CAN THEY DO THIS???? (I guess so)
Cams down at UB while they make repairs. They said nest will be removed!!!!
Restoration work at MacKay Heating Plant, which provides heat to UB’s South Campus, will begin next month.
The 84-year-old tower, which last underwent serious renovation in 1973, will undergo repairs to ensure its structural integrity, prevent water damage and ensure its long-term viability as a peregrine falcon nest site.
It is necessary to repair the tower in late spring and summer, when the heating needs of South Campus are minimal.
To prepare for the project, the university shut off the live video feed of the falcon nest in the tower. The camera will remain off for the duration of the work, which is expected to be finished in September. At that time, UB officials will reactivate the live video feed.
UB officials are working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and local wildlife rehabilitators to ensure the safety of the falcons. Several eggs currently are in the nesting box.
Because the work may interrupt the adult falcons’ ability to care for the chicks, DEC wildlife biologists will remove the chicks two weeks after they hatch, expected to be in the middle of May. The chicks will be placed with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, Hawk Creek Wildlife Center in East Aurora, and eventually released into the wild.
The tower will remain open to the adult falcons during construction. They are expected to remain in the area, protecting their territory.
International Chimney Corp. of Williamsville was awarded the contract after submitting a bid of $263,000. The work, scheduled from May to September, includes structural repairs to the masonry, painting the window frames and a new liner for the chimney stack.
A pair of peregrine falcons began nesting at MacKay tower in 2009. Since then, 22 chicks have hatched there. While not considered endangered by the federal government since 1999, they are listed as endangered by the DEC.
In addition to UB, there are eight peregrine falcon nests in the Buffalo Niagara region. They are at the Buffalo Central Terminal, Statler City, the Buffalo Outer Harbor, the Richardson Olmstead Complex, the North Grand Island Bridge, the South Grand Island Bridge, the New York Power Authority reservoir and the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
Additional information on peregrine falcons is available on DEC’s website.
http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/campus/campus-host-page.host.html/content/shared/university/news/ub-reporter-articles/stories/2015/04/mackay_rehab.detail.html
