Mountsorrel quarry is celebrating another successful year for the site’s rare residents.
Following the results of an ecological survey, it has been confirmed that peregrine falcons are nesting within the quarry walls. The chicks are being fed by both parents, who can be seen hunting in and around the quarry on a regular basis.
Trevor Warren, works manager at the quarry, said: “We are delighted to know we have peregrine chicks at the quarry again this year. It is a privilege to see these beautiful birds flying around the rock faces and makes working here even more rewarding.”
Peregrine falcons have been sighted at the quarry since at least 1989, successfully raising chicks and boosting the peregrine population.
The quarry has provided the birds with sanctuary over the years, although visiting pigeons are not so impressed with their presence – with some going as far as hitching a ride on a dumptruck rather than risk flying out of the quarry.
In the UK, the birds are usually found in the uplands of the north and west and rocky seacoasts. There numbers decreased dramatically in the 1960s due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides in the food chain. Improved legislation and protection have helped the birds to recover, however they remain a schedule 1 listed species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.
