Worcester Cathedral's clutch of falcon eggs all hatch

All four eggs laid by a peregrine falcon have hatched at Worcester Cathedral.

A pair of birds returned to the site to nest in 2022 after an absence of 12 years, and returned again this year after staff built a nest for them.

The first egg hatched on Wednesday and the cathedral has been live streaming the action online from a camera set up near the nest.

Peregrine falcon chicks usually fledge about 45-50 days after they hatch.

The first of the four eggs was laid on Mother's Day

The birds can live for 15 years or more and are a protected species.

According to the RSPB, the birds were in decline in the 1960s due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides in the food chain.

However, their numbers have since recovered.

Pairs of peregrine falcons mate for life and it is hoped that this couple will continue to return to Worcester Cathedral.

The nest is in a box near in the cathedral's tower - a preferred site for the birds of prey due to its steep sides, similar to their natural nesting sites like cliff-faces and mountainsides.