Our Research Team
Over the years, the Peregrines at St Michael’s have drawn to them an extraordinary team of talented individuals who have greatly enhanced our knowledge of these birds and sought to preserve and protect them through their work.
Research carried out by Nick Dixon on the feeding and behaviour of these birds is now the longest running research project of its kind in the UK.
Nick Dixon also heads the Peregrine Project at St Michael’s, through whose dedication and perseverance, in what can only be described as, at times, one of the most inhospitable and inaccessible locations in Devon, we now have a webcam on our nest site.
Jason Fathers, of Wildlife Windows, installed the webcam by climbing the inside of the spire, over 200+feet up! The webcam shows live footage and is connected to the internet, which, in itself was no small miracle to install at the church and took almost a year in negotiations with the providers and the planning department of Exeter City Council.
Find out more about our team below.
You can contact Nick Dixon through the Peregrine Project email on our contact page.
Nick Dixon
Raptor Biologist and Researcher
Nick is a qualified raptor Biologist with a passion for peregrines. He has monitored the St. Michael’s peregrines since they first bred in 1997, and has watched all 52 juveniles fledge from the church over the past 18 years. Weekly visits to observe their behaviour, breeding success and interactions have also enabled him to collect fallen prey remains from the church surrounds, leading to published studies on the diet of urban nesting peregrines. This assessment of their prey captures is now the longest running study of peregrine diet in Europe. Nick has also been monitoring the increase of peregrines nesting on man-made structures and in urban environments across the UK since 1997, and has advised on nest box provision at many sites throughout the country. He is currently writing the history of the Peregrines at St. Michael’s church.
Nick Dixon initiated the Peregrine Project at St Michael's through his contact with the Parish Office during 2010-12 which led to a successful Heritage Lottery Fund Bid enabling the installation of the nest box webcam, and several other heritage projects at St Michael's.
Jason Fathers
MD Wildlife Cameras design / install at Wildlife Windows Ltd
Jason installed and connected the webcam on our nesting Peregrine falcons in 2013, high inside the spire using mountaineering equipment. When the spire was struck by lightning during the storms earlier this year, and the camera destroyed, Jason repeated the installation immediately in high winds and driving rain. He is also qualified to ring the fledgling birds...
Lizzie Elhamri
Lizzie is a resident of Mount Dinham and has been studying the Peregrines here for a number of years. She is also an wildlife educator and workshop facilitator and has run sessions for the neighbouring Primary School children held in the church.
More informationNick P Williams
International Raptor Conservationist
Nick Williams designed and built the nest box which our resident peregrine falcon family now uses, high inside the spire of the church, behind the trefoil window.
Nick was educated at the University of Bristol and now lives in the United Arab Emirates where he works for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the Head of their Coordinating Unit (Raptors MoU).