Aren't birds brilliant > Sites > Chichester Cathedral peregrines

This season's highlights

What a fantastic year. We had fine weather almost every day, and with 18,000 people visiting our viewpoint to watch Chichester's most famous couple, it was a record amount of visitors, ever, to our site. Thanks to everyone who came to see us.

The Chichester pair are a very mature couple, and have been together now for nine years. This year they had four chicks; three boys and a girl.

We where at the Cathedral for eight weeks; first at the Cloisters café watching the live link from the nestcam as the young family hatched and grew, then once the young fledged we moved to the gorgeous 'Paradise' garden and got amazing views of the family flying overhead.

The family and chicks where quality entertainment. The female often got a little frustrated by her partner, and this year she actually dive bombed him! Many of their arguments were about how much food dad was bringing in - he always seemed to bring in quite a pitiful amount of food making her throw a fit and he to hide at the back of the cathedral (otherwise know as his shed) out of her sight.

The peregrine pair had a lot of media attention this year, and even managed to get a mention on Steve Wright's Radio 2 programme about how they are always having domestics, and how she wears the trousers!

The couple did have their tender bonding moments, though, when he would feed her food beak-to-beak.

All the chicks grew up healthy, and the first to fledge was number 29, the boisterous one in the nest who was always causing trouble, so no surprises there! It seems that the female (number 27) wants to follow in her mothers famous footsteps - she developed an obsession with the nestcam and was often seen perched on top of it.

The family had a few problems with their son from 2007. He would hang around the cathedral, clearly not wanting to let go of his mothers apron strings, so she would have to chase him off in a very gentle way.

Most weeks the couple also had problems with 'the neighbors from hell' - a buzzard pair who live in the area and would have to pass the cathedral to go on their way to do whatever buzzards do. The female peregrine would frequently be seen chasing them off.

Caroline Inglis, Aren't birds brilliant! project officer

Nesting peregrines have thrilled people at Chichester Cathedral since 2002.

Chichester Cathedral peregrines

26 April-6 June at the Cloisters Café
7-21 June in 'Paradise' access via the Cloisters

Binoculars or telescopes available for useVideo linkRSPB staff on hand to helpRefreshments availableToiletsDisabled access

Visit our viewpoint at Chichester Cathedral and see the fastest creature on the planet - the peregrine falcon.

Get close to the nesting family with CCTV images beamed live from the nest to a screen in the Cloisters cafe and restaurant.

Once the young leave the nest for their first flights, you won't miss a thing as we move the viewpoint to the 'Paradise' access point.

As the peregrines twist and turn above you chasing prey, our friendly staff and volunteers will be on hand with telescopes to point them out to you, and answer your questions.

There is no charge for the project itself, however there are variable parking costs in the city centre.

First time I’ve seen peregrines in real life. Never to be forgotten.

Mrs C Hunt from London

Opening times

Friendly staff and volunteers will be on hand daily, 10 am-5 pm (4 pm Sunday).

Facilities

The viewpoint has three telescopes for you to use. Live and recorded images of the nest will be shown on the TV.

How to get there

The Cathedral is in the pedestrianed centre of Chichester, and within walking distance of Chichester train station and bus station.

Follow signs to town centre and cathedral. RSPB signs will show the way to the viewpoint.

Enquiries

Telephone: 01273 775333
E-mail: caroline.inglis@rspb.org.uk

Thanks to Chichester Cathedral for hosting this project. The nestbox is maintained by Sussex Ornithological Society. Thanks to Carnyx Films for installing a second camera.