Four eggs being incubated by a pair of peregrine falcons began hatching Sunday, May 13– Mother’s Day - in a nesting box on the 21st floor of PPL’s headquarters building at Ninth and Hamilton streets in downtown Allentown.
It’s the first time in a decade that peregrines have nested at the PPL landmark.
“We noticed the first egg hatched Sunday afternoon. It’s a wonderful thing to witness this once endangered species continue to thrive,” said Jeff Luzenski, a senior environmental professional with PPL Electric Utilities.
A camera installed to monitor the nest box is providing a live feed online.
In about three weeks, the Game Commission will band the young birds to track and study them.
Check out the PPL blog post for key facts about peregrines.
PPL has had a long-standing involvement with efforts to restore the peregrine falcon population in Pennsylvania.
In 1995, the company began its support of the Lehigh Valley Peregrine Project, a community effort led by Luzenski to release young peregrine falcons from the top of the 322-foot building in the hopes that the falcons would come back to the area. In the wild, falcons nest on high cliffs. In urban settings, tall buildings make a suitable alternative.
The company also has a long history of supporting ospreys and bald eagles that continues today.
Over the past two years, PPL has assisted in putting up about an additional half dozen osprey nesting platforms at various locations in its service territory. It partners with the Game Commission, and others, on those projects. Unlike peregrine falcons, ospreys feed almost exclusively on fish and nest near water.
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