Two peregrine falcon chicks hatch at Salisbury Cathedral

Two further eggs are still being incubated

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 29th Apr 2024

Two peregrine falcon chicks have hatched at Salisbury Cathedral in the last 24 hours.

The first arrived yesterday afternoon (Sunday 28th April), with a second making an appearance this morning (Monday 29th April).

There are four eggs in the nesting box at the base of the spire this year, with the parents still incubating the other two.

The adult falcons are taking it in turns to incubate the eggs, with two left to hatch - you can see the discarded egg shells within the nest box

It takes around 30 days for the process, so we could expect the other two chicks by the end of this week.

Resident peregrine expert Granville Pictor, from the RSPB South Wilts branch, told us the arrivals were due at the end of April.

The newly hatched chicks have been feeding already, with the falcons bringing them supplies.

Salisbury Cathedral's webcam has been getting heavy traffic in recent days due to the latest developments in the nesting box, which has been making the pictures freeze and buffer more than normal.

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