Three peregrine falcon chicks hatch at Cathedral

Three peregrine falcon chicks have hatched at Lincoln Cathedral.

The birds, which have made their nest on a ledge on the side of the main tower, laid four eggs last month.

Bruce Hargrave, a tower guide, said three of the four hatched in the early hours of Tuesday morning and one was "still to hatch".

Speaking on BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Breakfast Show, Mr Hargrave described the chicks as "little white balls of fluff with big feet".

He said: "The first three hatch quite quickly and the fourth takes a bit longer."

The nest has a live video feed on the internet.

Mr Hargrave said the male peregrine had been nesting at the Cathedral for the past 10 years and the female arrived in 2023 following the death of his previous partner.

The peregrine population in the UK declined in the 1960s due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides, according to the RSPB.

However, improved legislation and protection has helped the birds to recover and they have now expanded into many urban areas, although they are still illegally killed to stop them preying on game birds, the charity added.

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