Students attend falcon bandings at We Energies power plants

The We Energies falcon family is growing with two new additions banded Tuesday at our Pleasant Prairie Power Plant. Named Flash and Cyclone by a fourth-grade class from Meadowview Elementary School in Oak Creek, these rare birds were marked with fish and wildlife service bands by peregrine falcon manager Greg Septon. Both birds are female.

Students from Mr. Patneaude's fourth-grade class with Flash and Cyclone.

Last week, a class of sixth-graders from Trinity Lutheran School in Waukesha named two falcon chicks at Valley Power Plant. Batman (the male) and Eagle (the female) were named by the students, quickly banded by Septon and returned to their nest box.

Both sets of students earned the chance to attend the bandings by winning our poster contest with creative entries. While the Trinity Lutheran School students made a three-dimensional poster full of falcon facts, the Meadowview students were inspired by the P.D. Eastman book, “The Best Nest,” to write a rhyme of their own from a peregrine’s point of view:

I love my house

I love my nest

In all of Wisconsin,

We Energies’ nest is best!

Batman and Eagle at Valley Power Plant.

We think the chicks hatched and banded at Pleasant Prairie and Valley Power Plants would agree. But they can’t stay forever; soon these birds will shed their fluffy white feathers and and fledge in preparation to leave the nest. Keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Falcon Cam to watch it happen.