Ely Cathedral's peregrine chicks are weighed, ringed and swabbed

A trio of much-loved peregrine falcon chicks have been ringed in preparation for them to fledge and take flight. Peregrine falcons returned to the west tower of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire and laid four eggs on the man-made nesting ledge between 29 March and 5 April. After three of these hatched, Hawk and Owl Trust licensed ringers weighed, DNA-swabbed and fitted rings to two female and one male chick on Friday. Lesley Ann Thompson, director of communications at Ely Cathedral, said: "Everybody is really thrilled that we've got three chicks and, fingers crossed, so far they are doing really well." Last year a pair of peregrines laid eggs at the cathedral for the first time since 2021. Three chicks hatched in late May but only survived for a few days. The cathedral's first pair of peregrines nested at the site in 2019. A 24-hour live streaming webcam was installed, allowing people across the globe to watch the nesting box and follow the chicks' development from hatchlings to fledglings. This year, three of the four eggs hatched on 7 and 8 May. The birds have each been fitted with two rings that will help conservationists monitor peregrine populations. The trust said young peregri