A team of dedicated bird watchers have once again kept 24-hour watch at an old quarry on the outskirts of Plymouth where Peregrine Falcons have nested.

Over several months volunteers constantly monitored the site at Plym Woods with telescopes and binoculars, ensuring that the birds came to no harm.

As expected the falcons returned to their preferred nesting site at Cann Quarry, although this year their nest is in a slightly less visible position on the quarry face.

In April news that two chicks had hatched delighted the team of volunteers who had spent many hours protecting birds.

"We suspected that the chicks had hatched ," said Andy Greaney, peregrine warden for the National Trust.

"There was a lot of movement and the male bird was seen bringing food to the nest however, it was not until 26th April that we spotted a chick's head.

"It was very exciting when we saw the female receiving prey and feeding it to two chicks! There may be more chicks as peregrines tend to lay three - four eggs but they've yet to be spotted."

By August the young birds had fledged successfully and the volunteers were able to wind down their monitoring efforts.

In 2002 around 5,000 people visited the quarry to look at the birds at close quarters.

Last year that number rose to 17,500 and for the first time a live webcam was sited there so that the birds could be watched all around the world. It received almost three quarters of a million hits.

"Adult birds tend to nest in the same location, or thereabouts," said National Trust Warden Gus Ferguson, "but the chicks usually disappear off to find homes of their own."

A peregrine falcon on the quarry face last year.

The National Trust and the RSPB take the protection of the birds extremely seriously.

In both 1999 and 2000, someone tried to poison the birds and in 2000, an adult peregrine and at least two chicks were killed.

"Unfortunately some people regard these birds as a menace and make attempts to poison them", said Mr Ferguson.

"We have found that making the site a tourist attraction acts as a very effective deterrent to anyone wishing them harm."

"We have a large group of people who are all rooting for the birds and are willing to put their time in to make sure they breed successfully," he added.

***The live webcam is now closed until the 2005 breeding season.