In 2016, UC Berkeley’s Campanile, a bell tower close to the guts of the campus, grew to become the nesting place for a pair of Peregrine Falcons. The falcons, named Annie and Grinnell, shortly garnered consideration each from UC Berkeley college students and campus locals, in addition to birdwatchers and followers from farther afield who loved watching the raptors nest and rear their younger through the “Cal Falcons” nest cam. For 5 years, Grinnell and Annie produced a number of nests filled with hatchlings, with one hatchling even happening to nest on close by Alcatraz Island.
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Then got here the 2022 nesting season. In March of 2022, Annie mysteriously disappeared, resulting in the eventual conclusion that she had both died or been pushed from her territory. This is able to show to be unfaithful. Annie returned. Disappearing and returning throughout the breeding season is uncommon, however Annie’s return introduced sighs of reduction to falcon followers in all places. That’s till the finish of the month when Grinnell was discovered deceased, doubtless on account of a collision with a automobile, in downtown Berkeley. At the moment, it was thought that the saga of Annie and Grinnell would finish solely.
The Campanile falcons are nothing if not subversive. As observers speculated that Annie’s eggs would die with out Grinnell, a male falcon instantly got here to the rescue. He was initially dubbed, “New Man,” however a ballot formally named him “Alden.” Alden grew to become Annie’s new mate and the pair sorted the 2022 clutch of eggs collectively.
That brings us to this nesting season. Berkeley’s favourite avian cleaning soap opera continues in dramatic trend with Alden nowhere to be discovered and Annie incubating a clutch of eggs with a new new man. Annie and her new mate, named Lou, have produced a clutch of 4 eggs which are on account of hatch any day now.
As followers watch the pair alternate between looking and incubating the eggs, Cal Falcons and their viewers put together from “Hatch Day” which is predicted to be the eleventh of April. This huge clutch of eggs is a welcome change in tempo from the seemingly fixed dramatic plot twists which have characterised the story of the Campanile Falcons.
The continuing saga of the UC Berkeley Peregrine Falcons could also be marred by tragedies, just like the lack of Grinnell or the demise of considered one of Grinnell and Annie’s first chicks, however the story itself displays an awe-inspiring story of success and perseverance. As a result of DDT disaster, Peregrine Falcons have been as soon as so endangered in the US that they have been on observe for extinction. In the course of the peak of this disaster, solely two pairs of Peregrines have been reported inside the whole state of California.
The banning of DDT in addition to targeted conservation efforts have allowed Peregrine Falcons to make such an unimaginable restoration that by 1999, they have been faraway from the endangered species listing solely. Annie, the late Grinnell, Alden, Lou, and this clutch of 4 eggs, are all a testiment to the ability and significance of avian conservation. Fiat Lux!
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