High atop UB's South Campus, there lies a love story.
For the last four years, a female peregrine falcon - an endangered species of bird - has laid her eggs atop the Mackay Heating Tower. BB, the mother, and Yankee, her new male suitor, have excited local birdwatchers and many within the UB community. As of this month, BB has laid four eggs in her nest.
After peregrine falcons had already constructed their own nests on top of the tower, the birds received local assistance toward a permanent habitat in 2009. Officials of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), along with the Buffalo Audubon Society, teamed up with staff members of UB Facilities to install a permanent nesting box for the falcons.
Yankee is BB's new partner after Smokey, BB's former mate, was driven off in 2010.
So far, BB has birthed 15 eggs since she found her new home. This is good news for environmental conservationists around New York. Pesticides drew down peregrine numbers in the 1960s and rendered them virtually extinct near the Atlantic coast, according to the DEC of New York State website.
Loren H. Smith, the executive director of the Buffalo Audubon Society, believes the installation of the nesting box has already provided a better relationship between local birds and their human counterparts. While the DEC is primarily responsible for monitoring the falcons, many birdwatchers across Western New York have already come to visit BB and Yankee.
"Monitoring of the current population and awareness of the species will allow us to better understand the needs of these birds," Smith said.
The peregrine falcon possesses some unique characteristics. In addition to its stunning plumage, the peregrine can reach up to 2 feet in length, 4 feet in their wingspan, and can top speeds of up to 200 mph, making it an excellent hunter.
Stories of rare birds adopting exceptional nesting grounds are not new to New York State.
In 1990, a Red-Tailed Hawk - dubbed "Pale Male" by native New Yorkers - took residence on top of a Fifth Avenue apartment building that overlooks Central Park. Since then, Pale has garnered much attention, becoming a bit of an avian celebrity amidst New York City's unforgiving concrete environment. The story of the hawk inspired The Legend of Pale Male, a documentary produced in 2009.
While BB and Yankee have yet to motivate feature documentary accounts, they are nevertheless the stars of their own show. In 2010, a web cam was installed by UB Facilities to monitor the falcons. Since its inception, the 24-hour live feed of BB, Yankee, and their eggs has been one of the most frequently visited web pages associated with UB.
The "falcon-cam" anticipates the arrival of the chicks that viewers can watch as they become fledgling young birds.
Though BB and Yankee may be an exception to many rules, the two are part of the bigger story of bird diversity across Western New York. The Niagara River is nationally recognized as a "Globally Important Bird Area," as determined by the National Audubon Society. Ontario and Western New York fit in a region known as the Eastern Flyway where many birds continue their own migratory patterns from Canada and the Midwest towards the Atlantic coast.
The Mackay Heating Tower, just off of Winspear Avenue and the Rotary Road entrance to South Campus, is a UB landmark. Stationary engineers use the tower as a building management system control point, and it was renovated in 2004 at the cost of $11 million dollars.
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Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
