Bird Watching is Just a Click Away on Great River Energy's Website.ELK RIVER Elk River 1. A river rising in the Cumberland Mountains of south-central Tennessee and meandering about 322 km (200 mi) generally west-southwest into northern Alabama. 2. A river, about 277 km (172 mi) long, of central West Virginia. , Minn. -- A pair of peregrine falcons peregrine falcon: see falcon. peregrine falcon or duck hawk Falcon species (Falco peregrinus) found worldwide but rare today because of bioaccumulation of pesticides. Peregrines are 13–19 in. has made its home in a man-made nesting box atop Great River Energy's Elk River Station Elk River Station is an incinerator operating in Elk River, Minnesota that generates 35 to 42 megawatts of electrical power. The site was originally built as a coal and oil-fired facility in 1950, then was converted to a nuclear power plant (boiling water reactor) in 1963. . 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 Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts project. The box was installed more than 100 feet up a tower at Elk River Station located near the banks of the Mississippi River Mississippi River River, central U.S. It rises at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows south, meeting its major tributaries, the Missouri and the Ohio rivers, about halfway along its journey to the Gulf of Mexico. . 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 DDT or 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1,-trichloroethane, chlorinated hydrocarbon compound used as an insecticide. First introduced during the 1940s, it killed insects that spread disease and feed on crops. 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 endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. . 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. |
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