The popular Peregrine Falcon livestream has launched earlier than usual this year, as the resident pair begin to show strong signs of nesting activity.
The adult falcons - affectionately known as Peter and Peggy - have been frequent visitors to the nest box over recent weeks, preparing the site and creating a scrape (a shallow hollow in the gravel) in readiness for egg‑laying. Their behaviour indicates that the new breeding season is now well underway.
Last spring, the pair laid their first egg in mid‑March, followed by three more. The Cathedral team is hopeful for a productive season, with the chance to witness key milestones once again, including feeding, ringing, and - if all goes well - fledging in early June.
This year marks Peter and Peggy’s fifth breeding season at Worcester Cathedral. From 2022 to 2024, the pair successfully raised and fledged four chicks each year. However, 2025 presented significant challenges: one egg did not hatch, and the remaining three chicks sadly died within days of each other.
Despite last year’s difficulties, the Cathedral and Peregrine Falcons in Worcester teams remain optimistic, and the cameras have been activated earlier than ever to ensure viewers can follow every moment of the new season from the very beginning.
Chris Dobbs, Biodiversity Advisor at Worcester Cathedral, said:
“We all know last year was a sad one for our pair, with the unviable egg and the subsequent loss of the chicks. Unfortunately, these events do happen in the natural world.
Peter and Peggy have been consistently successful parents in previous years, so there’s every reason to hope for a better season. Launching the livestream early allows viewers to follow the journey from courtship to the first egg, hatching, and - hopefully - fledging.”
Peter and Peggy - also known among followers as Mr and Mrs P - continue to attract a loyal audience. Last year’s livestream reached nearly half a million viewers worldwide before broadcasting had to be halted.
Peregrines have been part of Worcester’s landscape for centuries, appearing in the Cathedral’s Great West Window and throughout its stonework.
Known as the fastest living creature on Earth, peregrines can exceed 200mph in a hunting dive - far surpassing the top speed of a cheetah. They are listed as Green under the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern 5: The Red List for Birds (2021) and are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.