For Peregrine Falcon at Shot Tower, Chester.
The iconic Shot Tower in Chester is undergoing extensive repair work, restoration and redevelopment by CPUK on behalf of Whitecroft Group. The tower is the oldest of just three remaining shot towers in the UK and probably the oldest such structure still standing in the world. Standing at an imposing height of 40 metres, it is the tallest structure in Chester. The works, being carried out by CPUK, involve the removal of a lift shaft on the northern side of the Tower, where a peregrine falcon has been observed. Prior to removal of the shaft, a purpose-made concrete nesting box will be installed that it is hoped the bird of prey will move into. With experience in siting time-lapse cameras for contractors in locations with difficult accessibility, we were approached to provide a way to observe the bird of prey. We are supplying and installing a solar-powered camera with an integrated 3g data card attached to the access hatch of the nesting box. Our team has been carrying out extensive testing offsite, adding extra weather-proofing enhancements to the system and will be onsite throughout the operation on ‘crane day’ when the nest box and the camera will be hoisted 168 feet into the air. We are providing a fully monitored service with images and video stored in the cloud. One of the main challenges for this project was in safely mounting the camera and solar panel onto the concrete nesting box. These are to remain in place for a significant period of time. We worked with specialist metal fabricators in nearby Sandycroft to produce custom made steel plates for the outer face and the inside surface of the concrete that were bolted through. We produced templates in aluminium that were used to mark out the drill holes in the concrete on the box and the 1.5mm thick stainless steel plates.
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a widespread bird of prey. Crow-sized, the peregrine has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. It is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop or high-speed dive, making it the fastest animal on Earth.
