Since 2021, the tower of Damme church has been home to a pair of peregrine falcons. It is worth taking a look because peregrine falcons are adept hunters. They can sometimes ‘drop’ onto their prey in a diving flight at a speed of more than 300 km per hour. These are mainly other kites, such as pigeons but sometimes rarer waders or bats.
Due to the use of pesticides such as DDT, the birds almost completely disappeared with us, but since the 1990s their numbers have been rising again. The birds now breed in special nest boxes, high up on tower buildings and churches, among other places.
Sit on a bench under the tower for a while and perhaps one of the older birds will come to the nest with prey, or who knows, you might witness the first flight exercises of one of the young.
