Concerns raised for future of Rochdale's peregrine falcons after U-turn on new nest box at St Edmunds

Concerns have been raised for the future of Rochdale’s peregrine falcons after the birds failed to take to a new nesting box - and a proposed alternative given the green light has been overturned.

The birds have nested at the town hall clock tower since 2008. With the ongoing work at the town hall, their usual nest is off-limits until next year, and a nesting box was set up for the predatory birds at nearby Tetrosyl, close to the town hall on Newgate.
 

Read more: New home for Rochdale's peregrine falconsPublished: 01 February 2022

Despite the addition of previous nesting material to encourage them to the new site, they haven’t taken to it, sparking concerns that if they miss another breeding season this year, they will leave the town centre altogether in search of a new nest.

The falcons – which didn’t lay any eggs last year – have been spotted trying to return to the clock tower nest – which will be inaccessible for them until next year – and soaring around St Edmund's Church in Falinge, and St Chad’s, which is also having work carried out.

The falcons are most active at the start of the breeding season during February and March. Egg-laying typically happens around late March or early April, whilst the chicks usually hatch during the first week of May.

With this in mind, the Manchester Raptor Group approached St Edmund's Church to install a temporary box on the roof ahead of this year’s breeding season.

 

 

Approval was given and a new nesting box made – only for the Churches Conservation Trust to retract the previous approval.

Judith Smith of the Manchester Raptor Group says the arrangement would be a few months at most, depending on if the pair laid any eggs, and that the Churches Conservation Trust is ‘being completely obstructive’.

She added: “Peregrines such as these should be extinct if it weren’t for urban environments like Rochdale. We should be encouraging nature.

“There isn’t anywhere else suitable. St Chad’s and the town hall are both having work done, and the [College Bank] flats wouldn’t be suitable.

“The conservation trust said yes, so we had a tray made, and now we’re being told no. They’ve offered to pay for the tray, but that’s not the point. They’re being completely obstructive as far as I can see. There’s no guarantee they’d use it, but we want to give them a chance of breeding.

“If the birds hadn’t shown any signs of nesting by the end of April, we’d take it away again. Otherwise it would be until about mid-June.”

 

 

The trust says the positive response was sent “prior to consultation with colleagues with this expertise” and is “reviewing internal processes to ensure this doesn’t reoccur.”

A spokesperson for the Churches Conservation Trust said: “We did latterly consult closely with the Conservation team. It is therefore this decision that needs to stand. As such I regret that we cannot consent to the installation of the tray.

“St Edmund’s has issues with water ingress which we are managing through ongoing repairs and a maintenance programme. This has been an area of great concern to the Friends of St Edmund’s over many years. 

“Our contractors conduct four scheduled visits per year, which includes access to the roof and we undertake subsequent essential repairs in between. This means that we need regular and ongoing access to the roof. Nesting peregrines as a Schedule 1 species would prevent this access.

“Whilst we understand and appreciate the importance and attraction of providing nesting sites for peregrines, we do not consider that the nesting tray is compatible with our ongoing maintenance and repair needs for St Edmund’s roof which must be our primary focus.”

Howard Bowden, chair of the Friends of St Edmund’s – which is supportive of providing a nest at the church – said: “Unfortunately there has been some initial misunderstanding regarding permission, and we are in talks with the Churches Conservation Trust. We recognise many people are quite upset and disappointed by these actions.

“We understand the position of the Churches Conservation Trust but we strongly feel they need to reconsider this decision. We are very concerned about the condition of the church, but we also wish to help with the situation regarding the needs of these protected birds.

“The Friends are fully supportive of the peregrines that have chosen to roost on the church’s lantern tower. We would be devastated if the birds decided to leave Rochdale, a certain possibility if they don’t breed again this year.