The 2020 Peregrine nesting season is well underway. I am late to the party as I've been isolating in Arizona. Dee and BJ (Blue Jacket) have 3 eyasses who will be first to fledge. A week or so younger are Boone and Rose's 3 eyasses. I never thought I'd be able to say I'm watching TEN Peregrines! All seems well. But for now here are the parents with a little history of each.

This season is dedicated to Eileen Wicker

Fly free, Eileen! Eileen rehabbed Dee and was so excited when she became the first Peregrine to ever successfully nest on a Kentucky cliff. She didn't often know what happened to her released raptors which made Dee very special. Every year I sent her updates and photos that she appreciated. She will be missed but leaves a legacy that will last forever.

Wicker helped rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned birds of prey through the Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky nonprofit.

BOONE

I don't have a good photo yet from this year as he tends to perch in places we can never find. He quietly does his job providing food and then disappearing. Boone loves to incubate eggs and often has to be forced off the nest by the female. Even after hatch Boone is sometimes seen laying down when at rest. 

Boone 2020 Boone, Peregrine Falcon

Boone was hatched 8 years ago at the Ghent power plant on the Ohio River outside of Louisville. The original female Dixie was not banded and likely a cliff bird who enticed Boone to the strange idea of a cliff. He sure stuck! The first year Dixie was a sub-adult so no eggs. The 2nd year after Dixie was not seen he paired with sub-adult Dee. The 3rd year was Boone's year to become a dad and two young fledged. The 4th year saw BJ push Boone out in the middle of raising young, who all died. Last year Boone and Rose became a pair and at least one eyas hatched but perished. This year there are 3 healthy eyasses that will fledge in June.

LADY DEE Dee 2020 Dee 2020 Dee 2020 Dee was hatched, 6 years ago, on the Milton-Madison Bridge over the Ohio River during a year when the bridge was undergoing major reconstruction. Everyone was surprised when Dee's parents stuck out the noise and even moving their nest box. Dee is named after Deborah Crawford who monitors the Milton-Madison Bridge Peregrines and transported Dee to Raptor Rehab when she was injured during her initial fledge. When she was ready to be released falconers contacted Eileen at Raptor Rehab and viciously attacked her for releasing Dee without being trained by a falconer to hunt. Eileen believed in her methods and released Dee figuring she would never know if she survived. Imagine her surprise when I posted a photo of the the new female on the cliff and Eileen recognized the band colors and number as that of Dee. Dee was the last of at least six females who visited Boone on the cliffs when Dixie did not return. The first year, she was a sub-adult; there were no eggs. The second year she hatched two who fledged. The third year she and Boone hatched three but an intruder Peregrine came in and drove off Boone. The eyasses did not survive. Dee and the intruder, Blue Jacket/BJ, now have a strong bond and fledged three last year and hopefully will fledge their three this year. 

Dee has an intense dislike for Vultures that surpasses the other three adults put together. She almost seems to find it a game to slam into them or grab a vulture's wingtip and hang on for a crack-the-whip ride as the vulture tries to rid itself of Dee. Many a vulture is seen missing flight feathers that we think were the victim of Dee's attacks. She is a vocal bird and has a big personality that makes watching her a truly special blessing. She may have missed out on post-fledge training but with Deb and Eileen's help and probably a lot of luck she not only survived but has excelled.

BLUE JACKET AKA BJ

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The third photo shows BJ cleaning stringy, bloody prey-parts from his talons. He's a great provider to his mate and eyeasses!

Blue Jacket aka BJ is the second male Peregrine. He is named after an Indian Chief Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah (c. 1743 – 1810) was a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Country. Perhaps the pre-eminent American Indian leader in the Northwest Indian War. BJ raged war on Boone and took over his territory and his mate which most likely led to the death of Boone and Dee's 3 eyeasses. It seemed like a fitting name but as time passed we have fallen in love with BJ and the take-over ended up with the creation of two pair of nesting Peregrines. After the attack on Boone and the death of the eyasses he and Dee quickly paired up and have made a solid, competent pair since. 

BJ is unbanded so is of unknown age and natal history. Our guess is he was two years old and looking for a mate and territory. 

Last year he and and Dee hatched and fledged three at a nearby cliff. Apparently they worked out a sharing of territory with Boone and Rose that I believe to be of unusual proximity.

This year we again find a strongly bonded and competent pair with three eyasses not far from fledging. Dee seems to be passing on her hate of all vultures. He's not quite as aggressive but like to grab them by their talons and play flip-the-vulture game.

ROSE

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The last of four Peregrines and newest addition to the two pair of Peregrines is Rose. Rose is unbanded and of unknown age and natal history. She was in adult plumage though last year which means she was at least 2 years old - 3 this year. She is great mom and it was heart-breaking last year to see her react to the death of the one eyas that we saw. She stood over the body for hours keeping watch.

We named this female Rose as she has a definite rosy color to her breast with lots of flecks up into the white. She is a huge female and Boone looks very small next to her. They are a quieter pair with little vocalization. They seems like a good match. 

We suspect that she and Boone were new to each other and hurried through the normally extended relationship building. When there was no fledge last year the two of them disappeared and we believer in the following year have built that strong relationship that is so important to the success of a nest. 

But this year she has three healthy eyasses and is a devoted mom; feeding gently, staying close by and always alert and on watch. These three will all hopefully fledge in June as they are younger than Dee and BJ's young.