MGE 2011 Peregrine Falcon Archives
Saturday, June 18, 2011: After a few approaches and wing tests, the last of the Blount Station falcons fledges, flying from the nesting box in the early morning. Only the first and last falcon fledges were captured on video during daylight hours, with all fledging occurring within a span of roughly 36 hours.
Thursday, June 16, 2011: After some intense testing of his wings earlier in the day, the first of the falcons fledges with a sudden take-off in the late afternoon.
Monday, June 13, 2011: The male falcons — Mendota, Monona and Waubesa — are out near the nesting box ledge, slowly preparing for when they spread their wings and begin to fledge. One tests his wings but soon decides to rest and drape his wing over another falcon.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011: One of the growing foursome of falcons, named Mendota, starts gearing up for the fledging to come. First, he furiously flaps his wings. Second, he hops on to the nesting box's carpeted platform, joining mother Frightful, who is surveying the landscape and Williamson Street in the distance.
Expanded Video
Tuesday, May 31, 2011: Power plants have played a vital role in reintroducing falcons to Wisconsin. MGE's falcon parents, Vern and Frightful, have now produced 11 chicks in three years. State peregrine falcon expert Greg Septon says power plants, like Blount Generating Station, provide ideal habitats. Nest boxes are well above ground away from predators and near shorelines that provide a food supply. The four chicks, hatched on Mother's Day weekend, were banded and named after Madison's four lakes on May 31. This expanded video explains more about the role of power plants in falcon repopulation.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011: State peregrine expert Greg Septon bands the four chicks hatched atop Blount Generating Station this spring (Cole Schultz assists at right). The foursome have been named after Madison-area lakes (from left to right): the lone female, Wingra, flanked by Waubesa, Monona and Mendota.
Thursday, May 26, 2011: Frightful feeds an ever-growing foursome. One bird decides to relocate to get Frightful's attention and a better chance at food. This, in turn, causes another to give up and go into its corner.
Monday, May 23, 2011: Frightful seems to be grooming the maturing chicks for the individual initiative they soon will need to survive on their own. During this feeding, Frightful appears to use a "first come, first serve" protocol. One chick seizes the opportunity, two others gradually step up to eat and the last seems either uninvolved or not hungry.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011: Frightful watches over the four growing baby chicks, with one displaying some spunk while the other three rest. With each passing day they are getting a little bigger and stronger.
Sunday, May 15, 2011: Frightful may not have expected such an unseasonably cool stretch of weather for her newly hatched chicks, but she is perfectly able to cover them and keep the foursome warm.
Monday, May 9, 2011: Frightful feeds the four baby chicks. One demonstrates how immature a newborn's balance is at this stage, as it falls over backwards. But with determination, the tipsy one regains its balance and continues to compete in the feeding frenzy.
Sunday, May 8, 2011: Mother's Day brought hatching to our falcon nest. The four eggs were laid about a month ago. In this video clip, Frightful feeds the three most ready of the brood, while the fourth is barely visible. The father peregrine, Vern, had delivered the food to the nest earlier.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011: Frightful bides her time while dutifully rotating her nesting pose. She carefully broods over her four eggs, helping them incubate until the eggs begin to hatch, quite likely sometime next week.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011: Frightful gets an assist with the return of Vern, the father falcon. He is back on the scene to share nesting duties with the mother falcon until the four eggs hatch, likely in early May.
Monday, April 4, 2011: Frightful laid her fourth egg of the season about 9 a.m. It appears that three of the four eggs are red; the remaining beige egg only occasionally becomes visible in this clip. Should this prove to be the last egg this season, a hatching in early May could be expected.
Friday, April 1, to Saturday, April 2, 2011: Frightful laid her third egg of the season sometime during the nighttime hours. Since it was dark, video is not available. However, the March 30 video posted here shows Frightful laying her second egg. Barely visible and lighter in color, the second egg is positioned behind the first egg laid on March 28.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011: After considerable preparation, Frightful finishes laying her second egg of 2011. Barely visible and lighter in color, the latest egg is positioned behind the egg laid on March 28.
Monday, March 28, 2011: Frightful lays her first egg of the 2011 nesting season, after inspecting and preparing the nesting area last week.
Friday, March 18, 2011: Frightful makes a preliminary visit into the lower nesting area, apparently surveying the space as an early step in preparing for the 2011 nesting season.
Thursday, March 3, 2011: After Frightful's return last week, two more peregrine falcons have returned to the nesting box to join mother Frightful. One has been identified as the father, Vern. As of this date, we have not been able to confirm the identity of the third bird.
Monday, Feb. 28, 2011: The first of the peregrine falcons has returned to its nesting box perch atop MGE's Blount Generating Station this week. The banding indicates it is Frightful, the mother.
Last year, Frightful was joined by Vern, the father. They produced four peregrine falcons born in May in the nesting box. They were named Blount, Livingston, Wilson and the one female falcon, Blair. All began fledging last June and left the nest.
Last year's offspring marked the second consecutive year falcons nested and produced young in the nesting box installed by MGE. Frightful and Vern returned in 2010 after raising three chicks in the nesting box during 2009.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and private groups have worked together for more than 20 years to reintroduce and manage this endangered species.
