Peregrine falcons nesting out of sight at Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales have produced some young but are keeping conservation experts guessing as to when and how many.

As in previous year’s, the RSPB and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) have teamed up to run a special free peregrine watch viewpoint at the Cove until 31 July that enables people to watch the birds through high-powered telescopes. The watch site, which last year attracted 16,500 visitors, is manned by YDNPA and RSPB staff and volunteers between 10.30am and 4.30pm from Wednesdays to Sundays inclusive (weather permitting). Peregrines started nesting at the Cove 18 years ago and since then they have raised 37 young.

Ian Court, the YDNPA’s Wildlife Conservation Officer, said: "The female has started taking food into the nesting ledge – something that doesn’t happen when she is incubating – so it’s a clear indication that the chicks have hatched. Unfortunately the birds are nesting out of sight so we do not know how many young there are. We will be waiting for the chicks to become large enough that they start to venture away from the nest scrape and allow us to see them."

Visitors are being asked to play their part in helping this year's nesting attempt by not getting too close to the nest site. The BMC has agreed appropriate temporary climbing restrictions for Malham Cove with the YDNPA.  The birds are nesting in the same location as last year and the restrictions remain the same as those agreed in 2010 – full details can be found on the BMC's Regional Access Database (RAD) here. The YDNPA regularly monitor the nest site and restrictions will be lifted as soon as the chicks fledge, which is likely to be around the end of June/start of July - keep checking the RAD for updates.

The peregrine watch project is run in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority as part of the RSPB’s Date with Nature programme of events, which makes rare and spectacular birds accessible for everyone to see. www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature

More information about the Malham Peregrines can be found at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/peregrines and they will be featured on the National Park Authority’s Twitter page using the #malhamperegrines and the RSPB’s Facebook group Malham Peregrine Watch.
 

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