Our pair of mating Peregrine Falcons have now left their nest, with three chicks successfully fledged.
After returning to the nest box on the roof of The Blade in the spring, the birds laid four eggs. Three successfully hatched in May, and our occupiers enjoyed watching their progress on a big screen in Reception where we live-streamed the birdcam our team had set up on the roof.
After hatching the chicks grew fast, shedding their fluffy white feathers to look much more like their parents. They then began exploring out of the nest, perching on the edge of the building, stretching their wings and preparing for their first flights.
We named the chicks Mark, Nanney and Orla – in honour of our dedicated onsite engineer Mark Nanney, who built the bird box the Peregrine Falcons called home, and in celebration of the arrival of Mark’s newborn granddaughter, baby Orla, born in early summer.
Peregrine Falcons are the largest bird of prey in the UK, and a Schedule 1 listed species of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. There are currently 1500 breeding pairs in the country so we are very pleased that we have been able to provide a safe space for our pair over the past few years. Peregrines hunt by ‘dive-bombing’ prey in mid-air which explains their decision to make the top of The Blade – the tallest building in Reading – home for raising a family.
We hope to see them back next year!