Love is in the air as the NTU Peregrine Falcon breeding pair return to the Newton Building
NTU’s resident Peregrine Falcon breeding pair have returned to their home on the 9th floor of the Newton building ahead of bird nesting season.
A man-made nest box, which was one of the first of its kind when it was first introduced twenty years ago, will be the pair’s home for the breeding season which runs from March through to September. A webcam has also been in place since 2012 which live-streams the falcons and their chicks for all to see.
The popular webcam received over a million viewers from all over the world last year. Viewers have been able to observe, learn and share this journey in nature.
Peregrine Falcons have bred on top of their Newton home for the last twenty years and during this time 42 chicks have been born.
The birds are a Schedule 1 listed species and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. NTU works in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to monitor the breeding pair and their chicks.
Dr Esther Kettel, Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Conservation at Nottingham Trent University, who has published a number of research papers on Peregrine Falcons, said: “At this time of year, the pair will be starting to think about mating and egg laying and the excitement of having this top predator nesting on our doorstep never gets old. It is great seeing them in our city and so many others across the UK, given that in the not-too-distant past they were on the brink of extinction.”
The recent increase in activity from the falcons also coincides with National Nest Box week, which this year runs from February 14th until February 22nd.
National Nestbox Week puts the spotlight on breeding birds and encourages everyone to put up more nestboxes in their local area. Find out more including how to make or where to buy a nestbox.
Erin Mcdaid, Head of Communications and Marketing at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Whilst the resident pair do visit the nest ledge throughout the winter, the frequency of visits really picks up as we get nearer to nesting season. February is a good time to think about installing nest boxes as it’s a busy time for many bird species as they seek out mates, re-establish pairings or set up breeding territories. With the peregrine nest site firmly established on the Newton Building, February also usually marks the start of an exciting period of viewing for fans of the NTU peregrine webcam.”