Peregrine falcons return to the Stump

Peregrine falcons have nested again at Boston's St Botolph's Church.

Peregrine falcons are once again nesting at the top of St Botolph’s Church, in Boston.

The nest tray was installed on the top walkway of the building – affectionately known as the Stump – in November 2011 by local peregrine experts Bob Sheppard and Alan Ball.

The eggs are expected to hatch about the first week in May.

The birds nested for the first time in 2013 and in 2014 they raised four chicks there.

There had been no record of peregrine falcons hatching on the building before.

The pair then left the church for the next three years and nested on the Frontier Building on the nearby Boston Docks.

This year they have returned to the church and have laid in the nest tray. The nest is safely out of the way of any disturbance as the public do not have access to the top walkway, the church stresses.

However, anyone wanting to get a closer look at the nest can do so via screens set up in the church’s coffee shop which offer visitors live footage of the area.

Of the footage, Adam Kelk, head verger for the Parish of Boston, said: “We are getting a very positive reaction.

“Lots of people are visiting to come and have a look.

“We are also getting a lot of reaction via our Facebook page too.”

They are now four eggs in the nest tray.

They should hatch in the first week or so of May, the church says.

l The Stump’s coffee shop is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 3.30pm.