Reaching new heights: We Energies peregrine falcon chicks take their first flights

And they’re off! Five of the peregrine falcon chicks that hatched this year at We Energies power plants have left the nest.

Scott, Atlanta, Eclipse, Leopold and Breezer have all taken their first flights. They’ll spend the next few weeks learning how to hunt prey and mastering their flying skills. After that, they’ll head off in separate directions to start their own lives.

All twelve of the falcon chicks born at We Energies power plants this spring were given names in honor of the company’s “founding feathers” — legendary peregrine falcons from years past.

While the parent falcons in Oak Creek and at the Valley Power Plant in Milwaukee are officially empty nesters, there’s still plenty of action on the We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) live nest box cameras. The chicks born at the Weston Power Plant and Port Washington Generating Station are younger and will likely stick around for a few more days or weeks.

This year’s class of chicks brings the total number of peregrines hatched, named and banded at We Energies and WPS power plants to 465 since recovery efforts began in 1992 — that’s almost 20% of all peregrine falcons born in the state of Wisconsin.