Honourable Mentions: Peregrine Names
Much has happened since our Peregrine’s hugely anticipated arrival in early spring. Our three cameras are back up and running on the spire balcony; a Larder cam, a Nestbox cam and a Balcony cam all poised to capture the journey of our Peregrines to parenthood. Atop the Cathedral’s tower, which I’m sure is a mere step ladder to them, we have seen their courtship, observing their ritualistic mating dances. We have seen them cut across the sky with great speed and we have heard their piercing song, all in awe.
And of course, we had to give these magnificent birds their names. There is no way of knowing if the same birds come back each year without catching them and putting them under significant stress, so this year we have given them names that will last the duration of the season. This is something we are so glad to share with our many Falcon fans.
On 21 March we launched our Peregrine Naming Competition, following the theme ‘Flora and Fauna’ in anticipation of our Flower Festival in May. We were truly overwhelmed with the responses. Collecting the entries in a basket and giving them a good mix, on Friday 01 April, Michael Bowyer, Chairman of our upcoming Flower Festival, pulled an entry from the draw. Announced on Monday 04 April, our peregrine parents this year will be known as Daisy and Oxeye and we congratulate Kathy Davenport for her winning entry.
There were some incredibly creative and some quite touching responses to our competition. We have chosen five honourable mentions to share with you all. We have collated the female and male peregrine names with their entry descriptions, in no particular order…
Salvia Cirsium
“These are Latin names for plants.
Cirsium is the Latin name for thistle. A tough plant – provider of food for birds and soft lining for nests. It’s the “feathered hairs” that are soft and downy – and thistle seeds are carried far and wide by the winds. Thistles play an important part in providing food for a wide range of birds and butterflies
Salvia is the Latin name for Sage family. The herb Sage is part of this family of plants – the Romans called it the Holy Herb” and used it in religious ceremonies – and it’s been used in ancient times to improve memory and quicken the senses. The peregrines remember to come back to this nesting place every year.”
Clover and Rowan
“Clover is a plant that flowers but also symbolises the Holy Trinity in Christianity. It is also a rare girls name which is appropriate as these Peregrines are relatively rare and indicates that we are all different and need to be ourselves.
Rowan is a tree which is being planted locally to protect local nature but could also symbolise the tree of life. It is also a rare boys name and although means ‘little red head’ does allude to the colours of the Peregrine and to the slight size of the bird.
Both names connect to nature and life.”
Lichen and Moss
“I have chosen these names because they grow on Salisbury Cathedral’s stone and in damp corners and crevices. They might be one of the first things the Peregrine chicks see when they hatch.”
Sunflower and Sky
“Chosen to represent support and solidarity for the Ukrainian nation as the sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine and the image of blue sky above a sunflower resembles the Ukrainian flag.
Sunflower chosen as the mother’s name as she is grounded in the nest while incubating her eggs, and Sky for the male who can be spotted in the sky around the spire hunting to feed her and the chicks when they hatch.”
Maple and Kauri
“One of the meanings of the name peregrine is to travel.
Both Maple and Kauri trees depend on wind to disperse their seeds. Their seeds flying to pastures new, just like our peregrines.”
Thank you to all who entered our naming competition, we are grateful so many of you take such an interest in our wonderful peregrines. You can keep up to date with our peregrine news by joining our dedicated Facebook Group.