Mar 27 2009

Peregrines Nest Atop PG&E's Headquarters

Posted by: Jennifer Zerwer

Peregrine falcon fans are keeping their eyes glued to PG&E's San Francisco's headquarters at 77 Beale Street these days. Bird watchers meet every Thursday evening at the intersection of Main and Mission to check out San Francisco's most popular love birds, Diamond Lil and Dapper Dan. The pair arrived in early February to begin courtship at the nest box that PG&E hosts.

Dan's and Lil's union has produced four eggs. Glenn Stewart, program manager for the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) and falcon expert, estimates the eggs will hatch around April 14 or 15. Anyone wishing to witness the blessed event can do so online, courtesy of a nest cam at http://www2.ucsc.edu/scpbrg/falconcamera.htm.

 
Not Your Average Bird of Prey
Peregrines hold the title of the world's fastest animal. They've been clocked reaching horizontal cruising speeds of 68 mph. When stooping, they can fly as fast as 273 mph.

Peregrines have adapted well to urban environments, nesting on tall city structures that are similar to the sheer cliffs they prefer in nature. SCPBRG began noticing peregrine falcons using PG&E's downtown skyscraper as a perch in the mid-1980s and placed a nest box on the ledge of the 33rd floor with hopes that someday peregrines might nest there. Finally, in 2003, a peregrine pair named George and Gracie selected PG&E's building as their nesting site. Since then, the utility has teamed up with the SCPBRG to look after the birds, including annual charitable donations to support SCPBRG's research efforts, nest cam, and education programs.

According to Wendy Pulling, PG&E's Director of Environmental Policy and bird-watcher, "It's thrilling to watch the peregrines swoop down past our offices. Pigeons in our neighborhood may not share our enthusiasm for the return of these birds to downtown San Francisco, but PG&E is proud to partner with the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group to share the peregrines' family story via webcam to peregrine watchers around the world."

Peregrines are a fully protected and endangered species in California. Their population declined to zero known nesting pairs east of the Mississippi, and just two known nesting pairs in California by 1970. Thanks to the work of organizations like SCPBRG, today there are an estimated 250 peregrine falcon nesting pairs in California. SCPBRG credits the striking recovery of peregrines in California and throughout most of the world in large part to the widespread ban on the use of DDT.

SCPBRG will visit PG&E's headquarters about three weeks after the hatching in early May to tag the eyases before they take their first flight. Everyone is keeping their fingers crossed for a better outcome than last year, when the eyases died a few days after being hatched.

If you'd like to follow the progress of Dapper Dan and Diamond Lil in the meantime, check out the Yahoo! Discussion group at: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/SF_PGE_Falcons/

 

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