The tiny white chick has had its first feed, though a little chaotic as it ended up on its back at one point!
Nick Brown, who set up the peregrine project for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said, “We are delighted to to have our first chick. People who are watching the webcam have heard cheeping and get glimpses of the chick as the male and female changeover. The chick has had its first feed, though a little erratic, in time it will be smoother! We expect to see the other eggs hatch over the next few days, so now is a great time to watch the webcams.”
Peregrines have been nesting on the cathedral tower since 2006, this year there is a new female and she laid her first egg on March 23rd, the earliest date for eggs before now.
Not only was the timing unusual this year, but also the colour of the eggs. Peregrines usually lay red-brick coloured eggs but this year one of the eggs is much paler.
Peregrine falcons are the world’s fastest animal, reaching unbelievable speeds of up to 390kph. They love to nest in high places such as towers and cliff edges, anywhere where they can have a great vantage point for spotting and swopping down on prey. The famous Derby peregrine webcams are live once again. You can watch at: www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/derby-cathedral-peregrine-project.
The project is a partnership between Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, which manages the project, Derby Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter and Derby City Council.