Peregrine nesting season is in full swing and here at the Hawk and Owl Trust we have been busy monitoring our various Peregrine cameras around the country.
Norwich Cathedral Peregrines
The pair of Peregrines at Norwich have laid four eggs this year on 24th, 27th and 29th March and 1st April. The pair have been taking it in turns incubating the eggs and you get a brief glimpse of the four eggs when they change over to give the other a rest. The eggs are due to hatch at the beginning of May, and we are hopeful all 4 eggs will hatch. We have had varying levels of success at Norwich since the first pair nested in 2010. A total of 33 chicks has fledged from the platform since then, with several changes in the breeding pair over the years.
The watchpoint will be open from 4th May onwards, 3 days per week until the end of June. Our team of volunteers will be at our trailer with scopes and binoculars so you can see the Peregrines from the cathedral grounds.
Ely Cathedral Peregrines
It has been an exciting start to the season at Ely Cathedral, with 4 eggs being laid on 29th and 31st March and 2nd and 5th April. Peregrines at Ely are quite a recent sight with the first pair nesting in 2019. In 2020 the pair raised two chicks and again in 2021 with four chicks hatching, however in 2022-2024 there were multiple territorial disputes which meant that a pair did not breed at the cathedral at that time. In 2025 we were hopeful when a pair returned to the cathedral and laid three eggs, but unfortunately, they were not successful in raising chicks to fledging. The pair tried again in 2026 and have successfully laid four eggs. We are hopeful for a better outcome this year.
Kettering SS Peter & Paul Peregrines
At Kettering the Peregrines also have a full clutch of four eggs this year. They were laid on 28th and 31st March and 2nd and 5th of April. The Kettering Peregrines are quite the success story with the pair successfully raising three chicks in 2023, followed by an impressive four chicks in 2024. The success continued in 2025 with all four chicks fledging. Fingers crossed for another successful season in Kettering this year.
Bath St John’s Peregrines
Since their first successful nesting in 2006, the Bath Peregrines have produced a consistent and impressive breeding record, fledging dozens of young over nearly two decades. Annual clutches typically consist of three to four eggs, with high fledging success rates, however the resident falcon is now at least 15 years old and has had little success in the last few years. In 2025 two eggs were laid but did not hatch. Unfortunately, there have not been any eggs laid in 2026 which will be related to the age of the falcon. We are hopeful that in future years we will see success at Bath again, but for now the falcon is still present in the area and can occasionally be seen perched on the nest box.
Yeovil St Johns Peregrines
The Yeovil Peregrines have laid three eggs again this year, on the 17th, 19th and 22nd March. The eggs began to hatch over a couple of days from the 22nd April. All three eggs hatched successfully and we are hopeful that the pair will have another successful year raising their chicks.
For more information about our projects, see our website: https://projects.hawkandowltrust.org/peregrines
Thank you to our sponsors Hawke Optics for their continued support with our Peregrine projects, for more information see: https://uk.hawkeoptics.com/binoculars.html
