Get a rare view of peregrine chicks with the RSPB when you visit Chichester Cathedral this spring.
Home to breeding peregrines since 2001, Chichester Cathedral hosts our annual Date with Nature event, where live HD footage of the nest is beamed to a special viewing area in the Cathedral’s Royal Chantry Garden. RSPB staff and volunteers will be on hand with binoculars and telescopes, to help you spot the birds and to answer your wildlife questions.
Last year, all four chicks successfully fledged from the tower, and this year the pair has laid a further four eggs. These eggs are expected to hatch around the date that the event opens, on Friday 28th April.
"Witnessing the new chicks hatching is one of the highlights of the project." said RSPB spokesperson Mark Weston. "Visitors love to come and watch the screens as they emerge; it’s a rare sight that people don’t often get to experience."
"Our live video feeds provide a fantastic way for families with young children to get up close to nature, as they can see the birds in detail without worrying about any noise disturbing them" added Mark.
Peregrine falcons were driven to near extinction in the UK through the use of pesticides and hunters but as populations recover they are becoming more common in urban areas. Chichester Cathedral site was the first in Europe to host a peregrine webcam to provide an intimate view of peregrines raising their young.
The peregrines "nest" on the Cathedral Tower, in a box made and supplied by the Sussex Ornithological Society. When the young are starting to learn to fly, the RSPB will move out onto the Cathedral Green. Entry to the Cathedral is free and the Date with Nature event runs until Saturday 2 July.
Live footage of the peregrines can be viewed on the events page.