Tewkesbury Abbey Peregrines

27/08/2026

In case you've missed hearing about the peregrines, here's a summary of this year's breeding season!
Since the two chicks fledged, they have not been back to the nesting tray. This is nothing unusual. Since then, the adults will have been teaching them to hunt on their own.
Next year's breeding season will begin early in 2027 with courtship in or around the Abbey tower.
Thanks for your support!

22/06/2026

Watch Flo go!
This is a much more controlled fledge than Jojo's departure. Having said that, I think she was aiming to land on the stonework below the tray, but as it slopes away steeply, I don't think it went entirely to plan.

21/06/2026

Jojo has left the tray! It wasn't exactly what you could call stylish. She basically fell off, which is sometimes known as "fludging", ie a fudged fledge!
In this video clip, you can see her flying off in the background so she's clearly fine. However, she did land on the ground and needed rescuing. Many thanks to Toby and Pat for persuading her into the special box we have just in case. She was then taken back up to the roof just under the tray.
(Thanks to Steve for the photos.)

18/06/2026

Here is a snapshot of Jojo (nearest the camera and slightly out of focus) and Flo. They are very much aware of their surroundings and I expect them to fledge soon.
The tray will need servicing when they've gone, with all the existing gravel taken away and a new layer of clean material left for the 2027 season.

18/06/2026

The names have been chosen! Read all about it on the Tewkesbury Abbey page.
https://www.facebook.com/tewkesburyabbey

Founded 1087. Consecrated 1121. A living Church welcoming all as Christ and offering glimpses of glory.

15/06/2026

The two chicks are just about ready to fledge. Here they are exercising their wings in this morning's rain shower.

10/06/2026

What's all the excitement about? Mum Penny is spotted with something to eat! The chicks are a month old now, and will probably fledge during the next week, so now is an excellent time to see them from the churchyard below as they peer over the edge of the tray.
To me they both look about the same size and if I was to hazard a guess, I'd say that they were both female. Their names will be announced shortly.
(Apologies for the lack of updates recently. I've been birdwatching on Lundy Island - bad timing I know!)

03/06/2026

At 23 days old, the two chicks are growing at an astonishing rate. As to whether they are male or female, the dimensions taken while they were ringed were inconclusive as they were both about the same size. Even at this age, males are smaller than females. We'll have to wait a bit longer for this!

29/05/2026

Today was the day the experts from the Gloucestershire Raptor Monitoring Group came along to ring the two chicks under a BTO license.
The process isn't all that straightforward as it involves abseiling off the top of the Abbey tower to get access to the nesting tray. The climber then carefully puts the chicks in a bag and lowers them to the roof where they are taken to a table in the tower.
Here they are weighed, measured and ringed with two rings. One on the right leg is a small metal one with a unique number. On the left leg is a large coloured ring with letters to aid identification form afar with a camera or binoculars. Then they are returned to their tray so that mum and dad can look after them once again.

So, meet FS and CZ !!!

They are a bit on the small size at the moment to know whether they are male or female. This ought to become more obvious as they get larger as females are noticeably larger than males.
Once we are as sure as we can be as to who's what, then names will be chosen from the suggestions people have kindly provided.

28/05/2026

Last night's weather was pretty wild with an intense thunderstorm and lots of banging and bumping and torrential rain. Here is Penny acting as an umbrella rather than a parasol as in a previous post!