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October 30, 2008
Alcoa Anglesea welcomes three fluffy falcons
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For the fifth year in a row, peregrine falcons have returned to Alcoa Anglesea Power Station to a purpose-built nesting box on top of the site’s water tower.
This year all three falcon eggs hatched, with the chicks being named by Anglesea Primary School children.
Volunteers from the Victorian Peregrine Project visited Alcoa Anglesea on Thursday 30 October to check the bird’s health and measure and band the new chicks for research monitoring. Grade 2 students from the Primary School visited the site and eagerly watched on.
In 2007 the Power Station provided a window into the world of peregrine falcons by installing a webcam next to the nesting box and broadcasting the images over the internet.
Alcoa Anglesea’s webcam at www.alcoa.com/falcons provides a new image of day-to-day life in the peregrine falcon nest at one minute intervals.
Alcoa Anglesea Mine Environmental Scientist, Elise Jeffery, said the webcam was the culmination of many years of work.
“We’ve worked closely with the Victorian Peregrine Project for several years now to ensure our actions assist with the conservation of peregrine falcons.
“We hope the webcam will raise the profile of these special birds by allowing students and nature lovers to learn more about their behaviour.
“We certainly look forward to seeing the birds back at the station to nest each year and we are very pleased to be able to share this with the broader community”, Ms Jeffery said.
Alcoa Anglesea Power Station has had a long history with the peregrine falcon when, in 1991, employees first noticed a nest on a ledge within the open cut coal mine. Eleven birds subsequently hatched from this nest.
In 2003, the action moved to the Power Station with a pair of peregrine falcons, named Sheila and Maverick by Alcoa employees, attempting unsuccessfully to hatch eggs on the noisy, warm and vibrating structure itself.
In 2004, Alcoa Anglesea’s environmental staff intervened and arranged for a purpose built nesting box to be built adjacent to the Power Station on the site’s water tower; the tall structure closely mimicking the birds’ preferred natural nesting environment and providing a more tranquil setting in which to raise a family.
Since then, there have been ten fledglings raised and now everyone is able to see the action via the internet.
Further information about Peregrine Falcons
Peregrines are birds of prey – also known as raptors from the Latin rapere, 'to seize'. They belong to the falcon family, great hunters whose streamlined bodies and small heads make them swift fliers.
About 30 years ago, pesticides — particularly the now banned DDT— spread through the food chain topped by the Peregrine Falcon. They began dying out as a species worldwide with very few breeding pairs recorded. Wildlife scientists put them on the endangered species list and worked to bring their population back to a healthy level.
Thanks to the Australian ban on the pesticide DDT in 1987, increased awareness among egg collectors and diligent efforts from conservationists around the world, over the past decade the Peregrine Falcon population has made a strong recovery. Peregrines are now listed as 'Secure' across Australia.
Peregrine falcons live in a wide variety of landscapes and vegetation types on all continents with the exception of Antarctica and New Zealand. Peregrine Falcons prefer a ledge or cave on a cliff face as a nest site. Cliff edges provide safe locations and excellent vantage points to watch for prey.
Now, Peregrines also nest on artificial 'cliffs' created by window ledges on high-rise buildings or other man-made structures in an urban environment. Research has shown that in industrial sites, installing nest boxes can dramatically increase the hatching success rate as well as moving the Peregrines to a safer location.
Alcoa Anglesea is a perfect example going from failure to 100% hatching success with the installation of a nest box.
Victorian Peregrine Project Website: www.ausraptor.org.au/vpp/index.htm
Further information:
Dave Ryan
Community Relations Officer
03 5263 4249 or 0404 800 148
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