Bird Watching is Just a Click Away on Great River Energy's Website

Business Wire, May 14, 2007

ELK RIVER, Minn. -- A pair of peregrine falcons has made its home in a man-made nesting box atop Great River Energy's Elk River Station. Bird watchers can view the pair by visiting the Great River Energy bird cam at www.greatriverenergy.com. The falcons and their soon-to-be-hatched chicks are expected to remain in the nesting box until mid-summer.

Last year, a local Boy Scout built the nesting box as part of his Eagle Scout project. The box was installed more than 100 feet up a tower at Elk River Station located near the banks of the Mississippi River.

The migrating pair of falcons arrived at the Elk River Station nest in March. In April, the female laid a clutch of three eggs, which are expected to hatch in mid-May. Chicks emerge from the shells covered with a short coat of white down and their eyes are open. Their leg muscles are weak, but their voices work very well and they cry out for food.

Peregrines usually make their first flight when they are about five or six weeks old, with males taking the leap before females. After the young falcons' first flight, they are referred to as fledglings. It may take them a year or more to master the flying skills of their parents.

In the 1960s, use of the pesticide DDT nearly wiped out the entire population of peregrine falcons. In the early 1970s, DDT was banned and the American peregrine was declared an endangered species. By 1999, their status was changed to threatened.

Great River Energy installed the bird cam in the falcon nest to increase awareness of conservation efforts and provide the public with opportunities to watch the birds and their growing family on the company's website.

Great River Energy, Elk River, Minn., is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative providing electricity to 28 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The organization is committed to minimizing its impact on the environment. As the second largest electric utility in Minnesota, Great River Energy continually evaluates the impact of its business activities on electric rates, system reliability and the environment. For more information, visit: www.greatriverenergy.com.