Cromer peregrine live feed starts early for mating season

The Cromer Peregrine Project’s live webcams are now streaming from the top of the town’s parish church.

Chris Skipper, from the project, said the broadcast had started a month earlier than in previous years to give people an extra insight into the breeding pair that call the church tower home.

Mr Skipper said: “It will be nice to see what the birds are up to before the eggs have been laid, and to see their courtship display. 

“Their bond gets stronger this time of year and they’ve probably already started mating to strengthen that bond.”

Kim and Chris Skipper from the Cromer Peregrine Project - Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper)

The project was launched after the pair started nesting at the church in 2019. Their breeding has had mixed results. Of three eggs laid last year, one failed to hatch, one died as a chick, and while the third chick fledged, it was found dead in Fakenham in November.  

Mr Skipper said Defra was conducting tests to find its cause of death - as bird flu had become such a concern.

He said: “Because they are an apex predator, anything that gets into the food chain lower down ultimately comes out in the peregrines.”

The Cromer peregrines in their nesting box at the top of the town's parish church - Picture: Cromer Peregrine Project (Image: Cromer Peregrine Project)

Mr Skipper said the female should start laying eggs around March 20, and they would come around 60 hours apart. 

The project runs a viewing point with telescopes people can use which should reopen in front of Cromer Museum over the April 1-2 weekend. 

Volunteers will also be there to talk to visitors about the birds, and there will be peregrine merchandise to buy, as well as at the nearby gift shop Upstairs Downstairs.

The live feed on YouTube has this year been sponsored by Cromer’s Cliftonville Hotel to help the project cope with rising power costs.