We were visited today by Emily and Murray from WIN TV News who took away some great footage and gave regional TV a well-rounded segment with some opportune moments. We ran through the benefits of the recent launch of live camera feeds via this website and whilst out under the trees Swift flew down to the feeding branch and treated us to a full-colour, close-up of lunch! Not to be out-done Beau then flew some loops around the tree, keeping us in full view, before gaining height and giving us an impressive high-altitude soaring display. Thanks to WIN TV once more, and for getting the website address out to the general viewing public.
As a reminder to our readers & supporters all received donations and fundraising go towards upgrading our cameras and equipment; the first of the new HD cameras is on its way and will provide much sharper and more contrasty nest camera vision. It will also provide the Project with motion-sensor recording activation in the nest view, as well as a full audio option.
I have found these news items interesting in that it gives me/us a good image of the water tower and the CSU campus. So I was wondering, did your peregrine falcons just begin to set up house on/in the water tower on their own or did they nest there only after you provided a nest box?
Hi Kathy,
I have some photos of the water tower; I’ll add them to the site shortly. it’s a scary prospect to climb but in comparison to other sites we see around the world it’s a breeze!
These two peregrines were seen flying around campus with a previous young’un, using the window ledge as a look-out. The old window up there was broken and smaller birds were flying around inside the tower making a real mess. Dr Ian Grange, our Project partner in crime here at campus, took the idea to Cilla that they replace the window with a box (Roost #1) and within 2 hours the birds were up there again, walking around inside quite happily. Apart from the odd early Project-history short-term squatters such as the occasional cockatoo they’ve really had the run of the roost (pun!) since then. The only times we’ve had to enter the eyrie when any birds have been in residence were to carefully clean the camera windows in the old box (they were unfortunately set below the “poo line”) and to replace the original box with Roost #2, in between visits by Swift. Apart from that there’s really been no intervention at all.
Scott