A PEREGRINE falcon has taken up residence among the gargoyles at St Andrew’s Church in Rugby
Avid birdwatcher Ryan Evans first spotted the female falcon attacking a crow near Rugby School.
He has since caught sight of her surveying her new territory from the town centre church where she appears to have set up home.
Ryan, a sixth form student at Ashlawn School, said: “We have seen her regularly perched above the gargoyles on the crosses on the church of St Andrews where we have had the privilege to photograph her merely a short distance above our heads.
“I have seen her soaring at a great height above different areas of Rugby, including our own garden.”
The teenager also witnessed her scrapping with a male falcon in what he called “an aerial dog fight.”
He told the Observer: “The two birds were repeatedly dive-bombing and chasing each other, even at one point locking talons and falling through the air for a few seconds. Despite this violent occasion, however, it seems that this large and bold individual has driven off her rival.”
Peregrine falcons are recognised as the fastest animal on earth, reaching speeds over 200mph when diving after prey.
The UK population suffered a significant decline around the 1960s due to increased use of pesticides, though subsequent breeding programmes and protective legislation has seen their numbers increase.
Ryan added: “It is amazing to think that the fastest predator on earth is living right on our doorstep as of now, and, hopefully will be here to see for years to come, whereas in the past, they were rarely seen.”
