Success as five peregrine falcon chicks hatch in purpose-built nesting box at The Mill on Ipswich Waterfront

Peregrine chicks nesting in The Mill, Ipswich Waterfront Archant

A project to provide a safe nesting place for peregrine falcons in Ipswich has proved a success after images of five chicks were shared this morning.

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NEWS High up on the top of the impressive The Mill apartment block on Ipswich waterfront a new peregrine falcon "apartment" has been commissioned. The nest platform has been provided in a link-up betewwn builders, architects and the Suffolk Ornithologists Group From left. Steve Piotrowski, David Lowe and architects John Lyall and mark Dempsey PICTURE ANDY ABBOTT 14.7.09 MyPhotos24 ref - aa 09 mill peregrine 4 EADT 15.7.09 NEWS High up on the top of the impressive The Mill apartment block on Ipswich waterfront a new peregrine falcon "apartment" has been commissioned. The nest platform has been provided in a link-up betewwn builders, architects and the Suffolk Ornithologists Group From left. Steve Piotrowski, David Lowe and architects John Lyall and mark Dempsey PICTURE ANDY ABBOTT 14.7.09 MyPhotos24 ref - aa 09 mill peregrine 4 EADT 15.7.09

In 2011, a purpose-built nesting box was installed into The Mill on Ipswich Waterfront. Part of the building had been designed to accommodate the peregrine, with its parapet wall mimicking the kind of nesting spot the birds would choose, typically on a vertical cliff.

The box - designed by Steve Piotrowski of Suffolk Ornithologists’ Group and Waveney Bird Club - had its first success last year, with a saker or gyrfalcon having deterred the peregrines from nesting in previous years.

This morning, it was confirmed that five chicks had hatched after the eggs were laid in March.

People will soon be able to monitor the progress of the chicks, after developer Hopkins Homes funded a camera to live stream directly from the nest.

Ornithologist David Lowe, who first put forward the idea of the nesting box at The Mill which the company he works for, EWS Chartered Surveyors, designed, said: “The importance of Hopkins Homes kind gift cannot be underestimated, as otherwise it’s a 23 storey climb and a risk of disturbing the birds.

“Ipswich Computer Services installed the camera and associated hardware and software - and have both paid the online cost of limited initial online access - as well as mounting the 23 storeys several times to fine tune this.”

The streaming is expected to be up and running online over the next three weeks.

The chicks are expected to remain at the nest for the next 35-40 days.