Every year in late winter a flurry of activity begins in the clock tower of Leamington Spa's historic Town Hall. Two peregrine falcons, a bonded pair, clean dirt and old bones out of the rocky scrape that will become their nest in a few weeks.

By March this year thousands of people were checking our live webcams, hoping to catch the first eggs being laid. Their patience was rewarded in the early hours of the 18th of March when the first egg appeared, followed in the next few days by three more.

The adult falcons took turns to incubate their eggs and hunt. In flight, peregrines can reach up to 200mph when diving to catch prey! Despite their awesome power they appeared to be caring parents, gently sheltering the clutch of eggs to protect them from cold wind and rain.

On the 26th of April the first chick emerged, with three more hatching in quick succession! At first the chicks weighed only 30-40g, with soft white feathers and half-closed eyes. Newly hatched chicks, or eyeases, are completely reliant on mum and dad for food and warmth.

By five days old they had more than doubled in weight and could see the world properly for the first time. The adults worked hard to keep them fed and safe, taking it in turns to hunt and return to carefully feed the chicks.

All four enjoyed many naps in the sunshine during May!

The next month was busy for the birds with feeding, sleeping, and beginning to explore their surroundings. By late May they were large enough for a Schedule 1 licenced bird handler to visit and give them a quick health check to record their weights and sexes. Each chick was also fitted with a small metal ring on the leg, engraved with a unique code to identify the bird.

'Ringing' the chicks helps us to understand where the birds go after fledging, as their ring codes could be picked up by photography or surveying. This can give us a better picture of where peregrines are moving and the challenges they face in our landscapes.

It was found there were three female peregrines and one male, and they were given the nicknames 3HH - Frodo (Male), 3JH - Merry (Female), 3LH - Pippin (Female) and 3NH - Sam (Female) in our naming competition.

Very sadly, 3LH (Pippin) was found grounded, having sustained a head injury, and was taken to a local vet. It's possible she tried to fledge a bit too early and collided with something. Despite being otherwise fit and healthy, the wound had become badly infected and the kindest course of action was euthanasia.

The remaining three chicks (3HH – Frodo, 3JH – Merry, and 3NH - Sam) successfully fledged in early June, and all three have been seen flying confidently around the area. Look out for them above Leamington, as they will soon depart to find their own nests!

Thank you!

We would like to thank our Peregrine Watch volunteers who dedicate hundreds of hours to monitoring these birds and sharing their knowledge.

Over 1,800 people visited our six Peregrine Watch LIVE events in Leamington this year, seeing the falcons for themselves and learning more about these incredible birds. Thank you to everyone who attended or watched online!

Thank you to Warwick District Council, Royal Leamington Spa Town Council, Baydale Control Systems, Opticron, and Belvoir Leamington Spa for partnering with this project.

We hope to be back next year, bringing live updates from the nest straight to you. If you've enjoyed following the pair this year, please consider supporting our work by donating to our charity or adopting a peregrine.