2025

15 January

And we’re off! The pair together on the east side of the tower, roosting above the bell chamber mid-afternoon.
Cameras and nest tray in the next couple of weeks.

27 January

The nest tray was put in place today. Also, all the cameras have been installed, including the live-stream to the church coffee shop and a new camera monitoring the south walkway (previously hidden from view). This camera was paid for by Mike Tarrant and Julia Mullett, in memory of Julia's brother Barry Clarkson, an acomplished bird-watcher, who passed away suddenly on 26 December 2023.

29 January

A remarkable recording by the nest camera yesterday. Around 13.30, a black redstart was seen feeding on and around the nest tray. It remained for about 1 hour and was possibly the bird seen in the east of the town on 7 January, a scarce winter visitor and a first for Louth since April 2012.
Click the image below to see the video on YouTube.

2 February

10 days earlier than last year, the male makes his first visit at 07.35 today. The black redstart was also present briefly at 09.45

13 February

First visit to the nest tray by the pair this afternoon. They arrived at 15.51 and stayed for 12 minutes. Exactly the same date as last year!

28 February

The male poked his head through the crenellations at 7am this morning. Presumably checking the nest is still in place!
Later, the female made two visits to the nest – at 12.09 for 25 minutes, and again at 16.00 for 10 minutes. On both occasions she worked on creating a scrape in the gravel, ready for nesting.

18 March

Grey wagtail living dangerously...

20 March

The pair mated several times yesterday on the gargoyles on the north side of the tower. Last night, the female came on the nest at 23.45 and slept until 05.30. After a break, she returned at 08.20, departing with the male at 09.30.

21 March

05.54 this morning. Grainy video of the pair mating on a gargoyle on the north side, after the female spent much of the night sleeping on the nest.

1 April

First egg arrived on the 30th March at 23.17. Expect the 2nd one by tommorrow night.

2 April

Second egg at 12.45 today. This video is in slow-motion, so you can see the moment of arrival.

4 April

Third egg arrived at 22.50. She is now incubating, so there is likely to be a fourth.

7 April

4th egg appeared at 10.37 today.This is the 5th year in a row that our female has produced four eggs and only one failed to hatch.
We would expect the first chick around 9th May.

10 May

First chick emerged last night at 22.53, followed by the second at 04.43 this morning. Click the image to link to YouTube video

11 May

A changeover at 04.37 reveals that the third chick hatched overnight. Impossible to say the precise time as the female had her back to the camera all night.

12 May

4th chick hatched at 11.58 today. The female ate the shell.

15 May

Feeds recently are averaging 7 per day, beginning around 05.00, with the last one 19.00. Mostly small prey with some of it cached for later use. All four chicks seem to be doing well, depite the cold wind.

19 May

It looks like one of the chicks is struggling. It missed most of the feeds yesterday and this morning, and has a tendency to get 'stranded', away from the others.

20 May

Our last-hatched chick died in the early hours of the 20th. It was well-fed initially, but then seemed to become disorientated and not able to accept food – so it wasn't offered any. The adults sense when things are amiss, so won't force food on a sick chick.
It remains to be seen what they do with it, the last time chicks died (2019) they were removed from the nest and carried clear. At Grantham this year, one of their chicks died and was fed to the remaining ones – something we weren't aware happened.

22 May

The remains of the chick is taken away from the nest at 08.19

2 June

The chicks were successfully ringed this morning – their East Midlands orange rings (useful for photographers and those with 'scopes) are: XTT, XVT, XXT. Thought to be one female, one male, and one – not sure! The DNA results expected in December will confirm.

two videos below, a short one when the chicks were returned to the nest, and the other showing part of their first feed since ringing, at 15.00.

6 June

First one away at 05.53, shortly followed by the second. Both returned safely (there is a step at the far side of the tray) and one has been out again since.

10 June

Finally, the third juvenile (XVT) leaves the nest – just!

18 June

First to fledge? Looks likely (XTT) Two juveniles slept in the nest overnight and at first light, an adult was seen to fly to a gargoyle on the north side where a juvenile was already in place. The video implies there was food brought in and left, but there's no record of either birds leaving. The juveniles are very mobile now, but all three were recorded at the same time on various walkways at 09.12

In the video below, watch the adult fly left to right (3 seconds in) then returning to the gargoyle (25 seconds in).

22 June

After going missing for over two days, XXT was spotted on the grass, on the north side of the church. I caught it and returned it to the tower, where it screamed for food!

24 June

XVT fledged yesterday afternoon and ended up on the garage roof of 82 Westgate, where it spent the night – probably very hungry. Quite a difficult position, as either end of the roof is a high wall, so it can't run to take off.
Photos by Phil Marvell

24 June

Update: It flew around 10.45 and landed by the west door of the church. I caught it (and have claw marks as a souvenir!) and Verger Dale returned it to the tower.

28 June

Both adults and all three juveniles in the air around the church this morning. Photo of the class of '25 sitting on the lower walkway, east side, courtesy of John Lusby. The elusive XXT in the centre.

2 July

Food fight! (no sound) The cameras have now been removed.

5 July

Digiscoped video of the three juveniles on the church on YouTube. (Click the image)

15 July

An unusual occurance. Juvenile XTT attacked a pair of woodpigeons that were nesting on a gargoyle on the south aisle of the church. After a tussle, XTT killed one of the pigeons, dragged it up the aisle roof and proceeded to pluck it. I've never seen a peregrine go for a sitting pigeon. Later, the surviving pigeon returned alone to nesting duties.
All three juveniles are flying strongly, usually early morning and early evening.

6 August

XVT turned up early evening for a screech. No other adults or juveniles were around to respond.

7 August

The adult female returned to the church this evening. We were alerted to her arrival by the male calling from high on the spire around 19.00. She flew in and perched a few crockets below her partner. First time we've seen them together for almost a month.