This page helps you find out:
What Peregrine Falcon specimens are in Derby Museums' collections?
There are a number of Peregrine Falcon specimens and related artefacts in Derby Museums’ collections. Some are described below. We would like to point out that these specimens were all collected at a time when shooting a passing bird, or collecting its eggs was an acceptable practice. Thankfully, those days have long since passed. All modern specimens of birds and mammals on display have either died naturally or been killed by cars and so forth. Derby Museums does not condone the killing of any bird or mammal, and respects wildlife protection laws at all times.
Specimen (mount) Peregrine Falcon Adult female
On Public Display - in Nature Gallery, Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Record number: Believed to be TN 296
Source: Unknown. (Untraced find in 1978)
Condition: Good
Notes: On display in moorland case in the Derbyshire Nature Gallery. Although this specimen was re-catalogued in 1978, it had become disassociated from its original accession number, but was probably acquired by Derby Museum in the early years of the 20th century. Further work is needed to establish its provenance.
Specimen (mount) Peregrine Falcon Juvenile female
Mounted on small base, perched on branch of tree.
In Collection Store - Cheapside Annexe
Record number: TN 297
Source: Unknown.
Note: Location is incorrectly documented as "Natural History Gallery" Action: Amend to "Cheapside Annexe"
Condition: Excellent. The year in which this specimen came into the Museum's collections has not yet been established, but we believe it was acquired in the early years of the 20th century.
Specimen (mount) Peregrine Falcon Male
Record number 1917-713/1
Mounted on a small base with rocks and grass
From: Unknown location.
Acquisition: Purchased from A E Hutchinson in 1917 (for £1.175)
Location recorded - Central Museum
Condition: Excellent. (Hutchinson was a Derby-based taxidermist, based at London Road.)
Photo: to follow
Specimen (egg) Clutch of four eggs
Record number: 10522/1979
From: Location unknown
Acquisition: This old collection was transferred to Derby Museums from Elvaston Castle Museum when it closed in 2002.
Photo : IMG_0235.jpg
Notes: A UK £1 coin (22mm diameter) is shown in this photograph to give an idea of size.
Specimen (egg) Single egg
Record number: 1970-158/1
From: Unknown
Acquisition: Gift from S. Whitaker (?)
Photo: IMG_0242.jpg
Notes: Part of a small set of specimens donated prior to 1970, but catalogued in that year, and currently of uncertain origin.
From time to time our freezers we also hold the remains of a range of prey items which are waiting for identification. These are not intended to form part of our collections, although we are beginning to collect individual feathers and other evidence of their prey. Should our eggs not hatch or one of our chicks die, we would seek permission to retain them for study or future research. A species such as the peregrine, which is at the top of the food chain, is a very good indicator of the health of our ecosystem. Analysis of tissue samples from non-viable eggs in parts of North America (San Jose) has recently revealed worryingly high levels of fire-retardants in the environment, and similar studies in the UK could require samples to be made available. This potentially puts local museums firmly at the forefront of research into the state of our world - a role that we would be only too pleased to take on.
What other material related to falcons and falconry is in our collections?
Ceramic Plaque
Record No. 1904-376/157
Henry Evans Collection
Inscription on reverse of plaque: “The first plaque finished at the crown porcelain works. September 1878. Painted by J.E. Hartshorne.”
Condition
Photo: To follow
Please Note: We are at a very early stage in researching our collections and will add to this page as further information becomes available.
Why is Derby Museum involved with a Peregrine Project?
"Natural history in museums is all about stuffed, dead things, isn't it? So, why get involved with live birds on a Cathedral?"
This is a good question, and deserves a good answer. So here goes:
The role of a museum is to interpret the area it serves. In the case of natural sciences at Derby Museums we see our purpose is to interpret elements of the wildlife and geology of Derby and Derbyshire, and to do this to as wide an audience as possible. We communicate with you, our audience, through our displays, temporary exhibitions, enquiry services and also through talks, lectures, websites and other outreach activities. Our collections of specimens are of prime importance in helping us achieve this goal. But as well as collecting, storing and exhibiting real things (rocks, fossils, plants and animals), we also collect information (data) in the form of paper or computer records. In fact, we hold nearly 3/4 million computerised wildlife records relating to plants and vertebrate animals in Derbyshire and Derby City. So, we use our museum specimens plus our data and our personal knowledge to explain and interpret what is out there - beyond our museum walls - in the real world. Museums do still collect specimens, of course, but the days of shooting a passing peregrine and putting it into a museum collection thankfully disappeared early last century. We collect data instead. We must respect the laws and the needs of wildlife conservation; indeed our work gets us closely involved in a number of conservation projects. It seems right that Derby Museums plays its part at the heart of some local conservation issues, rather than simply watching from the sidelines.
We believe what we are doing is right. Were we not to take these opportunities, our museums would be in danger of become inward-looking, dated and be seen as terribly unimaginative - especially so in natural sciences, where the active collection of many groups of living specimens could be illegal, immoral, or just plain impossible. When a peregrine falcon moves into town, just a ten second flight away from two of our city museums, should a museum ignore the exciting events around it? When that museum has a chance to encourage those birds to nest and breed, would you expect it to look away? And when its staff have the skills and enthusiasm to help those birds, would you expect the museum to say "this has nothing to do with our work, we should not get involved"? Derby Museum certainly didn't think so.
By supporting its staff, and by encouraging them to form a partnership with other equally enthusiastic experts in the local Wildlife Trust, Derby Museums have helped to create an outreach project with world-wide interest which is now conserving a protected species, has brought visitors (both real and virtual) through its doors and onto its web pages, and has surpassed all our expectations. It has demonstrated that by working with others we can make a difference not only to the lives of a protected species, but also to the lives of people, both near and far. The educational potential of Derby's peregrines is enormous. The peregrines on display in our wildlife gallery or in our collections are important items in the story we tell. But our involvement with the living world can, in some circumstances, be far more important and reach more people than those single specimens.
If you've not already done so, we hope you'll one day visit Derby and see our Museums and our peregrine falcons for yourself. . .
. . . We're proud of both.