Stunning photos trace falcon family’s fantastic year

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Visitors from across the country craned their necks skywards for a glimpse of the graceful birds-of-prey, which are the fastest members of the animal kingdom.

Now Chris Skipper and his fiancée, Kim Paul, from Norwich, have produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines, full of stunning images of the birds and their three chicks that hatched and fledged at the top of the tower.

Mr Skipper said: "There is massive interest from the people of Cromer and we had visitors from all across the UK who came just to see the peregrines.

"The male turned up in January and the female a few weeks later.

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

"We put the box up on March 29 and they went in it a week later. A week after that they laid the first egg, so it all happened quickly.

"The adults are still on the tower and I think they will now be resident as they have no need to leave.

"The young occasionally come back but they have been seen all along the coast from Cley around to Mundesley and also inland in Roughton and Felbrigg.

"As the winter sets in they will fly further away to find their own territory."

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Proceeds from the book, which is being sold at Cromer's Upstairs Downstairs gift shop, will all go back into the Cromer Peregrine Project.

Mr Skipper said: "Kim and myself decided to do the book as we have been involved with the Cromer peregrines right from the start, we went up when the box was first discussed through to the installation of the box and the ringing of the chicks and the fledging of the juveniles.

"I have documented it from the start and there are pictures that people probably have not seen."

Mr Skipper has also produced a book about the peregrine falcons which nest at the top of Norwich Cathedral,

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Peregrines can reach speeds of up to 200mph (322kph) when they swoop on their prey in mid-air in a move known as a 'stoop'.

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. One of the peregines is pictured in full flight here with a pigeon it has found for dinner. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Mr Skipper is pictured here at the top of the parish church. Picture: Zoe Smith (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Here is one of the eggs from the peregine chicks. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Here, visitors to the Cromer's church learn about the peregines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Pictured from left are Kim Paul, Chris Skipper, Max Murphy and Emma Dent, of Cromer gift shop Upstairs Downstairs, which will stock the book. Picture: Gavin Fitt (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Pictured here at the top of Cromer Parish Church are, from left, Kim Paul, Chris Skipper, Tim Britten from Cromer Church and Zoe Smith from Hawk and Owl Trust. Picture: Trevor Williams (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. View shows the video link to the box at the top of Cromer Parish Church's tower. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Here are the peregine chicks inside their box. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Chris Skipper 2017)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. This is the box made for the falcons, which sat at the top of Chromer Parish Church's tower. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)

Chris Skipper, from Norwich, has produced a book, The Story of the Cromer Peregrines. Picture: Chris Skipper (Image: Archant)