Peregrine falcons lay eggs on city landmark (From Worcester News)

Peregrine falcons lay eggs on city landmark

8:39am Thursday 3rd April 2008 in Local

A PAIR of nesting peregrine falcons in Worcester have amazed a national bird charity by laying their eggs on a derelict church spire.

The rare birds, which are the world's fastest animals, laid their eggs on Wednesday, March 26, in a specially built nesting box on St Andrew's Spire in Deansway.

The falcons have attracted huge interest in recent years and bird lovers will soon be able to keep up to date with their every move thanks to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which has set up a live nest camera in partnership with the Worcester City Council.

Ross Lawford, RSPB peregrine project officer from Worcester said: "This is really fantastic news and having followed these peregrines for several years I can't help feeling like a proud dad myself.

"The upcoming peregrine-viewing season promises to be exciting for residents in Worcester who can come by the RSPB's marquee from Wednesday, April 9, and find out first hand what the peregrines are up to."

Last year, your Worcester News revealed how the birds had set up their home in St Andrew's Spire - one of the city's best known land marks.

Hundreds of bird lovers visited the RSPB's peregrine viewing point to watch the pair through telescopes on the ground.

Jane Essex, who lives in Hanbury Park Road, off the Malvern Road, said she was pleased to have spotted the birds on the spire again this spring.

"Last year I saw them and I thought I would look up on the off-chance they would be here again. I was so happy to see them and will be logging onto the website when it is running so I can see the eggs too," she said.

Peregrine falcons, which can reach speeds of more than 200mph, have become increasingly common in city centres in recent years, with tall buildings replacing the birds' traditional cliff face nesting ground. At one point, in the 1950s, there were just 360 breeding pairs in the UK, but the figure has now risen to 1,500. The live nestcam link is expected to go online on the Worcester City Council and the RSPB websites later this month.

Meanwhile, the RSPB will have a stand outside Worcester's Guildhall in High Street from Wednesday, April 9.