All four peregrine falcon chicks hatch at Salisbury Cathedral
The last one arrived this morning (Friday 29th April)
There's some good news from Salisbury Cathedral just before this bank holiday weekend, as all four peregrine falcon chicks have now hatched.
Three arrived on Tuesday and Wednesday, and were waiting patiently for their final sibling to make an appearance.
That happened at around 11:15 this morning.
Hatching is a strenuous business for a small chick.
Whilst inside the egg it lies curled up, head tucked under a wing, but when hatching starts it does a number of things over a period of about 72 hours.
It absorbs the remaining egg yolk to give it energy and then a special muscle called the hatching muscle, which is located at the back of its neck, snaps into action.
As the muscle contracts it pulls the chick’s head up, bringing the hard pointed area on the top of the chick’s beak, called the egg tooth, into contact with the shell.
Once the egg tooth cracks the shell, the tiny chick is committed to hours of work before it is free of its shell.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
In about three to four weeks, once the chicks are able to walk around a bit, that's when the team at Salisbury Cathedral will ring them.
That happens every year.
Then about one or two weeks after that, they will pluck up the pressure to fledge and make their first flight.
The Cathedral also usually run a competition to name the newly born birds.
You can follow their progress via the live stream cameras on Salisbury Cathedral's website.