THE peregrine falcon has become an unlikely Orange hero, with a remarkable story connecting the bird all the way back to a World War II fighter pilot unit.
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In 2007 a pair of falcons, which are a rare sight around the central west, was seen roosting in the water tower on campus at Charles Sturt University in Orange.
A team of conservationists, which would later form the FalconCam Project, made a special nest for the birds.
In November 2008, the tower was struck by lightning, which should have destroyed the two eggs in the nest.
But three days later, by a stroke of luck, one of the eggs hatched.
The story made local television news headlines, and caught the attention of two World War II veterans.
Fred Anderson and the late Norm Williams were both original members of the 1942 RAAF 30 Beaufighter Squadron, whose emblem depicts a falcon and a lightning bolt.
Such a coincidence couldn’t go unnoticed, and the two men contacted the Falcon Cam Project, initiating a relationship that has seen the Beaufighters become the project’s main benefactor.
The National Conservation Trust of NSW is based in Orange, and is also a key supporter of the cause.
The trust held a fundraising breakfast on Thursday to launch a new high-definition camera, funded by the trust and the Beaufighters, which will provide 24-hour live-streaming and motion sensor surveillance of the four falcon nests in the region.
The project’s co-ordinator Scott Banks said the falcons have shown the same spirit and fight as the WWII fighter pilots.
“It’s a really wonderful story. This is such a great cause and we’re so grateful for the support of the Beaufighters and the trust.”
For more information visit www.falconcamproject.org
