Andy Munns
As the peregrine season at the Salisbury Cathedral draws to a close, we are being offered one last glimpse of the Cathedral’s famous avian residents before they shut down the live stream this week.
In the last two weeks, Rex (Orange ID ring VDR), the only juvenile male hatched on the Tower this year, has been spotted on the South Tower Balcony parapet.
He and his two siblings have become fairly proficient hunters after some intensive training their parents gave over the Close.
Hundreds of visitors witnessed some remarkable behaviour and saw these amazing birds close up thanks to the RSPB Date with Nature team, who set up their telescopes on the West lawn throughout June.
In recent weeks the juveniles have been ranging beyond the Close in search of food, with the Water Meadows and the fields around Netherhampton being a popular spot.
Male peregrines generally stay close to where they fledge, so Rex should be spotted more than Lily (Orange ID ring VHR) and Rose (Orange ID ring VRR) in the coming weeks.
Gary Price, Clerk of Works, who looks after the nestbox on the Cathedral said:
“So far it looks to have been a textbook year. The chicks have pretty much stuck to their schedule.
“No-one crash landed when they fledged. The parents have been efficient and calm. We were sad when the fourth egg didn’t hatch, but other than that everything has gone like clockwork.”
The biggest challenge for the three young falcons will be making it through their first year.
Less than a third of juveniles reach breeding age, and according to the RSPB, their lifespan is likely to be between five and six years.
