Live 24/7 streaming of Ealing Hospital’s Peregrine falcons is now available for all nature fans to watch on YouTube courtesy of Ealing Wildlife Group.
Viewers can watch the daily activities of Dusty and Freddie as they build their family and see their nesting activity as they raise their chicks above Ealing Hospital.
EALING.NEWS caught up with Dr Sean McCormack, founder and chair of Ealing Wildlife Group to find out more.
How excited are you about the new live webcam?
We at Ealing Wildlife Group are so excited to be able to share a unique insight into the lives of these beautiful Peregrine falcons with our new webcam. Once on the verge of extinction globally due to widespread pesticide use, it’s great to celebrate an urban wildlife success story as these iconic birds recolonise our cities and buildings in place of their traditional mountain and coastal habitats.
What has the response been like from the public to this?
The response from our EWG members as well as passersbys when we’ve been watching them at Ealing Hospital has mainly been delight and astonishment. People have loved watching them raise their three chicks last year.
These birds are the fastest animals on the planet, diving after prey at speeds of up to 200mph. So many people have said it’s really buoyed their spirits to watch them soaring around over Ealing Hospital. And the hospital team have been so welcoming, we really appreciate their vision to welcome these birds with open arms.
Can you see other live streams of nature in Ealing taking place and what would you next like to do?
We’re delighted to have had sponsorship from Ealing Council to install this 24/7 webcam to get a unique insight into these birds’ lives in the coming breeding season and beyond. We hope our local community enjoy this opportunity to connect with nature and look forward to collaborating on delivering more objectives in Ealing’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
We have plenty more projects on the go, including a borough wide Hedgehog survey in association with ZSL London Hogwatch. We’re also eagerly awaiting news from Natural England on whether we get a licence to reintroduce Beavers at Paradise Fields in Greenford.
For more information on the work Ealing Wildlife does and its projects, click here.
