General Update.

All four juvenile Peregrines have been observed flying strongly over Taunton. GJ,GK,GL are often found together whilst GM is slightly more independent which included spending 4 hrs on a balcony overlooking the Cricket Ground much the the delight of the flat owner. 

The Pair of Peregrines arrived in Taunton in 2017 and have breed successfully every year since 2018. In that time 23 Peregrines (11 Male and 12 Female) have fledged. The birds have been ringed both with a BTO metal rings and a blue darvic.

So far we have been notified of the following locations for Peregrines fledged from Taunton:
Nov 2019 - RY (fledged in 2019) recovered dead in Tiznit, Morocco on 01/11/2019 – Moved 155 miles
Apr 2024 - MK (fledged in 2020) seen in Grantham. In a fight with the resident Falcon. May have been injured but was seen flying a few days later. Assumed to have survived.
Jun 2024 - XX (fledged in 2022) seen in Manchester City Centre. Breeding Confirmed with 2019 Male from Rochdale. Has fledged one or maybe two juveniles this year. 

In recent years DNA samples have been taken. The young at Taunton have been swabbed for the National DNA Peregrine database, which is being compiled to help combat the illegal theft and trade of wild peregrines. By taking a DNA sample it is possible to compare it to any birds suspected of being illegally taken for falconry purposes. This scheme recently helped catch two men in Scotland who had been illegally taking chicks from the wild to supply the Arab falconry market. Sadly last week another Scottish nest was raided and all of the juvenile Peregrines taken.

The funding in part provided by Somerset Ornithological Society, the support from Taunton Minster and the enthusiasm of Michael Leigh-Mallory was well placed given the successful breeding record of this pair.

Robin Morrison (24/06/2024)

Status Update:

4 Juvenile Peregrines ringed and DNA sample taken for the Peregrine database on 16/05/2024 – Day 24 since first one hatched
GJ – Female (860g)
GK – Female (840g)
GL – Male (630g)
GM – Female (900g)

Fledging commenced around 4th June and all four can now be seen in skies over Taunton.

Adults either dropping food in flight or bringing items back to the Minster for the Juveniles to eat. One Juvenile seen this morning (11/06/204) chasing a Pigeon across the town.
The most active and noisy bird tends is the juvenile Male. He was the first to fly and tends to fairly visible.
Juveniles now spotted on various buildings close to the Minster including the Country Ground Cricket Club.

Status update this morning (23/04)

2 chicks hatched yesterday
1 chick hatched this morning
1 chick trying to break out!

Regular updates on social media X (formally Twitter)  eg :  https://x.com/TauntonPeregri/status/1782725990017310935

or please visit Taunton Minster to watch the live feed whilst enjoying food and drink from the Minster Cafe.

Great news for Taunton Minster with 4 eggs being laid between 14th and 20th March.
Incubation by both adults started on 20th March therefore first egg is hatch is predicted for 21th April and maybe first flight on 3rd June

Also excellent news from Church of St John the Baptist in Yeovil as an egg was laid on 19th March

The resident Peregrine pair on Taunton Minster look all set for another breeding year in 2024. Plenty of calling and the bowing courtship display has been observed over the last couple of weeks and there were reports of mating activity last week.

Since the birds arrived in 2017, a total of 19 Peregrines have successfully fledged for the top of Taunton Minster. A great result for Taunton.

The camera system (partially funded by Somerset Ornithological Society) is back on and the there is a monitor in the Minster for those wishing to view the live feeds. The Minster also has a lovely cafe. There is still a possibility that a live-feed on-line may be made available this year but this remains work in progress

The adult birds are both 9 years old this year so hopefully there are plenty more successful breeding years to come.

Finally, there’s a bit of local competition this year as it looks like the Peregrine Pair at the Church of St John the Baptist in Yeovil are gearing up for a breeding attempt.