The pair’s three peregrine chicks can be seen and heard calling live from the nest on the now famous Derby peregrine webcams, which have reached over 100,000 views from viewers across the UK this year.
The first of four eggs was laid on Sunday 17th March. The first hatched on Saturday 27th April, with two more chicks arriving by Sunday morning.
‘First peregrine chicks of 2024 - webcam screengrab by avid webcam watcher Kate from Devon
Nick Brown, Enquiries Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, set up the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project with Nick Moyes back in 2006. Speaking about the chicks, he said:
"We are absolutely thrilled to have our first chicks of 2024 hatching and will be watching closely to see if the fourth egg will hatch too.
“The whole team behind the Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project are excited to watch as the chicks grow to full adult size over the next 6-7 weeks. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Peregrine watchpoints in May and June to catch a glimpse of these remarkable creatures.”
Peregrines have been nesting on the cathedral tower since 2006. They are the world’s fastest bird, able to reach speeds of up to 200mph when diving down onto prey. They nest in high places such as urban towers and rural cliffs and have excellent binocular vision allowing them to see prey from as far as 3km away.
The Derby Cathedral Peregrine Project is a partnership between Derby Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter, Derby City Council, and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, which manages the project.
Find out more about the Peregrine Falcon Watchpoint events in May and June
