelligence mind doesn't always think things through properly.

One place I lived at had a six mile long, ten feet high barbed wire entanglement as a defensive boundary. There were only two roads through it, with associated security checkpoints, of course. There were also three 'secret' open, un-gated passageways through it, to allow for the fact that local grazing rights extended onto both sides of it...

Hydrogen bombs would be available on-site at times - when they were not installed on aircraft they would be kept in a secure internal compound, where all the petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, LPG, etc were also stored.

 

[Gareth]

They have been very vocal last 3 weeks when I get into town (about 8am).

So loud you can here them all over the whole town, it is wonderful

 

[littleme]

Whilst in town on Saturday I could hear loud noises coming from the roof of the tall building on South Walls (sorry don't know its name). I thought I could see a bird like figure near the roofs edge.

Then last night in the Asda car park at 8pm I could hear it again, very loud and very piercing. Can anyone shed any light on this ? Apologies if its been discussed previously.

View attachment 4653

Ooooh this is what I heard in Market Square only last Saturday!

 

[John Marwood]

 

[gon2seed]

At times during the day I have heard Peregrine calls at various points throughout the town, In the centre of town, particularly the Market Square and obviously near where the nest was! They were still audible a week ago, which makes me wonder if people are taking the opportunity of having these very welcome visitors* to the County Town, by borrowed Mr Marwood's copy of their racke, & playing this distinctive sound,in order to discourage pigeons from making a home in the town! Of course the fledged chicks might have found the town to their liking, with plenty of prey! If its the latter, welcome birds, just don't hold back, still plenty of pesky treerats for you to munch on!

 

[gon2seed]

Audible again today in town centre!

 

[tek-monkey]

Saw roughly 1/4 of a pigeon in St Marys the other day, spine picked clean!