ND / Fargo - 2022

[The Peregrine Chick]

McFeely: Time to rally, Fargo, because the peregrine falcons need a home
Mike McFeely / InForum / 18 May 2022

Our beloved peregrine falcons, those magnificent birds that have called downtown Fargo home for more than 20 years, have lost their nesting platform on the Bell Bank building.

FARGO — This situation might not be as critical as the Red River floods of 1997 and 2009, but it's time for Fargo-Moorhead to rally again.

Our beloved peregrine falcons, those magnificent birds that have called downtown Fargo home for more than 20 years, have lost their nesting box on the Bell Bank building (formerly the Bank of the West building at 520 Main Ave., near Island Park).

In a story posted to InForum Wednesday , a spokewoman for Bell said the platform was removed during the building's ongoing renovation for safety reasons and, as of now, the bank has no plans to reinstall another platform.

This came after the camera on the platform, owned and operated by Audubon Dakota to livestream peregrine families as they nested and hatched, was removed after being damaged by weather. The nonprofit Audubon Dakota couldn't afford to buy new camera equipment or to pay for the high-speed internet needed for a quality feed.

So, what we're left with is no nesting platform and no livestream.

We need to fix this, ASAP.

Peregrines are incredible birds. They prey on other birds and use their high perches both to construct a safe nest and to spot potential meals. In Fargo, that mostly means pigeons. The crow-sized falcons will dive-bomb pigeons — tucking their wings back and reaching speeds of up to 240 miles per hour — before striking their prey and grabbing it in mid-air.

These amazing creatures are the fastest bird and fastest land animal in the world. They are fascinating.

And there's a possibility the peregrines won't nest in downtown Fargo anymore. Sarah Hewitt of Audubon Dakota said the falcons don't need a platform to nest, but it couldn't hurt.

"Wildlife are pretty opportunistic. If they find a good spot, they might nest anyway," she said. "But there's no doubt a platform might help and it's a really good thing for the community."

Bell Bank's Karen Stensrud said the bank is trying to find another location for a nesting box but hasn't found anywhere yet.

Peregrine falcons nest on cliffs and other high locations. They are known to nest on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Being this is Fargo-Moorhead, the flat bottom of an ancient lakebed, there are no towering cliffs. The option, therefore, is tall (by our standards) buildings.

That leaves few options.

The Bell Bank building. The Block 9 building. The Radisson.

And that's about it.

I would be the last guy to tell anybody what to do (ahem), but somebody at those three structures has to find a way to put up a peregrine nesting box. Surely there's a spot on one of those buildings to give the wonderful peregrines a home.

And surely, with all the money floating around this town, there is a business willing to underwrite the camera equipment and streaming needs so Audubon Dakota can livestream the peregrine's next activities to the masses.

Maybe even a media company that has numerous cameras posted in lofty locations around the region already and has the most popular news website in North Dakota (I did not run this by the honchos before writing it so I'm walking the plank for the peregrines, people.)

I mean, North Dakota State's football program is building a $50 million practice facility and the Fargo Park District recently broke ground on a $77 million recreation center. Can somebody find a few thousands bucks in the cushions of their couch to fund the peregrines? I think that's possible.

If we can't find a spot for a peregrine nesting platform and the proper camera equipment to keep tabs on them, we should be embarrassed.

In the immortal words of John James Audubon, famed ornithologist, painter and namesake to the worldwide conservation organization: Get 'er done.

source: https://www.inforum.com/opinion/columns/mcfeely-time-to-rally-fargo-because-the-peregrine-falcons-need-a-home   (with photos)

Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while he was a student studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He's been with The Forum full time since 1990, minus a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk-show.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Unfortunately the nestbox at the Bank of the West (has a new name now I believe) was removed this year.

Fleming a 2017 wild-hatch from the West Winnipeg nestsite was the resident female last year.  In 2022, she moved to the nestbox in Moorhead Minnesota.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Over the last few years, Manitoba-hatched birds have been resident at this location.

