Huddersfield peregrines find new nesting site ahead of gas tank demolition

Peregrine falcons in Huddersfield have found a new nesting site before their favorite home, the town’s last gas holder, is demolished.

A breeding pair nested 120 feet up on the gas support for three or four years, but this year they moved to a nearby mill building.

The Huddersfield Hub reported how Northern Gas Networks planned to dismantle the rusting steel gas support and clear the site, just off Leeds Road.

Northern Gas Networks has supported a local couple, Liz Payne and Ian Fletcher, to keep the birds safe.

The company provided a nesting tray and paid for a camera to provide live footage and watch over the birds as they hatched their eggs and raised their young.

Liz and Ian (illustrated below) runs a Facebook group called Huddersfield Peregrines which tracks their progress.

The nesting tray is still on the gas stand, but this year, for whatever reason, the birds have decided to nest nearby.

Liz said: “Peregrines return to the same breeding site every year but there is no guarantee that the nest is always in the same place.

“They nested on the gas stand for three years, then spent a year on a mill and came back. This year they found a rather precarious position on the ledge of a nearby mill.”

As there is no camera it is difficult to follow what is going on in the nest, however Liz said: “We have chicks but we don’t know how many.”

It is not known, of course, why the peregrines decided to move away from the gas tank this year, although Liz has a theory.

“It was so hot last year and the nest is in full sun on the gas stand,” she said. “There’s no shade, so maybe they remembered that and decided to move.”

A bird watch will be kept this year while Northern Gas Networks has sealed off the gas holder’s location pending planning permission for demolition.

The remaining buildings on the site, including the former gas club, are due to be demolished later this year, with the gas tank itself due to come down in January and February 2025.

The site will be completed and sold on the open market for potential development.

The date is set for the demolition of Huddersfield’s iconic gas holder and former gas club