Cute photos have been released of two-month-old peregrine falcons who were born on top of a Watford hostel.
The world’s fastest birds were first spotted on The YMCA Charter House roof in 2014 and different pairs have returned to breed there every year since 2017.
A pair of adult birds laid four eggs at a special nesting box in April before two chicks eventually hatched in early May and had a metal ring attached to allow them to be identified.
The pair of young peregrine falcons. (Image: YMCA) In a post on its Facebook yesterday (July 21), YMCA shared photos of the young birds and said it was "delighted" that they have now flown the nest.
It added: “It has been amazing following the family’s story and we are thrilled at their success, much as we are when our hostel residents spread their wings and leave us to move on to a home of their own.”
A young peregrine falcon on top of the YMCA Charter House. (Image: YMCA)
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Last year, a charity abseil was forced to change location from Charter House to atria Watford to protect a pair of the falcons nesting there.
One YMCA has now announced it will hold another abseil challenge on the building on September 28 now the birds have left.
In its Facebook post, the charity thanked the Herts breeding peregrine co-ordinator Barry Trevis for his help looking after the chicks and David Faraday from Express Telephony for setting up a livestream to monitor their progress.
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