Peregrines to star again at Malham Cove (From Craven Herald)

Peregrines to star again at Malham Cove

3:00pm Sunday 11th April 2010

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Peregrines will again be one of the main attractions for visitors to Malham Cove over the spring and summer.

For the past eight years, the birds have been pulling in the crowds as they play out their daily lives against the dramatic backdrop of the Cove.

Each year, thousands of people come to Malham to see these birds through powerful telescopes and to hear about their story from the RSPB staff members and volunteers who man the special viewpoint throughout the summer.

Last year, the viewpoint received its 100,000th visitor.

Peregrines are the fastest creatures in the world and have been recorded at speeds of more than 200 miles an hour, approximately three times as fast as a cheetah.

Carolyn Jarvis, the RSPB’s people engagement officer, said: “The stunning backdrop of Malham Cove is a perfect setting within which to watch these magnificent birds in action.

“The adult birds have been very active around the cove in recent weeks, which hopefully means the pair will once again settle down to nest.”

Ian Court, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s wildlife conservation officer, said: “We are all looking forward to what we hope will be another successful season at Malham, with the staff and volunteers all ready to welcome visitors to the Cove. They will be keeping a close watch on the peregrines over the coming weeks and will be waiting expectantly for the first signs that the female is ready to lay eggs.”

From now, the peregrine watch site will be manned from 10.30am until 4.30pm every day (weather permitting) until August 30. More information can be found at yorkshiredales.org.uk/peregrines.

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