MGE falcons return
For the third year in a row, the top of MGE's Blount Generating Station is home to a pair of peregrine falcons. "Frightful," the mother, laid four eggs this year and shared nesting duties with "Vern," the father. Two identifying bands on their ankles verify the identities of both birds. The eggs hatched just in time for Mother's Day, May 8. MGE has a video camera installed inside the peregrine falcon nesting box, and we regularly post video clips of the falcons during the nesting season.
The power plant manager and his son built the nest box in 1999. After 10 years of vacancy, falcons first began using the box three years ago. In 2009, they raised their first three chicks. Last year, the pair produced four peregrine falcons also born in May in the nesting box. The three male chicks were named Blount, Livingston and Wilson and the one female falcon, Blair, for streets around the plant. All began fledging last June and left the nest. This year's chicks will have numbered bands attached to their legs in about three weeks. This year's chicks had numbered bands attached to their legs on May 31st and the one female and three males were named for the Madison lakes.
The peregrine falcon is listed as endangered in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and private groups have worked together for more than 20 years to reintroduce and manage this endangered species.
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources expert explains how the falcon parents teach the young to fly.
Learn more about Wisconsin falcons with "Wisconsin Falconwatch 2010" [PDF - 2.1 MB] published by falcon expert Greg Septon.
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