HOPES are flying high that Bobbin could mate for the first time in three years thanks to the arrival of a new male peregrine.

The pair were spotted on Worcester Cathedral over two days last week and were seen flying close together over the city, which is a sign they might have paired up ahead of the nesting season later this month.

The new tercel – the traditional name for a male peregrine – was first spotted in Worcester on top of the cathedral.

Dave Grubb, of Worcester-based Electrodesigns CCTV, said the male has no leg rings or markings so there is no way of telling where he is from.

Mr Grubb said the male was seen flying over the city prior to Wednesday and could have been scouting for sites.

He said: “I think they have paired up. I’ve seen them fly around the city together so she does like him and they are getting on.

“Hopefully they will nest here but there are no guarantees. Bobbin has been on the (St Andrew’s) spire for five days in a row, developing that as a territory, and the male has been on the cathedral so they have been within sight of each other.

“The male will normally show the female a few nest sites.

“They tend to go for the highest spots.

“She could introduce him to the spire.”

But trouble could be in store for the pair after the arrival of a second female in the city, which has been traced back to Cornwall.

Mr Grubb said: “They do travel quite a distance. Hopefully she will just be a passing bird. She could be travelling back to the nest site.”

But Mr Grubb said there could be trouble if the female, which looks to be around the same size as Bobbin, sticks around.

“There could be a squabble,” he said. “But they don’t normally form a territory until they nest. Because Bobbin has been off and on around here, she wouldn’t necessarily see this as her territory.”

Bobbin was one of four chicks hatched on the spire in 2009. She was named by the winners of a competition run by your Worcester News. The chicks were filmed on webcams and hundreds of people visited the spire to watch them in flight.

However, since then Bobbin – the only chick to remain in Worcester – has failed to mate.

 

Songs of love, specially for our feathered couple

1. Love is in the Air
John Paul Young

2. I Kissed a Gull
Katy Peregrine

3. On the Wings of Love
Jeffery Osborne

4. My Love
Wings

5. Wren Will I See You Again?
The Three Degrees

6. Up Where We Belong
Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes

7. Gulls Just Want to Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper

8. So In Love
Hawk-kestrel Manouvres in the Dark

9. Midnight Flier
The Eagles

10. Lovebird
Leona Lewis