Name game success is feather in pupils’ cap
THEY have a bird’s eye view of Rochdale and now the falcon chicks nesting at the town hall have names to be proud of.
The council’s chick naming competition really took off with hundreds of entries flocking in from schools, nature lovers and twitchers across the country.
The final say appropriately went to Twitter, with the winning names plucked out in a special online poll.
Class four pupils at Smithy Bridge Primary once again showed an eagle-eye for interesting names for their winning choice of ‘BuckBeak.’
Other successful entries for the three young chicks, who are all thriving, came from Graham Dorgan who suggested ‘Striker’ and Siobhan Griffith who chose ‘Kevin Beakon.’
A number of local schools entered into the spirit of things, with pupils at St Joseph’s Primary School, Heywood making fantastic classroom displays with falcon facts and pictures.
The council’s live webcam of the falcon nesting area has been a real success story with the number of views soaring to over 10,000 a week.
Coun Janet Emsley, cabinet member for culture, said: “The falcon chicks have really captivated people with thousands of nature lovers enjoying the spectacle of the birds via our live webcam.
“The competition was fun and engaging, so a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to suggest names for the chicks especially all the young people. It’s great to see pupils at Smithy Bridge flying high after submitting a winning entry for a second year in a row!”
The winners will each receive a £20 voucher to spend at the town hall’s Clock Tower Restaurant, followed by a guided tour of the building.
Live footage of the falcon chicks can be viewed at rochdale.gov. uk/falcons