THE peregrines are back on their lofty perch at Salisbury Cathedral – and the webcam which allows us to see them has now gone live.

They’ve been hanging around the tower for a while and have been seen mating, so the signs are good. Last year the first egg was laid on 15th March so it could be any day now.

The thing to remember if you want to tell the birds apart is that the female is considerably bigger than the male. It’s not so easy in flight but possible when you see them together. Look out for bowing, ledge display, calling and the male’s stunning flypasts – all part of courting and mating process.

The other live webcam news is that the adults are going to be named. The Cathedral team don’t usually keep adult names because the peregrines aren’t ringed and when they’re not nesting it is hard to be certain if it’s the right bird.

However now this pair have settled in, there is going to be a name game for them both…and to celebrate the upcoming Flower Festival. Keep an eye out for the competition launch on social media.

The live stream can be found here:
https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/discover/peregrine-falcons/peregrine-live-webcam/

The male bird is pictured bowing to the female (as cathedral press officer Marie Thomas says, “Quite right too.”)