Hi Astrid,
The light show with that disturbance and the disturbance of setting up the light show might cause the nesting birds to desert the nest. Tolerance for anthropogenic disturbance varies among individuls even within the same species. Some individuls get acclimated, some don't. It is not possible to be certain about the light show and its affect on nesting birds.
Both the Raven and the Peregrine have recently returned as nesting birds to Tompkins County. The first nesting Raven in nearly a century was in the FLLT Preserve at Lick Brook about 15 years ago. They did not nest there again, perhaps as hiking that portion of the trail became quite popular. Yet, there has been a Raven nest in Cayuga Heights recently. The Peregrine at Tgnk are part of a national recovery and are the first nest in the county in decades. Either pairs of birds could leave due to disturbance, but it is not possible to be certain. Leaving their current nest after having laid the eggs and started incubation would likely lead to reproductive failure for the year. The timing of courtship, physiological changes to produce eggs, site selection, incubation, and eventually fledgling have been selected for optimum success rate. Starting over changes the timing by well over a month and would likely be unsuccessful. I think it is unlikely that they would even try to start another nest, even if they could find a suitable nest site.
I think the dedication of the state parks to protecting natural ecosystems, which certainly includes uncommon nesting birds, favors leaving the site alone.
John Confer
Monday, April 15, 2024 at 10:27:33 AM EDT, Astrid Jirka <astrid...> wrote:
Hi everyone,
I appreciate the care and attention being given to the peregrines and the ravens in light of the lightshow being planned this weekend, as I've seen expressed through the Cayuga Bird Listserve.
I also appreciate NYS Parks for all they do to promote recreation and conservation of our natural resources.And I appreciate the Chamber and Visit Ithaca for all they do to promote tourism in our area which is so crucial to our local economy.
It is understandable to me that there is an interest in a celebration and that Tgnk Falls should be (literally) highlighted due to its beauty and its attraction to locals and visitors alike.
Could one of the birders please explain exactly what they think the repercussions would be to the bird nests that are of concern? Are the females likely to abandon their nests, eggs or chicks, and never return?
It is nice to see a community caring so much for our natural resources in so many ways. Let's do our best to make it work for the birds and the humans and all involved!
Take care,
Astrid Jirka
Director of Tourism InitiativesDiscover Cayuga Lake
Sounds like there is a lot of momentum behind this and it might be easier to deflect than to stop unless the weather is like today. Celebrating the 100th probably is a huge deal for the agency, which certainly have manages a lot of great habitat for birds. And they people behind this particular event have put time, money, and effort into planning and executing it and probably will be reluctant to abandon it.
Is there a way this could be done and disturbance minimized? What if they lit up the falls from right below so the gorge itself wasn't illuminated, and instead of hiking up the gorge they centered the celebration on the overlook rather than hiking the gorge hike? Maybe there's a local bird-loving food truck or caterer who would be willing to offer food at a discount to the parks for the three nights up at the visitor center by the overlook?
Is there someone on the list with contacts at the Regional State Park office or at the Chamber who could sound them out on whether they are open to alternatives? Does the bird club have any programming it runs in partnership with any of the local state parks? We could try to shut this down but there's a good chance that would fail and, whether or not it did, trying to shut it down entirely will piss off a lot people which might not be good for birds (or even birders) in the long run. Note the Chamber of Commerce seems to be running the hikes so anyone on the list who is a member might want to gently explain the issue to Jennifer Tavares, who seems like a decent person. Not sure if Fred Bonn is still the Regional Director of State Parks but he has been flexible in the past when approached given actual evidence and alternatives - but whoever approaches him should be prepared with published evidence or personal reports by someone (maybe Tim G) who is an acknowledged expert on peregrines and can show that the light show is going to disturb the peregrines. Keep in mind that these folks know peregrines nest on urban bridges and buildings that are lit at night so they will need to know why this is different.
On 4/14/2024 12:06 PM, Geo Kloppel wrote:
Below is the press release for the evening light shows at the great falls in Taughannock Falls State Park later this week, which have potential to disturb the Peregrine Falcons and Ravens that are currently on nests there).
Note that the event is jointly hosted by NYS Parks, Visit Ithaca, and also the Tompkins Chamber, which is handling online registration for after-dark hikes up the gorge trail to the lighted falls.
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| Go for a hike and view the lights to celebrate 100 years of NYS Parks at Taughannock Falls mytwintiers.com |
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On Apr 14, 2024, at 10:16 AM, Tim Gallagher <twg3...> wrote:
I heard some disturbing news last night. Apparently Taughannock Falls will be brightly illuminated from 8:30 to 10:00 this coming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night (April 18, 19, and 20). I guess it’s some kind of PR stunt to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the New York State Park Service, but it couldn’t possibly come at a worse time, with the eggs just about to hatch in the Peregrine Falcon eyrie and a pair of Ravens nesting right beside the falls—not mention all the other wildlife in the park. There certainly should be other, less potentially harmful, ways to celebrate the Park Service. You can contact the Taughannock Park office at (607) 387-7041. (Photo by Arthur A. Allen)
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