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Ely Cathedral tower tours suspended to encourage falcons to lay

Ely Cathedral/Simon Stirrup Peregrine falcon at Ely CathedralEly Cathedral/Simon Stirrup
Photographer Simon Stirrup captured a female peregrine perched on the Southwest Transept Tower of Ely Cathedral

Tours of a cathedral tower have been stopped to encourage peregrine falcons to nest.

A pair at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire have been spotted doing "impressive" courtship displays and staff hope they will breed.

In order to not disturb them, tours of the West Tower have been suspended, but the Octagon Tower is not affected.

Events manager, Joss Palmer, said staff were "really hoping they just get on with it now".

Last year, the falcons did not nest, but they did fledge chicks in 2021.

Ms Palmer said: "This season has been really peculiar, it's been a bit like a sort of peregrine singles dating site.

"We've had so many different peregrines come along and [none] have really settled down."

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Tim Wainwright Peregrine Falcon in flightTim Wainwright
The peregrine falcon has a top flying speed of 180mph (290km/h) when diving (known as stooping)

Peregrine falcon

  • A powerful bird of prey with blue/grey plumage, a white face and a contrasting black moustache
  • Top flying speed of 180mph (290km/h) when diving - making it the planet's fastest animal
  • About 1,500 breeding pairs in UK
  • Hen lays three to four eggs a year
  • UK birds remain resident all year round, with others visiting from northern Europe
  • Numbers of the species fell through the first-half of the 20th Century to critical levels in the 1960s, but are now protected by law

Source: British Trust for Ornithology and Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust

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Ms Palmer added that the male was "putting on some impressive courtship displays" with "lots of swooping and diving and fly-bys - a bit like Top Gun".

"The female makes lots of noise whenever she's impressed by them. It's been absolutely amazing to watch, but we really are hoping they just get on with it now and have some eggs," she said.

"We're trying to minimise any form of disturbance so that we can give them every opportunity to settle down and get on with the job."

It is not yet known exactly when the tours will resume.

"A lot of peregrine falcons around the country have already laid their eggs, so if they don't lay within three weeks then we're probably out of luck this season," Ms Palmer said.

"But this is a great place to come and have a look at them, they are wonderful to watch."

Andrew Sharpe Ely Cathedral under a blood moonAndrew Sharpe
Tours up Ely Cathedral's central Octagon Tower are not affecting by the peregrines
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