What are we looking forward to this week? Mr. North and DNF are busy testing and improving their new digs as they pile on husks, stalks, and grass. Shag carpets are back, baby!
We recorded our first copulation of the season on December 7th, although we don’t really expect things to ramp up until the last week of January. But it’s a great time to watch DNF and Mr. North flirt – albeit in a very eagle way! – as things ramp up. Look for beaking, body brushing, gentle nibbling, footing, and side-by-side perching.
Ma and Pa are also busy with nest preparation at Xcel Energy’s Fort St. Vrain nest in Platteville, CO. This nest, which John, Bill H, and Tina L. repaired back in 2020, was were John piloted our first ‘bionic’ – i.e. human-made – replacement for a limb that cracked. I enjoy comparing this nest to Decorah North and Trempealeau, since it’s a completely different biome: drier, hotter, less agricultural, and filled with intruders and prey that we don’t see in Iowa or Wisconsin.
January 5, 2025: Ma FSV brings in a fish! We also see a lot of prairie dog from the nearby colony.
Peregrines won’t begin courtship until around mid-February, but we’re seeing them at several of our urban/industrial nests. Look for sunbathing/loafing, perching, and the occasional pigeon dinner. I’m especially excited to see juvenile peregrines at the US Bank La Crosse nest box. Please email me if you manage to get a band number!
January 6, 2025: A juvenile Peregrine Falcon eats a pigeon in the US Bank Building nestbox in La Crosse
The Raptor Resource Project