THEY’RE back!

Last year bird watchers from across the county descended on Ipswich as a family of peregrine falcons made their home in a nesting box in the shadows of the Orwell Bridge.

And now the majestic birds have returned, soaring through the skies above the town.

Enthusiasts spotted a number of chicks in the nest during a bird-watching cruise along the River Orwell on Thursday.

Emma Lightfoot, a director of Orwell River Cruises, pictured, said: “It’s a nice story to have something so unusual nesting underneath something concrete like the Orwell Bridge.”

To welcome the birds back to Suffolk, Orwell River Cruises is offering ten lucky Ipswich Star readers the opportunity to see the falcons in all their glory via a free cruise on the Orwell Lady.

The three-and-a-half-hour trip takes passengers along the river passing beneath the bridge.

Mrs Lightfoot said: “They (falcons) have got chicks so they are using the nesting box and I would imagine they will be there for the next few weeks.

“We are actually going to go underneath the Orwell Bridge – The Orwell Lady offers quite a lot for people to see.”

Readers can enjoy the sights lining the banks of the Orwell, including Freston Tower and Pin Mill before reaching the Port of Felixstowe, where plans to topple two cranes were halted earlier in the year due to two falcons setting up home there.

Ten free tickets are being offered for the Orwell Lady cruises, which set sail from Orwell Quay, running trips regularly until September. Visit www.orwellrivercruises.com for information.

Have you spotted the falcons? Send us your pictures to www.iwitness24.co.uk.