The Fastest Show On Earth

Is back in Halifax, the peregrines have returned!!!!

Peregrine falcons have nested on and off in Halifax over the past ten years in an old church spire. For the last couple of years there has been a lot of building work around the spire so the peregrines have nested elsewhere, but this year they’re back.

The peregrine is the fastest animal on earth using its amazing speed of over 200 mph to hurtle down on prey in its classic stoop. They can accelerate to 80mph in a second and with their large talons can take prey up to the size of a mallard duck. They are one of the worlds most common birds of prey and after almost being persecuted to the edge of extinction they have made a remarkable comeback. Most big cities in the UK will have a pair nesting somewhere as the urban landscape mirrors the cliff faces they used to nest on and provides a banqueting table of pigeons and other birds for them to hunt.

If you search peregrine webcam you will find links to cities that have put up nesting boxes and webcams so you can watch them hatch their young and raise them in Spring and into Summer.

Here’s a couple of links but remember the time difference if you reading in the US or Europe!! But be warned it can be very addictive!!!! Why not see if there’s one near you?

Sheffield peregrines here

Woking peregrines here

Rochdale peregrines here

We don’t currently have anything set up but I have been speaking to the land owners and they seem quite keen as its a great way to get people to visit the town. So watch this space. In the meantime I know where I’m going to be over the next couple of months. Fingers crossed they’re successful and soon we might be seeing a few more falcons in town!