Our crumbling courts don’t have too many admirers, but one couple reckons a site in the capital is the perfect des res to raise their offspring. Yes, HM Courts & Tribunals Service is celebrating the return of a mating pair of peregrine falcons, who are again nesting in the roof of an unnamed building on the London estate.
Peregrine falcons (pictured) are, famously, the animal kingdom’s fastest movers, capable of more than 300kph in a dive. UK numbers are recovering following last century’s scourge of DDT pesticides, but the pair are clearly taking no chances – they enjoy legal protection anyway. Double indemnity.
According to HMCTS, the falcons returned to the area in late January and by March the first egg had been laid. ‘Incubation appears to be progressing smoothly,’ it adds, with three chicks already hatched. They can be viewed on a livestream, sometimes with a parent and sometimes without. The birds even have their own YouTube channel.
‘Please note that these are wild birds and as such, HMCTS and MoJ hold no liability for any images that some viewers may find distressing,’ viewers are warned, rather curiously. Even footage of a birds’ nest comes with a disclaimer these days.
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