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GREAT RIVER ENERGY Birdcam About the Birdcam Great River Energy's Elk River Station is a perfect site for a nesting box because it is located in a peregrine falcon migratory flyway. The site, beside the Mississippi River, is also a draw because the birds prefer to nest in high locations near water. In recent history, power plants have had the best peregrine production rates in the Midwest. |
Birdcam News
Summer 2009:Our three male eyasses continue to thrive and are learning to use their wings. They spend their time near the nesting box (unfortunately out of our camera’s range). The adult falcons are still feeding the eyasses as they learn to fly and hunt for their own food. The birds often return to the nest box at night to sleep. The young falcons should remain in the vicinity of the power plant until late August.
The Great River Energy Elk River Station falcon family suffered a loss on June 17, with the sudden death of the young female eyass Bella. It was determined that her death was caused by a micro-organism called Trichomoniasis, which comes from eating infected pigeons. The remaining three eyasses have been treated with an antibiotic and are doing well at this time. We are monitoring them very closely.
Newborn peregrine falcons bandedGreat River Energy, the Raptor Resource Project and Rogers Middle School’s After-School Environmental Explorers, participated in the banding of the four falcons on Tuesday, June 9.
The falcons, born on May 19, were named: Bella (female), Roger, Royal and Edward (males). The Rogers Middle School Environmental Explorers named the birds.
This is the third consecutive year that two peregrine falcons have made their home in a nesting box located atop the plant near the banks of the Mississippi River.
In 2008 two adult peregrine falcons produced 3 eyasses. The 2 males and 1 female were banded by the Raptor Resource Project. Students from Vandenberg Middle School, Elk River, Minn. named the eyasses "Chase", "Bullet" and "Lightning."
In the spring of 2007, Great River Energy hosted two adult falcons and three eyases (baby falcons) in its peregrine falcon nesting box. The eyases hatched on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19. The Raptor Resource Project was onsite to band the young falcons in early June.
Great River Energy’s Elk River Station is a perfect site for a nesting box because it is located in a peregrine falcon migratory flyway. The site, beside the Mississippi River, is also a draw because the birds prefer to nest in high locations near water. In recent history, power plants have had the best peregrine production rates in the Midwest.
Photos of our 2008 peregrine family »
