Conservationists' fears were confirmed when, after 40 days' incubation, 10 days longer than normal, the Norwich peregrines' egg was seen to have failed. Just before 1.00 am on Monday 6 June 2011 the young female began to open the single egg she had laid on Easter Sunday. Filmed under infrared light on the nest platform on the cathedral spire, she is seen first opening the egg gradually, then discovering the lifeless chick and finally appearing to make a gentle attempt to see if she can revive it, before flying off.
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Peregrine falcon begins to open the egg
She continues to open it, revealing the dead chick
She appears to attempt to revive the chick, in vain
Peregrine chicks normally hatch at around 30 days and peregrine pairs normally have a clutch of three or four eggs. Occasional egg failures are not uncommon, but multiple eggs normally ensure breeding success. In this case the female was a juvenile when she displaced an older female and began to pair with the male. Even the single egg that was laid was cause for conservationists to celebrate, as the nest platform was only installed in February. But as the normal month of incubation passed with no hatching it became clear that disappointment was in store.
Bird of of prey experts have concluded that the chick developed fully, but was unable to break out of the egg, and therefore was unable to survive.
