By Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew) on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 - 10:34 pm:
The Peregrine Falcon is listed as an endangered species in Michigan. Here in the Houghton-Hancock area, the DNR and MDOT teamed up together and put two nesting boxes on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, in the hopes that the Falcons would set up nests there and raise up some chicks. According to the press release put out by Dan Weingarten, from the MDOT Office of Communications, they installed the boxes, one on the north bridge tower and one on the south tower, in the spring 2012. The next spring a pair of peregrine falcons showed up and this spring they nested and hatched three chicks. The falcons were supplied with the perfect nesting place and MDOT had "top-flight" pigeon patrol on the bridge. The pigeon numbers went from dozens, down to just a few, which will save on maintenance costs, since the pigeon droppings can take the paint right off the metal bridge surfaces.
Brad Johnson, DNR Wildlife Technician (shown in the top photo) had intended on banding the young birds, but decided against it, because he said the window of opportunity for banding them is narrow. According to Brad, "Once they're too old, they pose a flight risk - they might try to jump from their box and could kill or injure themselves in a fall."
The MDOT release also stated:
"While Johnson and DNR Wildlife Researcher Erin Largent peered at the nest box through a window in the bridge's machine room to evaluate the chicks, the wary father peregrine stood watch on the roof of the box. His mate, a larger bird, screeched and circled the Lift Bridge tower, clearly agitated by the presence of humans close to her hatchlings. Unlike the male, she carried a leg band."
To read the complete MDOT release, click here:
