Environment DEC
From the March 2009 issue
Wildlife in the News
2008 Peregrine Falcon Report
Peregrine falcons nest on every major bridge between New York City and Albany.
The 2008 state peregrine falcon report documents the presence of 67 territorial pairs of state endangered peregrine falcons, of which slightly more than half were recorded in upstate New York. Last year, 60 of these pairs bred and hatched 130 young. The state now has the largest population of peregrines in the eastern United States.
Peregrine falcons had disappeared from the eastern United States by the early 1960s due to pesticide (DDT) residues which caused eggshell thinning. Once DDT use was banned in the U.S., an experimental restoration program began involving widespread releases of captive raised birds from the Peregrine Fund, a global non-profit organization focused on conserving birds of prey. Through this program, 169 young peregrines were released in New York State from the mid-1970s through the late 1980s.
In 1983, the first new peregrine falcon pairs nested on two bridges in New York City, and in 1985, two pairs returned to nest on Adirondack cliffs. The population has grown steadily since then. Now there are approximately 20 pairs in the New York City area and 25 in the Adirondacks, a pair on every major bridge between New York City and Albany, and a half-dozen scattered pairs throughout the rest of the state in larger cities as far west as Buffalo.
Snowy Owls (Almost) Everywhere
Across New York State, sightings of snowy owls were on the rise beginning in mid-fall and continuing through the winter. From Buffalo to Long Island, from a grassy field in Greene County to the roof of the State Capitol in Albany, New Yorkers have been spotting what appears to be an increased number of snowy owls traveling south from their breeding grounds.
The probable reason for this is that the birds had a very productive breeding season and younger owls-faced with heavy competition for food-were crowded out of their home base. The bird typically breeds in the Arctic, in the far north of Canada, Greenland and Norway. The Cornell University Ornithology Lab describes it as "a nomadic species and often unpredictable migrant." It differs from other owls in being diurnal-a daylight hunter-rather than nocturnal.
Depending on the weather, these birds are likely to remain in the region through late March or early April, feeding on rodents and small birds. Snowy owls generally are tolerant of people, but onlookers should avoid stressing the birds by approaching them too closely.
State Walleye Record Broken
Thomas Reed's 16-pound, 9-ounce walleye broke the 1994 record by two ounces. The fish is estimated to be over 20 years old.
The start of 2009 marked the first record-breaking fish caught in New York State since 2007. Fishing with tip-ups, Thomas Reed of Kill Buck, NY pulled a 16-pound, 9-ounce walleye through the ice on Mystic Lake on January 20. Located in Cattaraugus County, Mystic Lake sits along Tunungwant Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River.
"Reed's walleye surpassed the now historic 1994 state record by two ounces," said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Regional Fisheries Manager Paul McKeown. "Very few state records have been broken during ice-fishing season."
Reed's walleye was taken to DEC's office for inspection, where fisheries biologists estimated the fish to be more than 20 years old.
