Falls of Clyde Nature Notes

The first egg was laid on April 2. We know this because we’ve seen one briefly, the others (if there are others) are hidden away out of sight.

It takes our peregrines on average seven days to lay their eggs for the season.

I’m writing this on April 8, so by tomorrow all the eggs should have been laid.

How long will they take to hatch? I hear you ask.

Well, on average it takes 36 days for them to hatch so I will hazard a guess at May 15 2013 (you heard it here first folks!).

While on my travels over the weekend I walked from Biggar to Broughton and I saw my first proper wildflower of the year (snowdrops don’t count in my book).

I saw coltsfoot (it has hoof shaped leaves) on the verge of the road.

To the layman it looks like an ordinary dandelion but as soon as I saw it I knew what it was.

It usually appears before dandelions and has a distinctive stem of furry bracts.

Finally before I go; a member of the public came to the watch yesterday with a photo he’d taken some months ago of a dead juvenile peregrine found on the reserve.

I later went and found it. It only had one ring on its leg and ours have two so we know it has come from elsewhere.

I’ve reported it to our local ringer so I’ll let you know next week where it was from. It will also be sent away for testing.

Next week: Fingers crossed for more wildflowers!

LAURA WHITFIELD.