It seems that Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) are now moving from the countryside into our towns and cities here in the UK. Numerous reports of nesting pairs are cropping up all over the country, and to try and help the plight of these birds, 2 pairs are undergoing closer scrutiny than they would normally. Apparently towns and cities are great for peregrines as they offer the high-spots in which they like to nest and perch, offering great views of the surrounding areas (so that they can spot any potential predators as well as prey).

Wired News (not sure why) are reporting of the birth of another shark pup to a virgin mum. DNA tests on the baby shark showed that there was no male DNA present at all, thus showing that the reproduction was completely asexual. This follows the case in the middle of 2007 where an Atlantic Blacktip Shark (named Tidbit) died at an aquarium in Virginia Beach. During a necropsy of the shark, a shark pup was found to be being carried. This led to speculation that the shark had either been impregnated by a male of another species (for which there are no documented cases), or had reproduced asexually.

In more great birds of prey news, a batch of white tailed sea eagles have been released into the wild in Scotland (BBC report here). This is part of a project aiming to re-introduce the bird back to eastern Scotland. All the birds have been tagged and can therefore be tracked so that members of the project team can watch their progress and monitor where they end up.

Fantastic news from the RSPB (here) about the re-introduction of red kites to Northern Ireland. Previously missing from Northern Ireland for the past 200 years, their re-introduction is an important step in ensuring the survival of the species. And if you’re in the area of the Clarkhill Valley then you might want to pop along to Bannastown Road, Castlewellan between Friday 22nd August and Monday 25th August (11am - 4pm each day), or every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday thereafter, to view these birds in this spectacular setting.

Great news indeed, and another success story for the continuing work of the RSPB with birds of prey.