Breeding Season Blog
Check out our blog posts from Archie and P9's breeding seasons!
Falcon Breeding Season 2025
Double the Joy: 2025 Peregrine Falcon Breeding Season Recap
Archie and P9, NTU’s resident peregrine falcons, returned once again to their newly refurbished nest box on the 9th floor of the Newton Building—and this year, they brought double the delight! Two healthy chicks successfully fledged in 2025, continuing the remarkable legacy of this urban nest site.
The first chick hatched in the early hours of Wednesday, April 30th, followed closely by its sibling on Thursday, May 1st. These two newcomers mark the 47th and 48th chicks to hatch from the Newton nest—an incredible milestone in the ongoing story of this remarkable pair.
This season, Archie and P9 laid four eggs, with the first arriving on Sunday, March 23rd, followed by the second on Tuesday, March 25th, the third on Thursday, March 27th, and the fourth on Sunday, March 30th—a particularly special date, as it coincided with Mother’s Day. While only two of the eggs were viable, the chicks thrived with the full attention and care of their devoted parents.
Just six weeks after hatching, both chicks took their first flights from the ledge, marking another successful season. During the ringing process, it was confirmed that the 2025 brood includes one female and one male. The ringing was carried out by NTU alumnus and ornithological specialist Josh Fusiara, in collaboration with the Birklands Ringing Group and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
As always, we extend our sincere thanks to the dedicated NTU staff who make this project possible, and to our partners at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for their continued support and expertise.
Falcon Breeding Season 2024
A Solo Star Takes Flight: 2024 Peregrine Falcon Breeding Season Recap
In 2024, our resident peregrine falcons, Archie and P9, welcomed a single chick into the world from their nest box perched on the 9th floor of NTU’s Newton Building. The pair laid four eggs between late March and early April, but only one proved viable.
At 4:33 a.m. on May 4th—fittingly, Star Wars Day—the chick made her debut, earning the affectionate nickname ‘Solo’ from fans. With no siblings to follow, the name was a perfect tribute to her lone arrival.
Solo was officially rung on May 20th, when it was confirmed she is a female. The ringing was done by NTU alumnus and ornithological specialist Josh Fusiara. Her successful fledgling marks a significant milestone: she is the 46th chick to hatch from the Newton nest since the peregrines first made it their home.
As always, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated NTU staff who support this project year after year, and to our partners at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for their invaluable expertise and care.
Falcon Breeding Season 2023
Three Peregrine Falcon Chicks in 2023!
Peregrine Falcon Chicks 2023: From First Look to First Flight
Three chicks of our resident falcons, Archie and P9, successfully fledged from the nest box on the 9th Floor of NTU's Newton Building in 2023. The mating pair laid four eggs at the end of March and early April; however, only three of the eggs were viable.
The first chick was spotted at 7.29 am on Thursday 4 May. The second quickly followed on the morning of Friday 5 May, with the third chick successfully hatched on Saturday 6 May. This year’s chicks are the 43rd, 44th and 45th to have hatched from the Newton nest since the birds took up residence.
Just 7 weeks after hatching our three falcon chicks, two female and one male, successfully fledged. 2023 also saw the Peregrines feature on BBC's Winter Watch and ITV News on World Wildlife Day!
As with every year we pass on our thanks to all NTU members of staff involved in this work as well as the team at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Falcon Breeding Season 2022
2022 Welcomed Two New Peregrine Falcon Chicks on our Newton Building!
Two chicks of our resident falcons, Archie and P9, successfully fledged from the nest box on the 9th Floor of NTU's Newton Building.
Four eggs were laid by P9, but only two eggs hatched. The first egg was laid on 24th March at 5:16pm and the second was laid on 24th March, 5:16pm. A third egg was laid just after 6:00am on the 29th March and a fourth egg arrived on the 31st March at 3:12pm.
After an incubation period of four weeks, the first of the eggs hatched on 3rd May at 7:00am, this was shortly followed by a second egg hatching on the 4th May at 4:00pm.
Regular viewers of the falcon livestream will have seen a more stable year in the nest after last year’s loss of our previous resident female Mrs P and the introduction of P9. Both parents have settled in to their roles and have been taking turns to incubate and feed and can be seen swapping shifts in the nest.
As with every year we pass on our thanks to all NTU members of staff involved in this work as well as the team at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Falcon Breeding Season 2021
Wow! What a Season 2021 has been for our Urban Peregrine Falcons!
Our resident falcon pair returned as usual to the nest site in early February. The first egg was laid on the 15th March, followed by the second egg arriving on the 17th March. The last sighting of the female (Mrs P) was the 20th March, followed by reports of a dead peregrine found in the Lace Market area of Nottingham City Centre.
A new female peregrine (P9) was spotted at the nest site soon after the disappearance of Mrs P, showing behaviour suggesting a new pairing was forming between her and the resident male peregrine (Archie). This relationship was confirmed on 24th March when mating between P9 and Archie took place. NWT confirmed the identity of the falcon found in the Lace Market was Mrs P and ruled out any foul play in the cause of death.
On the 5th April the first egg was laid by P9. The two eggs previously laid by Mrs P remained in the nest. On the 7th April a second egg was laid by P9. The incubation period began with P9 and Archie taking turns throughout the next few weeks.
On the 5th May the first chick hatched. Unfortunately, this was the only viable egg. Chick was ringed on 27th May and confirmed to be a male; the fledgeling was logged with BTO for future reference and sightings. This chick is the 40th to have successfully fledged from NTU’s nest site.
As with every year we pass on our thanks to all NTU members of staff involved in this work as well as the team at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
Archie and P9 Courtship in 2021