Good things come in threes — and that includes peregrine falcon chick sightings.
Breezer, Hercules and Scott were born at We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) power plants this spring. Now, just a few months after leaving their nest boxes, they’ve been spotted in the wild — all in the same week.
Sightings of just one We Energies or WPS peregrine falcon are rare, let alone three.
Breezer, born at Milwaukee’s Valley Power Plant, was found tangled in some netting near Hustisford on Sept. 16. John Christian, a retired Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources game warden set her free.
Hercules, born at the Weston Power Plant in Rothschild, was photographed by Bonnie Lunde at Harrington Beach State Park in Ozaukee County on Sept. 22.
Scott, born at the Oak Creek Power Plant, was spotted by Ellen J. Sullivan at a nature preserve in Skokie, Illinois, on Sept. 20.
The falcons were identified thanks to the bands on their legs. The combination of colors, letters and numbers on the bands helps identify all falcons born at We Energies and WPS power plants.
About this year’s chicks
All 12 of the falcon chicks born at We Energies and WPS power plants this spring were given names in honor of the company’s “founding feathers,” legendary peregrine falcons from years past.
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 Wisconsin.