A male peregrine falcon at Norwich Cathedral. Photo by Andy Thompson

The nesting platform at Norwich Cathedral is once again set to become centre of attention after its wild peregrine falcons laid their first egg of the year.

The birds, which have been nesting there for the past few years, were watched by more than a million people in 2012 via a live webcam and telescopes at the city landmark’s “peregrine watch point”.

Their first egg was laid at about 4.30pm on Thursday, almost exactly a year after the first eggs appeared in 2012 on March 22.

Peregrine falcons are usually a bird of the sea cliffs but have increasingly been moving into UK cities in recent decades.

A male first appeared at Norwich cathedral a few years ago and was later joined by a female.

The Hawk and Owl Trust, a wild bird of prey conservation charity, installed a nest platform 75 metres above street level in February to encourage breeding.

An egg laid in 2011 did not hatch successful but the peregrines’ followers welcomed the first two chicks in 2012.

The watch point on the cathedral grounds will be open again from Monday and the live webcam can be seen online or from the visitors centre of Hawk and Owl Trust’s reserve at Sculthorpe Moor Community Nature Reserve near Fakenham.

To watch the birds, go to www.hawkandowl.org or www.cathedral.org.uk

You can also view the webcam at www.edp24.co.uk/home/webcam/falcon-cam or www.eveningnews24.co.uk/home/falcon-cam