Do you know when the chicks might fly away from the nest?
Yes, the answer is about 7 weeks. You can see this on Fact 5 of my falcon facts.

Are Peregrines related to Sparrowhawks?
That’s an interesting question and one that’s quite difficult to answer. The scientific classification for a Peregrine Falcon is that it belongs to the “Falconidae” family whereas the Eurasian Sparrowhawk (which is indigenous to the UK I believe) belongs to the “Accipitridae” family. However, both Peregrine Falcon and Eurasian Sparrowhawk belong to the same order called “Falconiformes”, the same class called “Aves” and the same phylum called “Chordata”. You can find out more about these terms by visiting www.wikipedia.com.

Is Penny really your best friend?
A part from Dave my squash partner, yes she is.

Do you know what happened to the eggs last year?
No, I'm not entirely sure. Penny laid three eggs last year and all of them disappeared. I think they were all stolen by a nearby raven but that's a fact of life I'm afraid.

What is Penny's favourite food?
Penny is a highly specialised feeder, concentrating almost entirely on birds. I know this may upset some of you but it's simply the law of nature. Also, by preying on the weakest members of the prey population Penny (and birds of prey in general) weed out the sick, infirm, starving and often genetically unsuitable members. This helps to keep a viable, healthy prey population.

Do you share your pack lunch with Penny?
Only when I have duck sandwiches on a Tuesday - she doesn't like cheese and pickle.

I've never seen a Peregrine before - are they rare?
Peregrines have recovered from a global population crash. There are almost 1,500 breeding pairs in the UK which is the most since the 1940s. But if you've never seen a Peregrine before, why not visit Wick Quarry?

Do Peregrines have any enemies?
A part from humans, Peregrines have no natural predators because they are at the top of their food chain. Peregrines do often share crags with ravens though and it can be exhilarating to watch the aerial duels between these rivals.

Why have you only got three fingers?
Quarrying accident. I don't like to talk about it.