US Nestsites & Cam Links

[The Peregrine Chick]

Blue Water Bridge
Port Huron, Michigan

   
(photos: bridge from Wikipedia; banding from Macomb Audubon)

The Blue Water Bridge is a twin-span international bridge across the St. Clair River that links Port Huron, Michigan, United States, and Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Water Bridge connects Highway 402 in Ontario with both Interstate 69 and Interstate 94 in Michigan.

The original span is a cantilever truss bridge with a total length of 6,178 feet (1,883 m) and a main span of 871 feet (265 m). The second, newer span is a continuous tied-arch bridge with a total length of 6,109 feet (1,862 m) and a main span of 922 feet (281 m).

webcam link:  (none)

facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.167041406700593.43524.164682993603101&type=3


(photo from Macomb Audubon)

Resident Pairs & Offspring:
   2013 - ? & Tonga --> ??
   2012 - ? & Tonga --> McMorran (m), Moore (m), Mackenzie (f), Murphy (f) & Theisen (f)
   2011 - ? & Tonga --> DOT (f)
   2010 - ? & Tonga --> Bio Bob (m), Beacon (m) & Diane (f)  click here to see banding video
   2009 - ? & Tonga --> Liberty (m), Desmond (m), Clare (f) & Helen (f)
   2008 - ? & Tonga --> Garfield (m), Falon (f) & Saige (f)
   2007 - ? & Tonga --> Freedom (m), Acheson (m) & Carol (f)
   2006 - ? & ?       --> Erin (f), Edison (f) & Sephora (f)

[The Peregrine Chick]

Jackson County Tower Building
Jackson, Michigan

   
(photos:  building from Wikipedia; bird/nest by MLive)

The 17-story Tower Building was built in 1929 for the new Union and Peoples National Bank.  The Tower Building was at that time referred to as the "Golden Towers."  In 1933 the National Bank of Jackson was organized as the successor to the Union and Peoples National Bank.  Operations continued in the original building, though the National Bank never took ownership. In 1958, the National Bank vacated and for several years Consumers Power Company leased space.  In 1975 it was sold to the County for a nominal sum by the Raymond Kolowich family and became the County Tower Building.  The County Commissioners' Chamber is located on the 5th floor.   This "castle-topped" structure is one of Jackson's most treasured buildings and continues to reign as downtown's tallest landmark.

webcam link: http://www.co.jackson.mi.us/tower_falcons.asp

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• 2013 - Chayton ("C") & Big Red --> Cascade (?), Coney (?), Tower (?) & Millie (f)
• 2012 - Chayton ("C") & Big Red --> Liberty (m), Justice (m), Freedom (m) & Grace (f)
• 2011 - Chayton ("C") & Big Red --> Sparky (m), Betty (f) & Rose (f)
• 2010 - Chayton ("C") & Big Red --> Jackson (m), Ernie (m) & Ella (f)

[The Peregrine Chick]

U of Michigan / Durant Hotel
Flint, Michigan

The pair in this territory have used two sites, the Northbank Centre Building on the U of Michigan at Flint campus and just around the corner at the Durant Hotel.  In both cases the pair nest on exposed ledges near the top of the buildings.

   
(photos:  Northbank Centre, UM-Flint by Sarah Razak/Flickr; Northbank nest by Ryan Garza/MLive.com)

The Northbank Center (formerly Industrial Savings Bank) is a 12-story, steel frame and reinforced concrete building faced with Indiana limestone and light-colored brick. The upper five floors were originally home to the Industrial Mutual Association, which provided health and life insurance to carriage and auto workers. The lower three stories are articulated with fluted pilasters. Classical motifs are also found in the upper two floors, including a wide copper cornice projecting above the 11th floor, highlighted with lions' heads and anthemions. [this is where the peregrines nest].  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as the Industrial Savings Bank Building.  The building was reportedly designed after the Ancient Temple in Athens, Greece.  In 2000, the University of Michigan renovated the building at a cost of $3,000,000; converting it to office space, classroom space, and a 400-seat banquet hall.

 
(photos: The Durant courtesy of Wikimapia ; Durant ledge by Barb Baldinger/Macoumb Audubon site)

The Durant Hotel was built in 1920 and quickly became a symbol of Flint’s prominence and success. The landmark building was named after William Durant, General Motor's founder.  The Hotel closed in 1973, roughly when Flint's decline began.  It sat vacant for 37 years, until reopening in 2010 as a 93-unit apartment building, with retail on the ground floor.

