Mating observed

 Despite there being no evidence as yet that our pair of Peregrine Falcons have discovered the new nest box we’ve constructed, there are nevertheless positive signs our birds are not abandoning the cathedral site.

On most nights we have been seeing the female roosting on the crossbar of the old platform (we removed the collapsing base earlier this month).

Most positively, keen webcam watcher, Wendy Bartter, captured THIS CLIP of the pair mating on 15th of March. These moments are inevitably brief and infrequently seen, and even less frequently captured on film. HERE are a few mating sequences from past years on our YouTube channel.

We can only hope that the urge to egg lay will drive our birds to look for suitable sites somewhere else on the Cathedral Tower. We know they’re really aren’t any,  back in 2006 that was the whole rationale for us constructing an egg laying platform for them to use. It was installed on 5th April 2006.

It took them a couple of weeks to find it in that first year, and eggs were laid there around 21st April. The rest as they say is history and Derby Cathedral has seen 57 Peregrine chicks fledge from the tower since that time.

We also know that a pair of peregrines at St Albans, whose eggs were unlawfully trampled on by a worker on the roof, laid a second clutch on 10th May. 

So, we've not given up hope by any means, and you shouldn't either! So keep watching and leaving your interesting comments.

BTW: Should you wish to, you can add a name or pseudonym when you post a comment here. Instead of posting just as 'anonymous', you may wish to select 'Name/URL' and pop in a moniker of your choice. That way we'll all know if you're a regular commenter, or a first time visitor to the comments section. Your choice!