It's not the most likely setting for a feel-good story, but roughly 20 percent of Wisconsin's peregrine falcon population stems from an unlikely home: a We Energies power plant chimney. For years, the energy company's chimneys have hosted nesting boxes for the once-endangered species, which the company estimates will have produced more than 200 peregrines by the end of this year. Currently the falcons are tending to eggs at six sites, and now the company is inviting the public to check in on their progress via live video streams from the Oak Creek, Pleasant Prairie, Wauwatosa and Port Washington power plants.
The eggs are expected to begin hatching this month, possibly as soon as Friday. As is the case with all things in the adorable baby animals department, the public will be well updated, offering info on the chicks via its Twitter feed, @we_energies, and its website, we-energies.com/falcons, where you can follow the live feeds. The company promises the cams will be live until the chicks grow up and fly away.