First was Annie, a 2010 wild-hatched male (his name is a whole other story) from the West Winnipeg nestsite.  His parents were Beau and Jules and was one of three offspring from their first nest together.  He was the resident male at Fargo from 2013 to 2019 - and maybe 2020.

Next was Fleming, a 2017 wild-hatched female also from the West Winnipeg nestsite but no relation to Annie.  She has been the resident female at Fargo from 2022 to 2021.

This topic has been moved to Bank of the West, Fargo, North Dakota in the Manitoba Peregrines section of the Forum

[The Peregrine Chick]

Bank of the West
Fargo, North Dakota

 
photos by Audubon Dakota

2022 - the nestbox has been removed

It took a number of years of valiant effort to get the Fargo cam up and running consistently, but it was abandoned by the Audubon Society after a couple of years.  There are pages about the peregrines on the Audubon website but they are very out-of-date.

There is lots of interaction between the Manitoba birds and North Dakota birds - we have visiting chicks from ND, Holly a former resident female in Brandon was from Fargo and a great-grandkid of the Radisson pair named Goldie (hatched in Omaha, Nebraska) was the Dakota Ace's mate in 2001.  In 2013, Annie from West Winnipeg took over from Mr X as the resident male.


Resident Pairs

• 2022 - nesbox removed
  
• 2021 - ? & Fleming --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2020 - Annie & Fleming --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2019 - Annie & unbanded female --> Zeus (m), Stormy (m), Willow (f) & Savanna (f)
• 2018 - Annie & ? --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2017 - Annie & ? --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2016 - Annie & ? --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2015 - Annie & ? --> no record - am confirming through other channels
• 2014 - Annie & Miracle --> Jack (m), Happy (f) & Sandy (f)
• 2013 - Annie & Miracle --> Marv (m), Boston (f), Aurora (f) & Discover (f)
• 2012 - Mr X & Miracle --> National Champion (m)
  * suspect Mr X was the male hanging out west of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba in 2013
• 2011 - Dakota Ace & Miracle --> Lone Ranger (m)
• 2010 - Dakota Ace & Miracle --> Govenor (m), Peace (m) & Jolicoeur (f)
  * Jolicoeur paired with Cowboy in Winnipeg from 2012-2013
• 2009 - Dakota Ace & Miracle --> Harrison (m), Crest (m) & Sandy (f)
  * Sandy has visited the Radisson in Winnipeg frequently and tried unsuccessfully to supplant Princess in 2012
• 2008 - Dakota Ace & Miracle --> Duke (m), Russert (m) & Audrey Jean (f)
• 2007 - Dakota Ace & Frieda --> Davis (m), Roosevelt (m), Dori (f) & Lola (f)
  * Roosevelt paired with Brandon's Terminator in Grand Forks after Bear - 2009-2011
• 2006 - Dakota Ace & Frieda --> Hunter (m), Freedom (m) & Prairie Rose
• 2005 - Dakota Ace & Frieda --> Bear (m), Scout (m), Sheyenne (f) & Katherine (f)
  * Bear paired with Brandon's Terminator in Grand Forks in 2008 & Katherine paired (unsuccessfully) with Cowboy in Winnipeg in 2011
• 2004 - Dakota Ace & Frieda --> Prairie Flyer (m) & Hooligan Ace (m)
• 2003 - Dakota Ace & Frieda --> Lewis (m), Clark (m), Dakotah (m) & Holly (f)
  * Holly paired with Zeus in Brandon from 2004 to 2008
• 2001 - Dakota Ace & Goldie --> Fargo (m), Copper (f) & Cash (f)
  * Goldie is the daughter of Winnipeg's Winnie a resident female in Omaha, Nebraska

* another little Manitoba connection - though not necessarily related, Miracle and the father of the Radisson's resident female Princess (his name was Lightning) were both hatched at the Sherco Plant.  Their mothers were definitely different but their fathers might be the same as he was never identified and they were hatched just a few years apart.