Our 2008 peregrine family timeline:
July 6, 2008: The juvenile falcons have fledged the nest box, but are still returning in the evening to rest for the night.
July 2, 2008: The second male eyase has ventured outside the box onto the plant’s roof but returns frequently for food. He is perched to the right of the box as shown in the picture below. The female eyase has not ventured out of the nest box.
June 29, 2008: One of the young fell out of the box at about 7:55 p.m. The bird is safe and unharmed. It landed on top of a silo underneath the nest box. The adult falcons are attending to and feeding the displaced eyase. Employees at Elk River Station are monitoring the situation.
This photo shows the young falcon safe and sound in its new location.
June 12, 2008: Eyasses were banded by the Raptor Resource Project. There are 2 males and 1 female. Students from Vandenberg Middle School, Elk River, Minn. named the eyasses "Chase", "Bullet" and "Lightning."
May 2008: On May 26, three of the four eggs hatched.
March 2008: Nesting pair of peregrine falcons returned to nest box. By April 24, four eggs were being incubated.
In the spring of 2007, Great River Energy hosted two adult falcons and three eyases (baby falcons) in its peregrine falcon nesting box. The eyases hatched on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19. The Raptor Resource Project was onsite to band the young falcons in early June.
Great River Energy’s Elk River Station is a perfect site for a nesting box because it is located in a peregrine falcon migratory flyway. The site, beside the Mississippi River, is also a draw because the birds prefer to nest in high locations near water. In recent history, power plants have had the best peregrine production rates in the Midwest.
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