 
How close are these two sites?  The image on the left is the Northbank, on the right, the Durant.

There is no camera at this site



Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• 2013 - Barry & Majesty-->
• 2012 - Barry & Majesty--> Ruth (m), Anasazi (m) & Gabriella (f)
  * 1st nest on Durant, 2 chicks lost in storm; 2nd nest on Northbank successful
• 2011 - Barry & Majesty--> Mr Mott (m) & Elle (f)
• 2010 - Barry & Majesty--> 1 chick died in storm
• 2009 - Barry & Majesty--> Maize (f)
  * hatched on Durant, translocated to Northbank

[The Peregrine Chick]

Campbell Ewald Building
Warren, Michigan

 
(photos: building from GoStar/Loopnet.com; nestbox from LCE/Facebook)

Lowe Campbell Ewald is an advertising and marketing communications agency headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with offices in Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio.  The agency has a long-standing history in the Detroit area and recently celebrated its 103rd anniversary in the advertising industry. In 1911, Frank Campbell and Henry Ewald merged their individual Detroit companies to form Campbell Ewald, beginning with just six employees. Campbell, a veteran of the Spanish-American war left the business in 1917 to work in relief in war ravaged France and living a subsequent life of adventure until his death in Oregon, crushed by a boulder at age 72. Henry Ewald was left to run the agency and took it to great heights.  On July 2013, Lowe Campbell Ewald announced that they are moving their headquarters from Warren to Downtown Detroit to a building located adjacent to Ford Field.  (source: Wikipedia)

webcam link:  (pending)

facebook link:  https://www.facebook.com/WarrenPeregrineFalcons

chat link:  http://chatwing.com/falcondiaries

Resident Pairs & offspring:

• 2013 - Magellan & 74/X --> Amelia (f)

[The Peregrine Chick]

BWL Eckert Electric Generating Plant
Lansing, Michigan

   
(photos:  all photos from the Lansing Board of Water & Light)

Lansing, Michigan is one of many successful Peregrine Falcon nests in the state. Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) is very fortunate and honoured to have an endangered species of Michigan take habitat at our Eckert electric generating plant. Our new falcon cameras were installed on February 28, 2008.

webcam & website link: http://www.lbwl.com/falcon.aspx

In 2004, after we successfully fledged 2 of our 3 falcon chicks, our thoughts shifted to how to help them in years to come. Since the peregrine will use the same nesting site year after year, and they mate for life, there would be a good chance they would return to nest at BWL Eckert for many years to come. In the spring of 2006, Stelco, the female falcon, laid 5 eggs on the breaching near the roof of our 5th generating unit. However, those eggs did not hatch. While incubation was in progress and wishing we had a nesting box for her to use, we starting making plans to build a nesting box. On March 12, 2007 we placed our nesting box on the east most breaching of our 6th generating unit at Eckert. Ten days later on March 22nd, Stelco jumped into her new home happily. The summer of 2007 was again successful, Stelco laid 5 more eggs. But again, they did not hatch. In 2008, we raised the nesting box higher above the very hot breaching in hopes of helping the falcons have a successful brood. We also added hinges to the back for access into the box when the time comes to band the eyases in the summer of 2008.

[The Peregrine Chick]

DTE Power Plant
Monroe, Michigan

 
(photos: plant from Port of Monroe website)

The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located on a 1,000-acre tract on the western basin of Lake Erie between the Raisin River and Plum Creek. The 800 acres available for wildlife enhancement at the site include ponds, restored prairies, wetlands, woodlands and areas along the Lake Erie shoreline. The wildlife team supports a nesting pair of peregrine falcons at the site. The employee wildlife team installed a safety net for fledglings under the 110-foot high nest after trying unsuccessfully to encourage the falcons to nest in a safer place. The plant is one of only four known locations in southeastern Michigan that supports nesting pairs of peregrine falcons. 

webcam link:  (nothing yet)

website link:  http://www.geocities.com/macomb_audubon/Falcon_Page_2009.htm  (Michigan Audubon)

facebook link:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peregrine-Falcons-Southeast-Michigan/164682993603101?fref=ts (Southeast Michigan Peregrines)

Peregrines have been recorded showing nesting behavior at Monroe Power Plant since 1994. Nesting has been continuously successful since 1997 with the hatching of many chicks. There has been a steady stream of adult breeding peregrines. The most recent male, Leopold, lived to the ripe old age of 14, and fledged in his lifetime at the Monroe site a total of 22 peregrines (14 female, 8 male).  Since the peregrines began nesting at the plant in 1997, 33 peregrine falcons have fledged on site.

