Salisbury Cathedral’s 24-hour live stream has captured the exciting moment when the first peregrine falcon egg of 2025 was laid, sparking joy among wildlife enthusiasts.
The egg, spotted at around 10.25am on Sunday, March 16, inaugurates the peregrine breeding season at the historic site. This year, the cathedral’s cameras were activated a month earlier, presenting viewers with the opportunity to witness the courtship rituals of the resident falcons.
An un-ringed adult male peregrine, likely the same bird that has frequented the site in recent years, has claimed the newly installed nestbox. Three live-streaming cameras offer continuous views of the nest and the ‘larder,’ a food storage area on the South Tower balcony.
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Granville Pictor of the Wiltshire Ornithological Society expressed gratitude for the peregrine cameras, remarking on the unique insight they provide into the birds’ lives. He particularly highlighted the female’s incubation behavior, noting that she may delay keeping the eggs warm until she has laid the second-to-last one. With peregrines typically laying three or four eggs, observers can anticipate prolonged periods when the eggs are left uncovered. Pictor added that the female will instinctively know when it’s time to settle, allowing enthusiasts to witness the entire process unfold.
Since the peregrines made their debut at Salisbury Cathedral in 2013, 35 chicks have fledged from the tower. Some have been tracked as they journeyed across the country, with sightings in Hertford, Hampshire, and Milton Keynes. The cathedral encourages anyone who spots one of its peregrines to check the colored identification rings on their legs, using blue for birds ringed between 2014 and 2020, and orange for those ringed after 2021.
The ongoing conservation project is a joint effort between the RSPB South Wiltshire Local Group and Salisbury Cathedral. Enthusiasts are invited to engage with the dedicated Facebook group to share footage and engage in discussions regarding the birds’ progress.