WINCHESTER'S most popular couple have at least one new chick.

As previously reported Winnie and Chester, the cathedral's resident peregrine falcons, had five eggs in incubation.

But it has been confirmed that at least one chick has already hatched.

Keith Betton of the Hampshire Ornithological Society, who is advising the cathedral on looking after the birds, has this to say. “Winnie has hatched her first chick this morning. At 10am she was eating the eggshell – not wanting to waste valuable calcium.

"The next chicks are expected soon. They will be carefully guarded and kept warm by her for the first 7 to10 days and then she will leave them to go hunting.

"Until then Chester will be delivering food on a regular basis, but as the chicks are tiny at this stage we don’t expect to see a lot of him."

Although lockdown means most people are unable to visit the cathedral, the falcons can be watched online via the webcam: www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/the-peregrines-return-in-2020/.