Re: ALCOA FALCONS: March-October, 2010

Beth · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:20 am

Update ...

Alcoa Anglesea Peregrine Falcon Webcam

Tuesday August 10, 2010

A Peregrine falcon sits upon the water tower where it's nest box once stood and unfortunately there is no evidence of Sheila or Havoc having visited their new nest box. As you can see from this picture of our Station (with a falcon on each corner!), it is 7 floors of attractive looking ledges and beams. Can our nest box compete?

On a positive note, Sheila and Havoc continue to spend time at the Power Station and courting behaviour is in full swing. There will be a nest .... but where?

Photo and web link...

Not what we wanted to hear...at least we will have clean homes for the holidays :smile:

SusanE · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:28 am

Thanks for the update, Beth. It was nice of the Alcoa people to post it, but gosh, it looks like they have taken a step backward with regard to "assisting" their falcons to breed/nest in a safe location. S&H will probably lay eggs on the water tower and the eggs will probably roll off. :duh:

I guess the employees will be somewhat safer because S&H will be done with their "nest" quicker. :crazysun:

catwoman · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:21 am

Thanks for the Alcoa info, Beth! Wonder what the plant will do if Sheila & Havoc continue to ignore the nestbox.

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait & see, but I'm still hoping for a cam to watch them this year (like everyone else). :flirty:

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:20 am

NOOO
This is just terrible news I sure hope that things work out but we all know what
the outcome will be if they nest on that tower without the box

bev. · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:30 am

Well, I am certainly disappointed with this site. I am sorry guys, but the guys can wear hard hats. this site is no different than Genesse. and they patterned this after Genesse.

I know they are making us aware but really. sorry, I try not to be negative but I am very disappointed with this. I am actually very discouraged this year, with a lot of the attitudes towards these birds in general.

I know they do not like getting buzzes but it is not all year long, they have to put up with it.

YOu cannot tell a falcon where to nest and they picked a most unattractive site for the box.

I am not sure they know what they are doing. I hope they do not nest in an unsafe place for the eggs and chicks as they did at Genesse this year, because of all the intruders.

In downtown Edmonton this year they moved a box. the telus building was getting a face lift but they picked a site nearby and just as good ,if not better. Gord made the other site as unattractive for falcons as he could.
Having said that it is very hard to move a falcon that has nested for years in one place.

A lot said to me this year , why do they not move the box at the U of a to a better spot. I said the falcons would jsut nest on the roof top. and the eggs would get saturated with the rains.

so , I will pray for these two, whoever they are.

PruJoy · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:46 pm

Oh what a poignant pic :-(

(the first one of the tower) & how the !@#! did they even take it I wonder???

Yes Bev - just toooooo frustrating to watch when you don't know what is really going on behind the scenes as per "who is making the decisions" etc - I find it very hard to believe that the Victorian Peregrine Project is advising actions such as the ridiculous new pink box

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 61947

Well, this is just terrible news...But I shouldn't be surprised!!! Just because a box is put up/a nest moved, that doesn't mean the parents are gonna agree...We saw that with Mariah, the Richmond pair have had similar issues and no telling how many others we don't know about.

I guess we can hope S&H change their minds or another pair moves in...in any case, I do hope they will keep watch over those two....I feel sure they are gonna nest somewhere...

Thanks for writing, Beth, and posting their response... :-(

ljames · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:47 pm

I feel so sad for Sheila and Havoc. How pitiful it is Shelia sitting on the tower where her nestbox is supposed to be. I guess the season will be over pretty quickly if they try to nest on the tower, which is good news for the plant I imagine. :-(

Well it is what it is.

kittenface · **Posted:** Tue Aug 10, 2010 11:57 pm

The worst part is the plant & its people have been putting with
a nest up there for how long and now S & H come back and its gone,they
probably thought they were going to have another home makeover again and
this is what they got.
A nest out in the boonies and in my opinion not a very good one
SORRY but I had to say it
It just doesn't seem right everyone was putting up with them for a couple
months a year before why did it have to change?
OK off my soapbox now

PruJoy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 12:14 am

That is too true KF - it is cruel to do this to them while they are still a healthy breeding pair

ljames · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:14 am

Right, where is the commitment?

bev. · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:51 pm

Well, I guess I am going to send an e-mail. Still not too late to rectify situation.

PruJoy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:59 pm

good on you Bev :attention:

ljames · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:04 pm

Thanks bev. I hope that it will make a difference. I might try to send something myself, but don't really know what to say. I hate to be critical, but just what is going on there I wonder. Are the workers being attacked and injured? Or are the falcons just a nuisance? Did they make a commitment to these birds or not? Will they just let the nest fail? Where is the compassion? Well, they might be just as sick as we are about the situation, and have no other option. You have to believe that they really care about these birds, otherwise why would they have gone through the trouble to build a nest for them to start with? I'm still hoping for a good outcome.

PruJoy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:15 pm

yes ljames - it does appear as tho they care enough to put up other nest boxes - but what they are doing does appear illogical & makes me seriously wonder if the experts at Victorian Peregrine Project are really being consulted - I mean that divided nest box - what the !@#! - where is the reasoning that peregrines prefer such a setup??? has anyone observed anything similar anywhere on the whole planet before???

SusanE · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:29 pm

After thinking about it for a bit, my thoughts are that the new nest has failed to attract Sheila and Havoc based on height/elevation. How tall is the water tower? 100 feet? (30 meters) 200 feet? (60 meters) How tall is the new box on a pole . . . maybe 20 - 40 feet? (6-12 meters) If I were a falcon it would be a no-brainer.

PruJoy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:44 pm

gosh yr good SusanE - being able to see thru these peregrine's eye view - that's RIGHT!!! a no-brainer indeed!!! their tower was hugely higher!!! and with all those high structures still all around them......... :tearhair

kittenface · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:06 pm

I sure wish there was someone to write to that would actually listen to us I know we aren't bioligists, but we have been watching enough nests that we know alot more than some people give us credit for. You would think they would see that they DON'T like it and they would try a stick even a make shift one for them on the tower, and if you think about it they changed the nest last yr in the begining of courtship time

ljames · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:29 pm

PruJoy wrote:

- I mean that divided nest box - what the !@#! - where is the reasoning that peregrines prefer such a setup??? has anyone observed anything similar anywhere on the whole planet before???

NEVER, not in the 100+ nests that I watch/monitor.

You're right SusanE, that height thing has got to be a big issue with falcons.

kittenface · **Posted:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:47 pm

ljames wrote:

PruJoy wrote:

- I mean that divided nest box - what the !@#! - where is the reasoning that peregrines prefer such a setup??? has anyone observed anything similar anywhere on the whole planet before???

NEVER, not in the 100+ nests that I watch/monitor.

You're right SusanE, that height thing has got to be a big issue with falcons.

The closest thing to that nest that I've seen is Poland 2 rooms but opening to the naughty room :laugh

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Re: ALCOA FALCONS: March-October, 2010

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