The Mating Season

Hitherto you have seen the former West London Magistrates’ Court from the south, protected by a modesty curtain erected by the demolition squad. Here is what it looks like from the east, from the wings, so to speak. There is a lot of rubble.

The peregrine falcons living on Charing Cross Hospital make freqentent appearances here. The season starts in the spring when the female lays her eggs. The conscientious chronicler records how many and then how many hatch. The highlight is when the chicks fledge. After that there is desultory coverage until they disperse and business is suspended until the next egg laying session. This year has been as different for the falcons as for us. The only chick, a male, left with his mother leaving the father alone. A female came and there was a hesitant courtship earlier this month but it came to nothing. A week ago another female came and the signs are more promising. She has inspected the matrimonial home – a nesting box on a high ledge on the hospital.

Nathalie’s picture is taken from the CCTV footage above the nesting box. It’s her turn to take up the story.

“As you can see on some of the shots the ring on the right leg of the new visiting female reads AZN in a triangle. I have been in touch with the ringers. She was born in the Netherlands in 2018. But she has been in London since at least April 2019 when she was identified by Stuart of the London Peregrine Partnership at Alexandra Palace, where she was until last week it is thought. We are pretty sure that she was one of the intruders landing on the ledge during the incubation so she’d already paid the site a visit. It’s only around 10 miles between the sites so, for a Peregrine, it’s pretty much next door

So no need to trek off to the squelchy Pripet Marshes to do a spot of bird watching.