The arrival of three peregrine falcon chicks on Norwich Cathedral's spire has stirred excitement within the UK's birdwatching community.

The first chick of the year arrived at around 7pm on Wednesday, followed by two more chicks on Thursday morning. 

The family of peregrine falcons is nesting on a special platform provided by the Hawk and Owl Trust, which works to conserve Britain's birds of prey. 

The British peregrine falcon population has been slowly recovering over the past few decades after nearly being wiped out by illegal hunting and the effect of toxic agricultural chemicals.

A live video feed of the nest provided by the Hawk and Owl Trust has been viewed millions of times by birdwatchers around the world. 

Zoe Smith, peregrine project officer for the trust, said the first chick arrived on Wednesday evening after both the male and female birds incubated the eggs for 33 days. 

"We are not sure of the exact times as the female was covering (brooding) them. They were first seen all together at 10am this morning," she said.

In addition to a live feed, the trust has created a special watchpoint in the Lower Close beside the cathedral where people can use free telescopes and binoculars to view the birds.

Trust volunteers will be manning the watchpoint every day until July 14 for keen birdwatchers who want to come and take a closer look. 

More than 30,000 people are expected to visit the watchpoint before it closes. 

For the live video stream, click here and for more information about the Hawk and Owl Trust, visit their website at www.hawkandowltrust.org