2019

14 January

The pair very vocal and active this afternoon, finally settling together low on the south face of the tower next to the lower parapet path. Nest tray should be in position in a couple of weeks

11 February 2019

The pair have been very voiciferous over the past week, mostly favouring the lower parapet path on the south face of the tower, level with the ringing chamber. There is no sign that they have visited the nest tray.

21 February 2019

The pair were seen to copulate this afternoon. They still favour the lower parapet path on the south face of the tower, level with the ringing chamber. There is no sign that they have visited the nest tray.

22 February 2019

Prey brought in by the tiercel this afternoon and plucked by the falcon on the southeast coronet

13 March 2019

Pair noisy, but out of view, having dropped onto the lower parapet path on the south face of the tower, level with the ringing chamber. There is no sign that they have visited the nest tray.

19 March 2019

Prey brought in by the male while being mobbed by 5 gulls, but lands safely. Earlier, 4 buzzards soar close to the church and one in particular passes very close to the peregrines' perch on the south walkway

24 March 2019

This afternoon, the tiercel brought in prey that he presented to the female as part of the courtship ritual. Much 'chatter' before she devoured it

30 March 2019

Early this morning, the tiercel spent a few minutes flying at various roosting wood pigeons and disloging them from their perches.

Looking at the TV screen in the church, it's clear that the birds have made an indentation in the nest tray gravel, so fingers crossed for the first egg in the next 3 days

3 April 2019

The expected first egg failed to appear today, but there are signs that the gravel on the nest tray has been further disturbed, so any day now!

Yesterday, a third peregrine appeared and for a short time there were spactacular views of the trio flying around the tower. Finally, the visitor was escorted off the premises by the tiercel.

5 April 2019

Finally, this morning the first egg was seen, presumably laid in the early hours.

8 April 2019

Second egg seen this morning, but could have arrived on Sunday (7th)

15 April 2019

The falcon is now incubating 4 eggs. The 3rd was seen on the 10th and the 4th on the 12th, though they could have been laid during the preceding night. 4 eggs is the norm (we had 4 in 2016 and 2018)

16 April 2019

A 5th egg was seen today at 12.10, the first record of five anywhere in Lincolnshire. It's likely to have been laid on Sunday or Monday, but because the birds were sitting for hours on end, nothing could be seen. This is the first time 'our' birds have produced more than four, let's hope they all hatch and fledge successfully!

Four eggs is the norm, but 5 is quite exceptional and is most likely related to extraordinarily productive and vigorous falcons. Just 2% of nests have that number, though 6 eggs is not unknown.

24 April

Just before 10.00 the adults swapped incubating roles, so the 5 eggs could be clearly seen. They swapped again around 1pm.

2 May

20 May

At last! Two chicks seen late on the 19th, and a further two today

23 May

Confirmation that we have five chicks. A first for Lincolnshire! Only 2% of the UK peregrine population have so many chicks in a brood

31 May

Within the last couple of days, two of the chick have died. The falcon was seen to remove one from the nest and carry it around the corner, where presumably the other one was taken.

1 June

Two feeds recorded this morning, but just one chick fed. The falcon was seen to pick up two of the chicks and move them. One was quite lively, but the other just lay where it was dropped

3 June

We still have two chicks, though one is very small. Click the image below to see the video

5 June

It does appear that there is just one healthy chick

6 June

Click the image below to see a (shaky) video of the chick enjoying the sunshine. Notice that the other corpse has been removed

7 June

The chick was ringed at 10.15 and was found to be a male. Ring code PFL.

There is some speculation that the adult falcon may be a new and inexperienced partner for the tiercel, hence the odd behaviour earlier in the year and the failure of some of the chicks.

We also heard that one of the 2016 brood (WS) was found on 28 May at Swineshead Bridge. It had a broken wing and had to be euthanised.

11 June

The chick was seen out of the nest tray on Monday the 10th, with just sporadic sightings since.

12 June

The final report on the peregrines that have bred for the 5th year on St James church, Louth.

The remaining chick (of the 5 that hatched) was found dead a short distance from the church this morning after terrible weather over the past few days, a sad end to the breeding season.

It has become clear over the past months that the adult falcon is an inexperienced bird with this being her first clutch of eggs, and she just wasn’t able to brood and feed the chicks sufficiently.

There are no conspiracy theories, the same thing has been reported around the country where young adults are involved, though it doesn’t make it any easier for all who have followed the birds progress over the year.

Another year older, another year wiser – the falcon should be better prepared for next year

17 June

Both adults have been appearing individually from time to time over the past week, but as in previous years, they seem to become more independent with no youngsters to attend to. I'm told it's very unusual to lose all chicks in a brood.

20 June

After several day where the tiercel has been absent, the pair are together again, back on the low walkway, on the south side of the tower that was favoured early in the year.

30 June

The pair were seen sharing prey on one of the gargoyles

3 July

Contrary to what the RSPB volunteer said on Radio Linconshire this morning, peregrines DON'T time the hatchings so there is a hierarchy within the nestlings, allowing the older and stronger to survive at the expense of the younger. The eggs all hatch within a couple of days and the chicks are fed by the adults, more or less equally.

18 October

Our pair are still around intermittently, though they often arrive after dark to roost, so are heard rather than seen.

20 October

The falcon flew from where she had been hiding out of sight, to chase off a buzzard that was flying past St.James, minding its own busiiness!

21 November

This afternoon, one of the peregrines hidden somewhere on the tower, made its presence felt as a sparrowhawk drifted by, subjecting the hawk to loud squawking.

9 December

The pair arrived at dusk and settled together on the crockets, on the east side of the tower

oooOooo

aaa