First two peregrine eggs are laid after three years of 'heartbreak'

First two peregrine eggs of the season are laid at Leicester Cathedral after three years of ‘heartbreak’

• The large, powerful falcon laid the first egg in a man-made nest box on Tuesday 
• President of bird charity prays ‘this year is incident-free and successful’

Two peregrine falcon eggs have been laid at Leicester Cathedral after three years of ‘heartbreak’, it has been reported. 

The bird of prey laid the first egg in a man-made nest box on Tuesday and a second egg has since been spotted, according to the BBC.

The peregrine falcon is large, powerful and has long, broad pointed wings with a relatively short tail. In the 1960s they reached a low point in the UK due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides in the food chain. 

The revelation comes as part of the Leicester Peregrine Project, which has monitored the habits and activities of the bird in Leicester city centre since 2014. 

The nest box and platform was installed on the cathedral bell tower in 2016 to encourage safe nesting and breeding.

The resident male and female peregrine falcons have both been incubating the first egg of 2023 in the bell of Leicester Cathedral

The Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS) said there has been three years of ‘heartbreak’

The Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society (LROS), which runs the project, said it was hopeful this year would be a successful one. 

Jim Graham, the president of the LROS, said the failed hatchings in 2020 and 2021 were ‘heart-breaking’ on top of the avian flu outbreak last year and a male resident falcon being found fatally hurt.

However, this year he said he is hopeful four eggs will be laid ‘within the next seven to eight days to complete a clutch and we look forward to them hatching late in April or early May’.

He added: ‘We are praying that this year is incident-free and successful.’

The LROS hope four eggs will be laid within the next seven to eight days to ‘complete a clutch’

The LROS president added: ‘We are praying that this year is incident-free and successful’

Source: Read Full Article