08-05-2025
Peregrine falcons at St Albans Cathedral whose eggs were trampled by thug caught on camera defy odds to lay more - sparking joy from fans of birds' viral live stream
A pair of peregrine falcons whose eggs were destroyed when someone stepped on them during a live online video stream have caused joy after laying another clutch.
There was widespread outrage after the sickening footage of their nest – on the roof of St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire – caught the three eggs being 'deliberately' crushed last month.
Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust said at the time it was 'extremely unlikely' the birds of prey would produce more eggs this year.
But the birds – called Alban and Boudica – have confounded the experts by producing a new egg on Sunday, followed by another yesterday.
Chloe Edwards, director of nature recovery at the trust, said: 'It shows just how resilient nature can be. Given the right habitat and conditions, species will continue to thrive.
'We weren't expecting more eggs this year but nature can surprise and delight us. Welcome, indeed, given the loss and sadness many of us felt.'
The birds began nesting at the spot in 2022, using a special shingle tray which replicates their natural clifftop habitat.
They successfully hatched three eggs in 2023 and again in 2024, the year the live streaming began in a joint project run by the cathedral and the wildlife trust.
A total of 519,882 people viewed the live feed in its first year, with a peak of 12,598 on May 9 when bird lovers tuned in to see the newly-hatched chicks.
But there was dismay when this year's clutch was smashed on April 7.
A BBC Three Counties Radio listener called Beverley described watching the scene unfold, as a noise that sounded like a door opening appeared to 'spook' the female bird.
'Then I saw a man's leg enter in front of the camera. He stood there for 30 or 40 seconds before literally walking across,' she said.
'He didn't stamp but he stepped on the eggs and just kept walking.'
Another woman said on social media that she 'felt physically sick' after witnessing the incident.
'Two minutes earlier I was watching Boudica snuggle down, repositioning herself. Watched it all happen live. Felt physically sick. Absolutely shocking,' she wrote.
Another person said: 'This made me so upset. Why, just why?'
Police launched an investigation and the cathedral immediately suspended the stream, with its dean, The Very Reverend Jo Kelly Moore, saying: 'We are so desperately sad at the harm done to eggs in our peregrine falcon nest here in the tower at St Albans.'
Following the latest development, however, she added: 'We are heartened by their return and we remain fully committed to their safety and wellbeing.'
The live feed has also now been reinstated, according to the cathedral's website, which said there were 'improved security arrangements'.
Well-wishers also added comments online, with one saying: 'This is wonderful news, a blessing indeed!
'I just hope and pray the birds will be left in peace this time to raise their brood safely and without incident.'
Hertfordshire Police today enquiries into the incident were ongoing.
Peregrines are a crow-sized falcon that are the fastest diving bird in the world, reaching speeds of more than 200mph.
The lofty cathedral is the perfect alternative to the birds' natural clifftop habitat
They nest in high, out-of-the way spots such as cliffs, making cathedrals an ideal alternative.
The birds often mate for life and return to the same nesting site each year.
They normally lay three to four eggs each breeding season. The chicks hatch after about a month.
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, damaging or destroying the eggs of wild birds carries a penalty of a maximum £5,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
