Streaming live: Falcon eggs spotted at power plant nest box

For LG&E and KU 8:01 p.m. EDT March 22, 2016

This story is provided and presented by our sponsor.

(Photo: Courtesy of LG&E and KU)

With the spring season almost here, a pair of peregrine falcons is awaiting their eggs to hatch inside a nest box at the Mill Creek Generating Station, in southwestern Jefferson County.
Except in this case, the couple isn’t alone waiting for their new brood to arrive. Diana – the famous peregrine falcon – and her mates have attracted more than 200,000 viewers  – some from as distant as Norway ─ since a local utility and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources launched the state’s first live peregrine falcon web cam discretely inside the box in 2013.
Watch the action
With wide eyes and regal demeanor, Diana has been returning to the nest box since 2006 as part of her migratory pattern.
Viewers can see this year’s purplish, flecked eggs from the live web cam streaming online and observe appearances by Diana and her peregrine falcon partner. The male is un-banded and smaller than Diana, which is typical for the species, according to KDFWR.
“Right now you can really see the eggs well because the pair won’t start fully incubating until the female has laid the last or second-to-last egg,” said Loren Taylor, avian biologist for KDFWR. “This helps to ensure all the chicks hatch within a couple of days.”
A peregrine falcon’s incubation period typically lasts 33 days, during which time viewers can see Diana and her partner take turns incubating the eggs.
More about how energy fuels daily life at courier-journal.com/energymatters.
About the nest box
Installed about 10 years ago, the nest box is located in a window of an abandoned concrete stack about 300 feet above ground. Crevices and alcoves found in power-plant equipment are reminiscent of the falcons’ natural nesting locations, such as palisades along rivers. The surrounding grounds provide ample food supply. The KDFWR has installed additional nest boxes at generating stations in Jefferson, Trimble, Carroll and Mercer counties plus other sites in Kentucky.
Kentucky’s peregrine falcon population dropped dramatically in the mid-1900s, but they’re staging a comeback due mainly to a ban on the pesticide DDT and a falcon release program that occurred in the 1990s. Many utilities have formal plans that protect birds and promote biodiversity while maintaining system reliability.
Check out the video milestones web page to watch moments from the nest box over the years.

Peregrine falcon eggs are recognizable by their distinctive purplish flecked coloring. (Photo: Courtesy of LG&E and KU)