Each year, high above Cromer on the tower of St Peter and St Paul, a pair of peregrine falcons draws people’s eyes upward. First spotted in 2018, the birds soon settled and began breeding, helped by a nesting platform installed by local volunteers. Since then, the church has become a place not only of worship but also of quiet fascination, as the life of these remarkable birds unfolds against the backdrop of the Norfolk coast.
From spring through early summer, the nesting season brings moments of anticipation and delight. Eggs are laid and carefully tended, and, in good years, chicks hatch and grow before taking their first flights. Many now follow these moments online: a live webcam, run by the Cromer Peregrine Project, allows people to watch events as they happen, offering a rare glimpse into life on the tower.
The presence of the peregrines has drawn the community together in an unexpected way. Volunteers, residents and visitors all share in the watch, while the church itself offers a setting where people can pause and reflect on the rhythms of the natural world. Year by year, the birds return, and with them comes a renewed sense of connection, to place, to creation, and to one another.
Read more about the peregrines on the BBC website.
Image credit: Alex Dunlop BBC