The following are our plans for 2012. We plan to:
1.
Maintain 6 internet camera systems. The cams are:
- Decorah Eaglecam
- Eaglecrest Hawkcam
- Great Spirit Bluff Falconcam
- Riverview Tower Falconcam
- Turkey Vulture Cam
- Screech Owl Cam
The Decorah EagleCam will have moderated chat (MC) and SS available. We have not yet decided what, if any, chat options will be available at the other cams. If screech owls adopt the cadillac of a nestbox that Bob built for them, the feed will be coming from right outside his house.
2.
Begin a kestrel reintroduction program centered around utility poles and rightaways. At present time, we plan to add 20 to 30 kestrel boxes to utility poles along a stretch of highway in northeastern Iowa. We will either monitor them ourselves or work with a volunteer, preferably from a local Boy Scout troop, to monitor the boxes and log nesting success and fledge rates. If after two years the pilot appears to be successful, we will look at expanding it to other utility rightaways in suitable kestrel habitat. The kestrel is in a pretty steep decline throughout a lot of its range. Nest boxes may help. This will also help call attention to the plight of grassland birds, who are in pretty serious trouble in some places.
3.
Add two to three cliff peregrine nest boxes to cliffs in northeastern Iowa or southwestern Wisconsin. We have identified several cliffs where nesting peregrines seem to fail on a regular basis. We believe this is due to weather and raccoon predation. Hanging nest boxes on these cliffs should improve their success rate and help further restore the peregrine to its traditional habitat along the upper Mississippi river.
4.
Continue existing monitoring efforts and expand as neededWe plan to continue our regular peregrine banding and monitoring work. At present time, we monitor and directly maintain over 40 peregrine, eagle, osprey, kestrel, and owl nest sites: observing, banding, and sharing information with the Raptor Center, the Midwest Peregrine database, and other interested parties. We are also maintaining an online eagle satellite tracking program. We will band at all of our current sites and any new utility or cliff site that falls within our working area.
5.
Expand the utility peregrine program, which may need to be renamed We will be working with Xcel Energy and 3M to expand nest box options on some of their property. The Riverside plant in Minneapolis, for example, went to natural gas. They sealed off the old ponding area and coalyards and now have a grassy prairie area next to the Mississippi. 3M also has upland prairie in Cottage Grove. We are going to add kestrel nest boxes for sure, and possibly other boxes as well. Site survey is needed.
6.
Provide assistance to other organizationsWe have been called in to provide cam information and site surveys and hold and transport ill and injured eagles. We will provide assistance to other organizations as we can. This might include answering questions, providing a site survey, installing equipment, transporting eagles or finding volunteers, etc.
