FEATHERS could fly as a new female peregrine has been spotted on Bobbin’s patch.

The juvenile was first spotted on Worcester Cathedral on Saturday, January 21, and was then photographed perched on top of St Andrew’s Spire on Monday.

Bobbin returned to Worcester in late August, after a six-month absence, but is yet to meet her new competition.

The juvenile can be easily identified from her brown and cream plumage and breast markings running vertically down her body.

All juveniles have the same markings but the females are about one-third in mass larger than the males.

They start to moult and gain adult feathers at about 12 or 14 months, which are slate grey with a white breast and horizontal black bars, as can be seen in the pictures of Bobbin.

Dave Grubb, of Worcester-based Electrodesigns CCTV, said he spotted the juvenile on the cathedral last week, where she stayed for about two hours.

“I played footage back from Monday morning and the same female juvenile was on the spire,” he said.

“She’s been around for about a week now.

"I’ve just been up there and there’s evidence they have been feeding.

“I think it’s Bobbin because the juvenile is still a bit unsure. When I saw her by the cathedral she didn’t seem to know where to land.”

Mr Grubb thinks the juvenile was born last season, probably at the end of April, and said it is unlikely that she is Bobbin’s.

The juvenile could be from Malvern or Great Witley where none of the chicks born last year were ringed.

He said: “I doubt whether Bobbin bred last year, she wasn’t away for long enough.

“There could be a bit of a conflict.

“She hasn’t been there while Bobbin has been back so we’re just waiting to see what happens. We are hopeful that Bobbin will breed this year.

“There are no males around this season but the positive side of the juvenile being here is that she may entice males to the area.”