Cracking good show as sitting pretty Kettering peregrines prepare to hatch four eggs

The Hawk and Owl Trust monitors several nest sites across the UK including the falcons that call the spire of St Peter & St Paul Church their home.

Kettering’s peregrine falcons have once again laid a full clutch of eggs and expectations are high for another successful year at one of the Trust’s most established and productive sites.

The church’s towering height provides protection from ground-based predators, while its central location within the town offers abundant hunting opportunities.

Urban environments like Kettering have become increasingly important for Peregrines, demonstrating the species’ adaptability and resilience.

Liberty Wells, community outreach lead at the Hawk and Owl Trust, said: “Seeing full clutches laid at this stage of the season is always encouraging.

"These sites show just how adaptable peregrines are, and the live cameras give people a rare opportunity to connect with wildlife as it unfolds. Whether you’re watching online or visiting a local watchpoint, it’s a powerful way to engage with conservation in action.”

Across the country, Peregrines are nesting on a range of natural and man‑made structures, from cliffs and quarries to churches, cathedrals and other tall buildings.

At many locations, specially-installed nesting platforms provide sheltered environments that closely mimic natural cliffside habitats.

Installed as part of the Hawk and Owl Trust’s Peregrine Project, select sites are also equipped with 24‑hour live‑streaming cameras, sponsored by optics-specialist Hawke Optics, offering audiences an uninterrupted and intimate window into the breeding cycle.

From the careful laying of each egg to the tense days of incubation and the eagerly anticipated moment of hatching, the live cameras capture every stage of the breeding cycle.

As the season progresses, audiences will also be able to witness the remarkable growth of the chicks, their first feeding interactions, and eventually their first flights as they fledge from the church.

Peregrine falcons (Falco Peregrinus) have nested at St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Kettering since 2020, and has emerged as a popular site for the birds given that they are now permanent residents throughout the year.

This year, the resident falcon’s eggs are due to hatch in the next couple of weeks.

The Hawk and Owl Trust’s wider peregrine project spans multiple sites across the UK, combining hands-on monitoring, scientific research and public engagement to support the long-term recovery of the species.

Once driven to the brink of extinction in the UK due to pesticide use and persecution, peregrine falcons have made a remarkable comeback in recent decades.

Late spring through to early summer offers the most rewarding viewing experience, as each stage unfolds in quick succession, from the first cracks in the eggshells to the moment the young falcons take their first flights.

The Hawk and Owl Trust project encourages those following the peregrines progress to support the project by donating via the live stream to help fund essential conservation work, ongoing monitoring, educational outreach and the maintenance of equipment that makes the project possible.

To watch the Kettering Church Peregrines live and find out more about the Peregrine Project, visit: https://hawkandowltrust.org/live-cameras/kettering-peregrines.