Syracuse Falcons

[Carol P.]

Happy to hear that Pigott and George are ok. 

[MAK]

 

[AlisonL]

Just found this article on the Syracuse peregrines, dated today:

Syracuse peregrine falcon pair will be home for Christmas on various buildings

By David Figura

The two adult peregrine falcons that nest in downtown Syracuse will be home for Christmas - but not in their nesting box.

The birds, named George and Pigott by local bird watching enthusiasts, have taken advantage of a nesting box near the top of the State Tower Building at 109 Warren Street for the past four years.

The couple's situation was disturbed this year as Pioneer Cos., the building's new owner, began renovating the top 13 floors of the building into market-rate studio apartments and one- and two-bedroom apartments.

When Pioneer Cos. first announced their multi-million dollar construction plans to convert the top 13 floors into apartments and the bottom floors (1 to 9) into office space, the game plan was to start off working on the upper part of the building, according to Bonnie Parton, a DEC wildlife technician, who is monitoring the peregrines and has overseen banding efforts of their young in the past.

Parton said Pioneer Bros. agreed after being contacted by the DEC to start off on the lower part of the building and to leave the nest box in place during the birds' breeding season (Feb. 1 - July 31) and replacing the nest box as soon as possible following repairs, but no later than Nov. 1.

Melissa Zell, CEO for Pioneer Bros. said the nesting box area is currently inaccessible to the peregrines, because of work being done on the building.

"We're doing some major masonry work on the building, clear down to the steel in some cases," she said.

The peregrines remain in Syracuse throughout the winter, Zell and Parton said, hanging out on several buildings in the downtown area, feeding on pigeons and other birds. They only actually return to the nesting box full-time during the breeding season.

This time of year the peregrines "do some pair bonding rituals," Parton said. "Actually, they're not attached to the nesting box outside of breeding season. But they do keep an eye on it."

Zell said the refurbishment project on the building is experiencing some budgetary problems. She said her company remains committed to providing a nesting box for the peregrines, and would like to replace the one that's currently there - in addition, to adding extra features on the building, such as a grate over the chimney stack at the top of the 21-story building to prevent "the fledglings from falling in."

She said she hopes to contact the local peregrine watching group and others about a fund-raiser or applying for a grant to pay for a new nesting box and the other features that would help the peregrines.

In recent years, cameras have been set up to give interested bird watching enthusiasts and others a view of the nest. However, the camera malfunctioned for part of 2015 and was not operating during 2016.

Susan Wrisley, of Liverpool, of the Syracuse Peregrine Falcons, said she'd willing to help with any fundraising efforts. She said she'd like to see cameras up and operating again on the nesting box.

Members of Wrisley's group are bird lovers from throughout the greater Syracuse area. The group, which maintains a Facebook page, gave the two adults their names and each year monitors the nest and the young birds from the ground, making sure to keep them out of traffic and other hazards as they learn how to fly.

The owners of the State Tower Building have cooperated since 2004 with the state Department of Environmental Conservation by allowing peregrines to nest on the building. Peregrine falcons are currently listed as an endangered species in the state. See the DEC website for more on this.

"The State Tower Building has provided the vast majority of resources needed to make the building a successful and productive peregrine falcon nesting site and has contributed directly and significantly to the recovery of New York's peregrine falcon population," DEC said.

Zell has said the building renovations will include significant interior and exterior work, including the replacement of about 600 of the building's approximately 900 windows.

Opened in 1927 at 109 S. Warren St., the building stands 311 feet tall. The next tallest buildings in the city are the two AXA Towers, which stand 268 feet tall.

http://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/2016/12/syracuse_peregrine_falcon_pair_will_be_home_for_christmas_on_various_buildings.html#incart_river_home

[Carol P.]

They are still wrong about how Pigott got her name.

Thanks for finding this article Alison. 

[Donna]

Yup, they can take credit for George but not Miss Pigott!! 

[Donna]

Nest box is up! Susan just posted! Now they hope that P & G will find it!!

[Annette]

Nest box is up! Susan just posted! Now they hope that P & G will find it!!

Yippie!!! 

[MAK]

Nest box is up! Susan just posted! Now they hope that P & G will find it!!

I hope they didn't wait too long to place the nest box. Pigott and George may have picked somewhere else by this late date. 

[carly]

Nest box is up! Susan just posted! Now they hope that P & G will find it!!

 

[Carol P.]

Hope all works out for them this year. 

[Annette]

Unfortunately I not have cam link anymore. Can someone help me please?

[MAK]

Unfortunately I not have cam link anymore. Can someone help me please?

Annette, they moved the nest box for building repairs and so there is no cam for them at this time. 

[AlisonL]

Nest box is up! Susan just posted! Now they hope that P & G will find it!!

Thank you for the update, Donna! I hope everything goes well for Pigott and George. Just wish that there was a cam so that we could see them.

[Donna]

The nestbox is on the east side of the building away from the wind at the same level that it was. You most likely will not be able to see it because it sits down a little lower than the wall. There is no perch. There are no cameras because I need to raise money for them as well as the website, so hopefully I will get enough interest so that we can afford to put cameras up next year.

I told her last year to start a fundraiser!! Send out flyers!!

From FB

[Donna]

Looks like Pigott already laid a few eggs on the balcony of an empty building. Tom was trying to call someone about getting some sort of nest or gravel up there. No luck so far. Hope it goes well for Pigott, I really love her  courage, starting from BS.