Peregrines at the Tate Modern

There are around 12 peregrine falcons in London. This one, hatched on the Tate Modern in 2008, was seen at the Barbican with St Pauls and Tate Modern in the background. Copyright Peter Kenyon.

Make a date with peregrines and the RSPB at the Tate Modern
June 2009. The annual RSPB peregrine watch resumes outside London's Tate Modern gallery next month. Staff and volunteers will breakout the telescopes and binoculars again to bring these amazing birds closer to the public.

RSPB trailer will be set-up every day from midday through to 7pm, starting Saturday 18 June up to and including Sunday 13 September.

3 chicks hatched

The star peregrines, Misty and Bert, have successfully fledged three chicks this year, two females and a male. The chicks will soon be learning to fly and look after themselves.

The birds perch on the raised brickwork near the top of the Tate's iconic chimney. They are creatures of habit and spend hours on the chimney, making it an ideal point to watch them.

200 miles per hour

Peregrines are the world's fastest birds, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles an hour when diving on prey. That's roughly 200 peregrine body lengths per second; faster than a fighter jet with its afterburners on full-blast (150 body lengths p/s)!

London has a dozen peregrines

London now has more than a dozen peregrines that have arrived naturally in the city and decided to stay. Not all have successfully bred this year, and one new arrival is a female peregrine that has identification rings on her legs. This has allowed us to track her back to the south coast where she hatched on a traditional cliff-edge nest in May 2007.

Urban peregrines

Peregrines are now commonly seen in towns and cities across the UK. Other nesting sites include Battersea Power Station, tower blocks in Tower Hamlets, Croydon, Sutton, and in Regent's Park. Cathedrals in Lincoln and Chichester, Cardiff clock tower and Manchester's Arndale shopping centre.

1,500 + pairs in the UK

After a population crash in the 1960s, peregrine numbers have recovered steadily and recent surveys show that there are now almost 1,500 peregrines pairs in the UK. They have traditionally been associated with wild crags or lonely sea cliffs but changing landscapes mean they have adapted to living in more unlikely places.

We'll be asking visitors at our Date at the Tate to show their support for our native birds of prey, by signing a pledge calling for tougher action against those who continue to illegally persecute them

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/london-peregrine009.html