AN APPEAL

Since 2021, we have had cameras in place to enable people to watch the progress of our resident peregrines as they raise their chicks. Initially a couple of cameras, we now have 5 – one on each walkway plus one that livestreams images from the nest tray on YouTube. As a result, hundreds of people follow the streaming, many from overseas locations.

Much of this success has been down to the generosity of the Lincolnshire Bird Club, who have paid for some of the cameras and for ongoing maintenance. However, the cameras (and the nest tray) have to be removed in the summer to allow visitor to climb the tower, meaning in January, everything has to be reassembled. This has been undertaken in the past by our friends, Wildlife Windows, who did the original installation that included setting up a WiFi bridge to beam the signals from the church tower to our house where hours of video are recorded. Wildlife Windows are based in Bournemouth, a 5-hour drive from Louth.

With the restricted timeline for installing the cameras (last 2 weeks in January and 1st week of February), Wildlife Windows are rarely able to fit our job in with more commercial ones where costs would be shared, so last year they reluctantly had to charge us the commercial rate – £800 (two technicians, a 10-hour return drive, plus 3-4 hours installation time). Lincs Bird Club paid half the cost and are happy to continue with this contribution, but the other £400 was paid privately. So we need a sponsor! We are looking for a company who would offer this kind of funding on an annual basis, or are local and able to undertake the work themselves. In return, they would receive all the advertising on this website and YouTube that they coud want.

If you can help, please get in touch. We need something in place by the end of the year, otherwise, there is little chance of the cameras being used in the coming years.

30 September

Our adult male was interacting with another orange-ringed (East Midlands) bird in adult plumage around 17.20. Spectacular calling and tumbling, before the vistor flew off east.

25 September

'Our' adults reported flying around the spire this afternoon

7 September

Three pergerines late afternoon around St.James – our two adults, plus a ringed bird, which looked like a sub-adult (so a 2024 youngster). They all interacted and put on quite a display, before flying off north-west.

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.

6 August

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

30 July

The adult male joined XTT in chasing a woodpigeon that the juvenile had flushed from the lower walkway, south side. They flew low through our garden, with the pigeon escaping by diving into the large yew tree in the neighbouring Mansion House garden.

29 July

After a couple of days of silence, with the juveniles thought to be moving away, XTT turned up this morning and sat quietly on the lower walkway, south side. The adult male was also present, but his partner hasn't been seen since early July.

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.

5 July

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

2 July

Food fight! The final webcam images of 2025 (no sound).

Thanks to the Lincolnshire Bird Club for generously funding the cameras providing these images, and also for funding the live-streaming on YouTube.

If you would like to make a small donation towards the cost of hosting this website and also maintaining the cameras that send images to the screen in the church, please click the ‘donate’ button.

Many thanks.

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