A pair of peregrine falcons are nesting at St Albans Cathedral for the “first time ever” after wildlife experts lured them with a special tray filled with gravel to simulate cliffs.

The church has been holding a naming competition for the fledglings once hatched, with “Falcony McFalconface” among the contenders, along with “Angel” and “Alban”, in honour of Britain’s first saint.

A spokeswoman for the cathedral declined to reveal either the exact height or location of the pair “because we want to protect them — peregrines haven’t nested here before now”.

However, it is expected that the eggs laid at the secret perch will “hatch in another couple of weeks”, she said.

Peregrines, the fastest birds in the world, are only found in a small number of isolated spots in England’s southeast, and the St Albans pair are one of only five pairs breeding in Hertfordshire.

The surprise nesting has been hailed as “a hugely rewarding development” for the Wilder St Albans project, a collaboration between Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and St Albans council.

Barry Trevis, an ornithologist and licensed bird ringer, built and installed the nesting tray at the cathedral. The gravel-lined tray simulates the birds’ natural nesting sites and provides them with a safe place to lay their eggs.

Heidi Carruthers, the Wilder St Albans project officer, said: “This is hugely exciting news and we’re delighted that the peregrines have been able to use the nesting tray.

“It’s fantastic to see [peregrines] in the skies over St Albans. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the eggs hatch safely and the chicks fledge successfully.”