BIRD lovers have been admiring a pair of peregrine falcons who appear to have set up home at the Weavers Wharf retail park.

The birds, who pair for life, have been making quite a fuss of each other for a few weeks to the delight of many bird watchers in Kidderminster.

Despite being the fastest flying bird in the world, the two do not seem to be going anywhere quickly, and onlookers believe the pair in fact have a nest and are sharing the duty of egg sitting on a ledge above the Frankie and Bennys restaurant in the retail park.

Andrew Holmes, who spotted the pair, said: “The chimney is a perfect place for these magnificent birds to nest and locals have clearly noticed a dramatic reduction in the pigeon population as a result of their presence.

“It is hoped that the eggs will hatch around mid-May and all being well, bird lovers will then have the spectacle of two busy peregrines feeding their very hungry chicks.

"I believe that a peregrine falcon has been there a few years on and off, but may be the first that a pair have nested."

Mr Holmes has created a blog for the people of Kidderminster to follow the progress of the peregrine falcons. You can visit the blog at kiddyperegrines.blogspot.co.uk.

The peregrine falcons are a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-grey back, barred white under parts and a black head. They can reach speeds of more than 200mph and have become increasingly common in town centres in recent years, with tall buildings replacing the birds’ traditional cliff face nesting ground.

At one point, in the 1950s, there were just 360 breeding pairs in the UK, but the figure has now risen to more than 1,500.