Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Westar Energy's well-known peregrine falcon couple, Hope and Doorly, who have nested atop Westar Energy’s general office, 818 S. Kansas Ave in downtown Topeka since 2004, have encountered trouble over the past couple of weeks as intruders from Lincoln, Nebraska competed for their nest.
Westar Energy employees reported hearing increased vocalization around the general office during that timeframe. “Peregrines interact more through vocalization than they do with physical contact,” said Brad Loveless, director, biology & conservation program. “A lot of it was probably over competition,” he added. The newcomer peregrine couple, Nemaha and Boreas, successfully overtook the nest in late March.
Boreas, male, was born in 2007, and Nemaha was born in 2009. Both peregrines were raised at the Nebraska State Capitol.
Peregrines typically migrate to South America in the winter and return to North American to nest in the spring. “If they have not nested before, they will keep a lookout for possible nests. Boreas and Nemaha, most likely spotted the Topeka nest on their way back from migration,” said Loveless.
Soon after claiming the nest, Nemaha laid her first egg on April 1, 2011, exactly a year after Hope laid her first egg of the 2010 nesting season. “Nemaha has now laid a second egg and we expect more to follow in a couple of days,” said Loveless. “Females commonly lay about four eggs a year over the course of two to two and a half days,” added Loveless.
The whereabouts of Hope and Doorly, who are also Nebraska natives, are currently unknown. Loveless said that a male peregrine was calling this morning in downtown Topeka. “It could have been Doorly, or it could have been the young male who hatched last spring,” he added, noting that genders are distinguished by size, with males approximately 50% smaller than females.
Loveless arranged for the installation of another nest box at Tecumseh Energy Center (TEC), Tecumseh, Kansas, in hopes that Hope and Doorly would see it from high in the air in downtown Topeka and make it their new home. He credits TEC folks for creative, fast-acting fabrication and installation of this second nest box. The TEC folks will be keeping an eye out for new activity.
The public is welcome to view a live stream of the new falcon family by visiting Westar Energy’s website
www.WestarEnergy.com/Greenteam.
