Other Peregrine Projects > USA Peregrines

NY / Buffalo - U of Buffalo - 2010-16

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Alison:
This is not the first time that the Buffalo peregrines have been interfered with.

Some time back, the former resident female, BB, was removed from the nest (again without any advance notice) and put into captivity. This was allegedly done because she was "aggressive". She had been there for years, and suddenly she was gone.

She was kept in captivity for some time. However, the place where she was being cared for felt she should be released, and this was done. During her absence, her mate, Yankee, had found a new mate, Dixie.

BB did return to Buffalo, but not to her original nest. She found a new mate, Felker (a son of Madame X and Surge at the Hamilton nest), and they raised chicks last year at the Richardson Building.

Apparently they were not wanted there, so the DEC struck again. They removed BB a second time and shoved her back into captivity. For the rest of her life.

The people at the DEC are supposed to be there to protect the peregrines. They are not supposed to be the people from whom the birds need protection.

What is wrong with Buffalo?

Kinderchick:
That is very disappointing. Do you know who the resident pair are, Alison? ???

Alison:
Incubation has continued at the nest, with very few glimpses of the eggs.

But when I checked the site yesterday, I found the cam gone. No advance notice, just gone. This was in its place:

Restoration work to start at MacKay Heating Plant

Restoration work at MacKay Heating Plant, which provides heat to UB’s South Campus, will begin next month.

The 84-year-old tower, which last underwent serious renovation in 1973, will undergo repairs to ensure its structural integrity, prevent water damage and ensure its long-term viability as a peregrine falcon nest site.

It is necessary to repair the tower in late spring and summer, when the heating needs of South Campus are minimal.

To prepare for the project, the university shut off the live video feed of the falcon nest in the tower. The camera will remain off for the duration of the work, which is expected to be finished in September. At that time, UB officials will reactivate the live video feed.

UB officials are working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and local wildlife rehabilitators to ensure the safety of the falcons. Several eggs currently are in the nesting box.

Because the work may interrupt the adult falcons’ ability to care for the chicks, DEC wildlife biologists will remove the chicks two weeks after they hatch, expected to be in the middle of May. The chicks will be placed with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Hawk Creek Wildlife Center in East Aurora, and eventually released into the wild.

The tower will remain open to the adult falcons during construction. They are expected to remain in the area, protecting their territory.

International Chimney Corp. of Williamsville was awarded the contract after submitting a bid of $263,000. The work, scheduled from May to September, includes structural repairs to the masonry, painting the window frames and a new liner for the chimney stack.

A pair of peregrine falcons began nesting at MacKay tower in 2009. Since then, 22 chicks have hatched there. While not considered endangered by the federal government since 1999, they are listed as endangered by the DEC.

In addition to UB, there are eight peregrine falcon nests in the Buffalo Niagara region. They are at the Buffalo Central Terminal, Statler City, the Buffalo Outer Harbor, the Richardson Olmstead Complex, the North Grand Island Bridge, the South Grand Island Bridge, the New York Power Authority reservoir and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

Additional information on peregrine falcons is available on DEC’s website.

http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/featured-stories.host.html/content/shared/university/news/ub-reporter-articles/stories/2015/04/mackay_rehab.detail.html

I have followed this nest for more than a dozen years, and I am totally disgusted at this treatment of the resident peregrines.
 >:( >:(

Alison:
Yankee and Dixie now have five eggs! Congratulations to them!

Alison:
March 26; the second egg.

 

Later in the day, the rain turned to snow. The eggs have been incubated pretty much full time, because of the cold weather.

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