Falcons find their way to new home

When it comes to our peregrine falcon program, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected. When you’re dealing with wild animals, anything can happen. For almost a year now, we’ve been crossing our fingers a falcon named “PBR” and his mate would find a new nest box we helped to place. There was no guarantee. But now we’re happy to report: The falcons have landed.

  

Peregrine manager Greg Septon and PBR.

PBR and his mate, a female without a tracking band, used to nest at Pleasant Prairie Power Plant. When the nest box was closed last year, Greg Septon, our peregrine manager, was already searching to identify a potential replacement site nearby.

Falcons are naturally drawn to cliffs and tall buildings along the water. After reading an article about our search, Pat Hicks, plant manager at Ardent Mills in Kenosha, knew his flour mill would be the perfect falcon habitat. Septon quickly agreed. It’s not too far from the power plant, and it’s more than 100 feet tall. Hicks and Septon installed a nest box there over the summer, crossed their fingers and started to wait.

After a long winter, their patience was rewarded. PBR and his mate have moved to the new site — exactly as we had hoped. When Septon checked on the new nest box in April, he even found four freshly laid eggs. And if all goes well, the falcons will raise another brood of young this year in their new home.

It’s thrilling for Septon, who founded the state’s peregrine recovery effort. The Pleasant Prairie nest box was one of the first nest box sites statewide, and more falcons were born there than at any other We Energies site. Now we know that legacy will continue – just a few miles away.