For the past two years, I have been been watching the Peregrine Falcon live-cam on top of one of the Mayo Clinic’s buildings in Rochester, MN. I became acquainted with their program while I was giving a retreat two years ago for the Franciscan Sisters in Rochester. They are the Sisters who partnered with the Mayo brothers to establish the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. I wrote a blog on their incredible story. To access that post, go to the search box on the right and type in “Mayo Clinic.”
Let me begin by sharing a little history of the Mayo Clinic’s Peregrine Falcon program. In 1987, the Clinic partnered with the Midwest Peregrine Society to help save the peregrine falcon from extinction. The Mayo Clinic was a good site to put nesting box. The tall buildings mimicked the falcon’s natural cliff habitat. In addition, there was ample food in the area–mostly pigeons and small birds. So, tThe nesting box was placed on the roof of a 22 story building. The current residents, Hattie and Orton, have been together for 10 years. During that time they have raised over 30 chicks to aduthood in that box. In fact, the couple likes the box so much, they no longer migrate,. Instead, they stay in the area even during winter to prevent any other birds from taking over their nesting site.
Last year Hattie and Orton raised two chicks. This year they have four. The live-cam runs 24/7 from February till about August. It features two alternating camera views: one from inside the nesting box looking out, and another from the outside of the box looking in. At three weeks, the “peregrine professionals” who operate the program, remove the chicks temporarily to assess their health, band them for future studies, and name them. This event is aired live. It takes considerable courage to remove chicks from a nest while their mother is screeching and swooping down upon you with those razor-sharp talons. But everyone involved wears a hardhat and carries an umbrella to prevent Hattie from doing them harm. The chicks are returned to the nest as quickly as possible to minimize the stress on the parents.
I enjoyed watching the banding and naming event. First, the chicks are weighed and their gender is determined. This year we have two girls and two boys. The chicks are then checked for parasites or infection. All four birds were deemed in fine health–a tribute to their hard-working parents who are providing 24/7 excellent care. I enjoyed the naming ceremony. Over 5,000 names were submitted from all over the world. This year’s names are (drum roll, please!): The two females: Vegan meaning “bright star” and Belle in honor of the 100-year-old Clarrion at Mayo Clinic. The two males are: Mylo meaning “guardian” and Zephyr meaning “western wind.”
Occasionally, I’ll tune into other live-cams. I especially like the Big Bear Valley eagle cam. This year, the parent eagles are raising two females, Luna and Sandy. Their nest is perched 145 feet up in a tree, and the tree is on the side of a mountain overlooking Bear Lake Valley below. If you want to see a “house” with a million dollar view, just click on the link at the end of this post. Or you can also choose to watch tawny owls or other animals such as beavers, fox, otters.
And finally, why do I regularly devote a few minutes to watching these birds? The cameras allow me to get really close to wildlife–a closeness I couldn’t get in any other way. At the same time, the programs do not interfer with the raising of the chicks. If an owl swoops in at night and carries off one of the chicks, that’s that. If a chick falls out of the nest, humans ordinarily do not intervene. Watching also gives me a greater appreciation of how much time and effort it takes to raise a clutch of chicks successfully. (It also gives me a greater appreciation of the years it takes to raise baby homo sapiens too!) And it’s just fun to watch the chicks go from little white puff balls to gorgeously feathered adult raptors. These life-cams unite me with a global audience. Some sites tell you how many other people are viewing the website at the same time you are. Watching can connect me with people faraway–like in India or Australia–or with people closer to home–like those wonderful Canadians “up north”–or even with folks in my neighborhood!
For reflection:
Did anything catch your attention in this reflection?
Do you ever watch live-cams? If so, please share some of you experience below.
How do you gain access to wildlife–even the wildlife in your own yard or outside your window? Do you make regular time