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

American Enterprise Building
Des Moines, Iowa


(photo: building & nestlocation from the Iowa DNR)

Since 1993 American Enterprise (previously American Republic) staff has hosted a falcon pair that produced three young that year. Since that time there have been 46 young produced at this site. There have been three females and two separate males at this site. One young from 2008 has a separate territory at the State Capitol where he produced one young last year.

webcam link: http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/SocialMediaPressRoom/IowaDNRVideos/IowaDNRLiveFalconCam.aspx

In 1993, the American Enterprise building at 601 Sixth Ave., in Des Moines, welcomed Iowa’s first pair of nesting falcons - each released in 1990 - a male from Cedar Rapids and female from Kansas City. Since then, this site has had three separate females and two males that produced 49 young.


chick at banding time

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

One Wells Fargo Centre
Charlotte, North Carolina

 
(photo of the nestsite courtesy of Alison/CMNH)

One Wells Fargo Centre is a skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is the headquarters for Wells Fargo's east coast division. At 588 feet (179 m) tall and 42 stories, it is the fifth tallest building in Charlotte. When it was opened on September 14, 1988, it was the tallest building in North Carolina. In 1992, One Wells Fargo Center was surpassed by the Bank of America Corporate Centre, and again in 2002 by Hearst Tower, another Bank of America building. It is considered Charlotte's first postmodern high-rise.

webcam:  http://www.childressklein.com/falcon1.aspx

website:  www.Carolinaraptorcenter.org  - click on FalCam

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

Sioux Energy Centre
St Louis, Missouri

 
(photos:  plant by MCIndustrial; nestbox by Ameren)
 
The Ameren Sioux Energy Centre is a coal-fired electrical plant in Alton, Missouri which is just outside St Louis.

webcam links: http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-cameras/kansas-city-falcon-web-camera

website link: http://www.ameren.com/FalconWatch/Pages/FalconCam.html

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

male - Sota
(b/r 8/*E) wild-hatched in 1994 at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
*lacks toes 2 and 3 on both feet. On right, stubs are short, on left toe 2 is short, toe 3 lacks only the claw and distal phalanx - thought to be due to frostbite - he appeared to be in good shape in 1998 when loses were first observed

female 1 - Meg
(bl R12R) wild-hatched in 1986 at City Centre, Minneapolis, Minnesota
*Meg territorial at NCL from 1987, nested 1988-1991 w/ unknown male; 1992-1997 w/ Spanky

• 1998 w/ Meg @ NCL = Swoop (f), El Nino (f) , Kramer (m)
• 1999 w/ Meg @ NCL = Jesse the Bird (f), Whitukay (m), Obi (m)
• 2000 w/ Meg @ NCL = Gem (f), Malik (m), Mille (m)
• 2001 w/ Meg @ NCL = Dakotah (f), Sentinel (m), Carter (m)
• 2002 w/ Meg @ NCL = 3 eggs, none hatched
• 2003 w/ Meg @ NCL = 1 egg, did not hatch

female 2 - Jill
(b/g 50/B) wild-hatched in 2002 at Castle Rock in Wisconsin

• 2004 w/ Jill @ NCL = Rooftop (m)
• 2005 w/ Jill @ NCL = 3 eggs, 1 hatched but died at 7 days, 0 fledged
• 2006 w/ Jill @ 3M Tower = Peekaboo (f), Meallan (m)
• 2007 w/ Jill @ NCL = Hope (f), Apollo (m), Falconetti (m)
• 2008 w/ Jill @ 3M Tower = Anela (f), Emily (f)
• 2009 w/ Jill @ NCL = Ruby (f), Raspberry (f), Tory (m), HB (m)
• 2010 w/ Jill @ NCL = Loki (f), Pepin (f), Oliver (m), Perry (m)
• 2011 w/ Jill @ NCL = Storm (f), Lily (f), Isabella (f)
• 2012 w/ Jill @ NCL = Onyx (f), Soren (f) & Rugby (m)

[The Peregrine Chick]

