Peregrine Falcons at Town Hall

Photo: Steven Taala

Peregrine Falcons nesting in the Town Hall clock tower

Rochdale Online reader Steven Taala went to see how the Peregrine Falcons that can be seen in a nest in the Town Hall clock tower are, he said: "They look to be doing quite nicely. I managed to catch one of them eating and following that up with cleaning its feathers. There was two Peregrines there last night at around 8-9pm. Its good to know all the hard work has paid off trying to help them stay there."

The birds of prey first began nesting in the clock tower of the Grade-I Listed building six years ago, after a nesting tray was installed by the Manchester Bird Recorder.

Photo: Steven Taala

Reaching speeds of up to 200mph during dives to catch prey, Peregrine Falcons are the fastest animals in the world. Although they are commonly found living and hunting in open countryside, they are increasingly being spotted in towns and cities where tall buildings provide plenty of nesting opportunities and pigeons to feed on.

As one of around 1,500 breeding pairs across the UK, these falcons delayed works as part of the town hall restoration when two chicks nested in the clock tower in 2012.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/87523/four-peregrine-falcon-chicks-in-a-nest-in-town-hall-clock-tower