City flats a dear peregrine place

A PAIR of peregrine falcons have raised a chick while nesting in a derelict high rise block in Glasgow.

The birds of prey set up home on the 24th floor of the 27-storey Red Road flats at Petershill Court - to raise what could well be Glasgow's first peregrine chick.

Local man Steven McGrath first spotted the birds living in the empty building due to be demolished by Glasgow Housing Association.

Steven, who alerted RSPB Scotland, said: "The falcons were spending a lot of time in the flats and I was concerned that if they were nesting they might be at risk there."

It is illegal to disrupt breeding Peregrines, which normally make their nests in open countryside, so GHA and demolition firm Safedem paid for a special nesting box and the RSPB and Central Scotland Raptor Study group set up a camera to monitor the birds.

The chick is expected to continue to be fed by its parents for another four to eight weeks.