Bremer Tower / North Central Life
St Paul, Minnesota

   
                                                  (click on photo to see larger version)

Bremer Bank is the name of the banks owned by the Bremer Financial Corporation, a bank holding company founded by Otto Bremer in 1943. They operate bank branches in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, with a financial capitalization of about $8 billion. With headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company is completely owned by employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation.  (check out this link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremer_Bank - for more information on Otto Bremer, very cool banker, nice if we had more of his kind these days!!)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Nongame Wildlife Program is broadcasting a Web streaming video of peregrine falcons nesting on the top of the Bremer Bank Building in downtown St. Paul. With the help of the Town Square merchants as well as the Midwest Peregrine Society, The Nongame Program is able to provide this unique opportunity to watch peregrines raise their young in an urban setting.

webcam & website link: http://webcams.dnr.state.mn.us/falcon/

In 1987, a nesting box was placed on the east side of the building and was first used by a pair of falcons in 1988. Several pairs of falcons have chosen this site as their home, producing 65 chicks through 2012. Meg was the resident female for Last year was the 9th year that the pair "Jill" and "Sota" had occupied the box. Sota hatched in 1994 and had been nesting since 1998. Despite missing two toes on each foot (probably due to frostbite), and being 17 years old, Sota had been able to provide enough food for himself, all of his offspring and his mate during incubation and early brooding of chicks. Unfortunately, Sota didn't return in 2013.

Resident Pairs & Offspring

• 2013 - new male & Jill --> eggs did not hatch  
• 2012 - Sota & Jill --> Rugby (m), Onyx (f) & Soren (f)  
• 2011 - Sota & Jill --> Storm (f), Lily (f) & Isabella (f) * storm was banded as a male
• 2010 - Sota & Jill --> Oliver (m), Perry (m), Loki (f) & Pepin (f)  
• 2009 - Sota & Jill --> Tory (m), HB (m), Ruby (f) & Raspberry (f)
• 2008 - Sota & Jill --> Emily (f) & Anela (f)  
• 2007 - Sota & Jill --> Apollo (m), Falconetti (m) & Hope (f)
• 2006 - Sota & Jill - chose another nestsite  
• 2005 - Sota & Jill --> 1 hatched but died at 7 days old  
• 2004 - Sota & Jill --> Rooftop (m)  
• 2003 - Sota & Meg --> 1 egg, did not hatch  
• 2002 - Sota & Meg --> 3 eggs but none hatched  
• 2001 - Sota & Meg --> Sentinel (m), Carter (m) & Dakotah  
• 2000 - Sota & Meg --> Malik (m), Mille (m) & Gem (f)  
• 1999 - Sota & Meg --> Whitukay (m), Obi (m) & Jesse the Bird  
• 1998 - Sota & Meg --> Kramer (m), Swoop (f) & El Nino (f)  
• 1997 - Spanky & Meg --> Cornell (m), Formerly-Known-As (m), Zoom (f) & Sierra (f)  
• 1996 - Spanky & Meg --> Otto (m), Talon (m) & Tilly (f)
• 1995 - Spanky & Meg --> Thunder (m), Lightning (f), Ellie (f) & Malachai (f)
• 1994 - Spanky & Meg --> Winky (m) & Tweety (f)
• 1993 - Spanky & Meg --> Lindee (m), Ole (m) & Carla (f)
• 1992 - Spanky & Meg --> Ramsey (m), Fitzgerald (m) & St Pauli Boy (m)
• 1991 - Beaner & Meg --> 3 males
• 1990 - Maverick & Meg --> 2 males & 1 female
• 1989 - Radar & Meg --> Kato (m) & 3 females
• 1988 - Cohan & Meg --> 1 male & 3 females
• 1987 - Meg alone --> no nest

[The Peregrine Chick]

IPL Harding Street Station
Indianapolis, Indiana


(photos: plant by Power Engineering Magazine website)

Harding Street Station (also known as E.W. Stout Generating Station) is a coal-fired power station owned and operated by AES in Indianapolis, Indiana.

webcam link: http://apps.iplpower.com/axis/falcon.aspx

IndyFalcons website link: http://www.indyfalcons.com/

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

55 Water Street
New York City, New York

 
(photos:  building from Wikipedia; nestbox by Bucky Turko/AnimalNewYork.com)

