Rare bird make home in the city

From the Worcester News, first published Tuesday 21st Aug 2007.

TWO of the rarest and most highly protected birds in Britain have set up home in the centre of Worcester.

A pair of peregrine falcons are currently nesting in St Andrew's Spire, off Deansway - one of the city's best known landmarks.

And the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is encouraging Worcester's residents and visitors to go along and take a look at them this week.

There are just 1,285 pairs of peregrine falcons in the UK and the large powerful birds, which can hunt at up to 200 mph, are usually found around rocky seacliffs and in the east coast marshes. However they have more recently started to find their way to high buildings in urban areas.

They were spotted by RSPB volunteer and member of the society's Birds Near You team Ross Lawford, from Blackpole, Worcester, in February. He has done a number of peregrine projects across the country and has been following their progress this year.

"I was pretty gobsmacked when I saw them. They brought a ray of light into my life. Peregrines are my favourite things on the planet. This has changed my feelings about Worcester city centre," he said.

"Peregrines are moving to the city. They have been in London for 10 or 15 years. They look for somewhere safe to nest which is high up and abundant food. Being in St Andrew's Spire is just like a cliff face and Worcester has plenty of feral pigeons and rooks."

He added that the female might even go after seagulls.

Mr Lawford will be on hand at the spire for the rest of the week to show people the falcons, which are just loafing and roosting at the moment as they are currently moulting. This pair has already produced one offspring which has now left the nest.

Anyone interested in seeing the birds through telescopes and discover more about them and other birdlife can go along between 10am and 5pm until Friday August 24.

And Worcester residents may find the pair a permanent fixture as peregrines in the UK do not migrate and the majority stay within 100 kilometres of their birthplace.

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