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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (13314)	4/13/2005 11:56:40 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 361182

Web Cam...Peregrine Falcons in SF...babies have hatched Release Date: March 7, 2005 Contact: PG&E News Department (415) 973-5930 Endangered Peregrine Falcon Lays New Eggs in Nest atop the PG&E Building in Downtown San Francisco PG&E and UC Santa Cruz Debut Peregrine Webcam to Follow the Falcons Live Online SAN FRANCISCO – A pair of endangered peregrine falcons, nesting atop Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s building in downtown San Francisco, laid new eggs on the ledge of the high rise late last week. PG&E and scientists from the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group (PBRG) recently installed a webcam to keep an eye on the peregrines and their offspring. A special link to the "peregrine cam" will go live at 12 noon today on PG&E’s Web site at www.pge.com/peregrinenestcam/. A link is also available at PBRG’s Web site, www.scpbrg.org. At these sites, visitors can watch the falcons as they care for their eggs. The camera was installed during the first week of January, a time of year when the peregrines are typically away from their nesting site, and positioned in a way that will not disturb the birds. The peregrine pair staked the urban wilderness of San Francisco’s Financial District as their territory and selected PG&E’s building as their nesting site. Since then, the utility has teamed up with scientists from the PBRG to look after the birds. "This nest is important because it draws our attention to nature in downtown San Francisco," said Glenn Stewart, program manager for the PBRG. "It personalizes and makes nature accessible to us, even in the middle of a city. PG&E has been a great partner helping with equipment and funding for researchers." PG&E will make a $30,000 donation to the PBRG this year. The money will go towards the operating costs for the "peregrine cam" and the Web site, and it will also help fund the PBRG’s educational outreach program. PBRG travels to 50 or more schools throughout northern and central California each year, educating 8,000 to 10,000 students in grades K-12 about science, nature and careers in science. PG&E "Peregrine Talks" are also included as part of the overall presentation. Last year, the peregrine couple successfully hatched two baby chicks. The event created lots of excitement for birdwatchers throughout the Financial District as they witnessed the young peregrines’ first flight amid San Francisco’s skyscrapers. "The peregrines are members of the PG&E family and are a fascinating part of life in downtown San Francisco," said Robert Harris, vice president of environmental affairs for PG&E. "The falcons are regularly seen swooping and diving in the skies above the Financial District. Our fantastic partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group ensures that these amazing birds have a safe place to live and nest." Peregrines began using PG&E’s building as a perch in the mid 1980s. PBRG scientists placed a nest box on the ledge of the high rise with the hope that someday a peregrine pair might want to nest there. That finally happened in 2004. FALCON FACTS The peregrine is the fastest animal on the planet. Scientists estimate the speed of a diving peregrine to be more than 200 mph. Peregrines eat birds that they catch in the air. Peregrines nest on tall city structures that are similar to the sheer cliffs they prefer in nature. The peregrine is one of only a handful of birds that nest on every continent and major land mass except Antarctica. The peregrine population declined to zero known nesting pairs east of the Mississippi, and just two known nesting pairs in California by 1970. Today, there are an estimated 235 peregrine falcon nesting pairs in California. For more information about Pacific Gas and Electric Company, please visit our Web site at www.pge.com pge.com