55 Water Street is a 687-foot (209 m) tall skyscraper in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City, on the East River. It was completed in 1972 and has 53 floors. Emery Roth & Sons designed the building, which is tied with 277 Park Avenue as the 40th tallest building in New York City. When it was completed it was the largest office building in the world, and is still the largest in New York by floor area. In an arrangement with the Office of Lower Manhattan Development, it was built on a superblock created from four adjoining city blocks, suppressing the western part of Front Street.  This nest site is located on the 14th floor

webcam link: http://www.55water.com/falcons/

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

Lansing Board of Water & Light Eckert Power Plant
Lansing, Michigan

   
(photos: plant from MLive.com; nestbox from LBWL.com)

LBWL's largest power plant is the Otto E. Eckert Station, and was named after the utility's general manager from 1927 to 1966. The coal-fired generating station is located in downtown Lansing on the Grand River, adjacent to General Motors' Grand River Assembly Plant and the now-demolished Lansing Car Assembly Plant. Begun in 1922 and completed the following year, the power station has undergone numerous expansions and additions since, with the addition of the three chimneys in 1981. The station has a generating capacity of 351 megawatts, produced by burning coal from Wyoming's Powder River Basin. This plant has three 615-foot (187 m) smokestacks, the tallest self-supporting structures in south central Michigan. These stacks are visible from fifteen miles (24 km) on a clear day. The stacks are known locally by the names of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, after the fishermen in a poem of the same name by Eugene Field. It was announced in May 2008 that the plant is scheduled for a phased decommissioning that is scheduled to begin in 2017 and end in 2025.

webcam & website link: http://www.lbwl.com/uploadedImages/MainSite/Content/Community_Impact/Community_Sponsorships/FalconJune13(1).jpg

Resident Pairs & Offspring

• coming soon

[The Peregrine Chick]

Xcel Energy's Sherco Power Plant
Becker, Minnesota
 
(photos: plant from American Public Media; nestbox from the Science Buzz website)

The Sherco Plant is located in Becker on the Mississippi River, 45 miles northwest of the Twin Cities. Sheer size sets the Sherburne County Generating Plant (Sherco) apart from the company’s other generating facilities. Sherco is the largest in terms of square feet, steam production, power generation capability and coal consumption.  The Sherco nest box was installed in 1991. It is definitely a room with a view at 450 feet above ground on the Unit 3 stack - this stack stands 650 feet high - as tall as several downtown Minneapolis office towers.  Fifty-five peregrines have been banded from the Sherco nest box.

webcam link: http://birdcam.xcelenergy.com/falcon.html

Sherco Plant website: http://www.xcelenergy.com/Sherco

Resident Pairs & Offspring:

• 2013 - ? & ? --> Jet (m), Flame (m), Rocky (m) & Oreo (f)
• 2012 - ? & 30B --> Justin (m) & Avery (f)
• 2011 - ? & 30B --> Ray (m), Ginger (f) & Ruby Begonia (f)  
• 2010 - ? & 30B --> DJ (m), Blaster (m), Snowy (f) & Dash (f)
• 2009 - ? & 30B --> Breaker (m), Wander (m) & Sherfire (f)
• 2008 - ? & 30B --> Itasca (m), Joule (f), Kallie (f) & Grace (f)
• 2007 - no record of birds or nesting
• 2006 - ? & Seminoe --> Lecx (m), Freedom (m), Abbigail (f) & Isabelle (f)
• 2005 - ? & Seminoe --> Hotshot (m), Jasmine (f) & Angel (f)
• 2004 - ? & Seminoe --> Slugger (m), Magic (m) & Miracle (f)
• 2003 - Marshall & Seminoe --> Ben (m), Ryu (m) & Crystal (f)
• 2002 - Marshall & Seminoe (female too young)
• 2001 - Marshall & Nicole --> Polly (f) & Penny (f)
• 2000 - no record of birds or nesting
• 1999 - DC & 36R --> Nero (m), Screech (m) & Diana (f)
• 1998 - ? & 36R --> Lightning (m), Vector (f) & Bern (f)
• 1997 - ? & 36R --> Razor (f) & Bomber (f)
• 1996 - ? & 36R --> not named = 2 females
• 1995 - 79Z & 36R --> Nelson (m) + 2 unnamed males
• 1994 - 79Z & 36R --> not named = 2 males, 1 female
• 1993 - 94T & 36R --> not named = 3 males, 1 female
• 1992 - hack-release --> not named = 1 male & 1 female