FalconCam Project

Milestones:

Sept 2007 – initial ideas and plans to build and mount a roost for a pair of curious peregrines; roost installed, cameras “borrowed” and connected, providing first images

early 2008 – falcon adults appear frequently to use the roost as a feeding post and are often visited by a much younger bird (possible prior season offspring)

Oct 2008 – the adults return after a short period away and immediately show an interest in building a nest, shifting gravel and general meddling

23 Oct 2008 – the first egg was laid and mum began her long vigil

28 Nov 2008 – a violent thunderstorm in the afternoon resulted in a direct strike on the water tower, a mere 10 feet away from the nest; potentially fatal for both peregrines and their eggs

01 Dec 2008 – Migii (so named from the local Wiradjuri aboriginal for “lightning”) was born to plenty of publicity and interest

03 Dec 2008 – first visits from TV news crews, reporting on our feathered family

16 Dec 2008 – we received a visit from representatives from members of disbanded RAAF 30 Beaufighter Squadron whose emblem ironically was a peregrine with a lightning bolt

09 Jan 2009 – (Day 40) Right on target Migii is fully fledged and beginning to find the nest unbearably small

13 Jan 2009 – Migii flies off this morning on the maiden flight (just over 6 weeks old); the roost returns to normal

16 Jan 2009 – the story continues …

15 August 2009 – adult pair spotted mating on the top of the water tower

05 Sept 2009 – the second season begins with 3 eggs laid

11 Oct 2009 – two of the three eggs hatch

13 Oct 2009 – the third egg hatches, giving us a 300% increase on last year’s first recording season

Nov 2009 – all three fledglings leave the nest during a heatwave although the entire family still camps out in the trees below

People and identities …

who have become involved in this ongoing project and who deserve a mention (a huge thanks to all for their valuable input and voluntary work) include:

Ian Grange – (former) staff member at CSU Orange campus; main initial interest in designing & providing roost and technical capabilities, camera monitoring and chief person-in-charge of cleaning out the filthy gravel!

Dr Cilla Kinross – staff member at CSU Orange campus; the local ornithological expert and provider of sound advice and knowledge on raptors, camera monitoring, was also “volunteered” as our media representative & liaison!

Scott Banks – staff member at CSU Orange campus; technical input, camera monitoring, keeper of the tower key, potential raptor step-grandparent

Ron Green – CSU staff member at CSU Orange campus; roost builder and maintainer (we will have another bigger box for you to build soon, Ron!)

Thanks to:…..

Thank you also to advice from various experts in the field whose names will appear here as soon as they can be compiled, and to Amy Williams from Prime TV and Dimity Clancey from WIN TV and their respective camera crews for their wonderful and enlightening coverage and excellent publicity. We must also thank our new friends, Messrs Norm Williams, Fred Anderson & Robert Bicknell from RAAF 30 Beaufighter Squadron for their considerable interest and wonderful stories.

Thank you to Dr Kevin Parton, Dean of Campus, and to those interested staff from Orange campus, with the odd individual input from most other CSU campuses who have been helping with our monitoring and also providing us with enthusiasm (and the occasional grammatical corrections!). We sincerely hope that the number of direct participants with our project continues to grow as times goes on, and that our knowledge grows with that time also.