St Albans Cathedral peregrines: Three chicks hatch on webcam

Three peregrine falcon chicks have successfully hatched on top of a cathedral, with the event streamed live on a webcam.

The eggs were laid a month ago after a pair of birds returned to St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire, having successfully bred there last year.

The first chick was spotted on the webcam at 05:10 BST on Thursday - while the latest arrived just before 17:00.

Wildlife Trust expert Heidi Carruthers said it was "really exciting" news.

Peregrine falcons mate for life and usually stay loyal to their nesting site.

The parents were named Alban and Boudica following a public vote and are one of just five falcon pairs in the county.

Ms Carruthers, from Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said: "Now that they've hatched, we'll see both parents at regular intervals popping backwards and forward feeding the young birds - not that frequently to begin with - they're only small and don't have large appetites yet, but that will gradually increase of over the next few weeks."

The nesting tray at St Albans Cathedral was installed as part the Wilder St Albans project, a collaboration between the trust and St Albans City and District Council.

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