Chichester Peregrine Blog

There are definite signs of courtship behaviour, and starting to prepare for another brood in the spring.On arriving at the cathedral today, there was nobody to be seen.  A while later, both birds flew in together, him landing on his high perch and her on a pinnacle below.  Mum looked a bit twitchy and aggravated when a sparrowhawk appeared flying over to the east, but didn’t move.  Not until dad flew off, at which point she followed, staying close to him.  They returned together again, him to sit on a pinnacle, while she sat on the nest turret looking in with interest.She moved to a pinnacle just above the turret to preen, then dad flew down to the nest turret, earning him some brownie points!  He’s obviously making an effort to impress her, and it didn’t go unnoticed – she was watching him very closely.We ended our afternoon with a superb view of him sitting directly above her to the east of the spire.

I’m relieved to say that both our birds survived the Big Freeze.  I popped around a couple of times during the snow, but last time only saw one of them which was a little worrying.  Today, I was in town enjoying the glorious sunshine and saw both of them, Mum was in Dad’s usual spot high on the spire, having booted him out to sit on a pinnacle below (perhaps she was hoping he’d go and get some dinner!).

A bright and sunny (if rather chilly) afternoon at Chichester Cathedral on New Year’s Day and both Mum and Dad are sitting close together on the south side of the spire.  After inspecting his ‘nails’ and a bit of a stretch, in which he showed off his tail feathers to perfection, Dad flew off leaving mum to watch us below.  Perhaps he was off to get the supper!!