I have so many stories to tell, so many experiences to share…I can never get around to them all. Here is one more for you. This is a nest that popped up this year on a power pole near a big power plant. In those early days of watching them I thought….my that female has such unusual markings…..such a dark face. And then her mate landed next to her and I thought, how odd….he has very dark markings too! Then suddenly my brain exploded and I understood….this power plant processes coal. This birds are covered in coal dust. I was horrified. If this is what their faces look like, what is happening to their lungs? This coal dust does not wash off in the rain or when they bathe. I have been deeply worried about the two chicks…..but I am relieved to report that they both fledged successfully. So I am hoping they will begin to spend time further away from the coal piles, in safer surroundings. The chicks don’t look as bad as the adults. I hope the power plant removes this nest and this pair will find a better place to nest next year….tho I won’t recognize them probably!
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