A Final 2007 Peregrine Season Report
Here is Mary’s final report! Sorry it’s a bit late posting, but I’ve been a busy girl! This year, I’ve decided to help the Chicago Bird and Collision Monitors and Flint Creek Wildlife Rehab by transporting the DOA birds from Flint Creek to the Field Museum. As well, I’ve been out there with my camera, trying to get pictures of some of the migrants to add to my Chicago Bird Field Guide project. I’ve had a very successful Palm Warbler and Ovenbird year, but haven’t gotten many other good pictures. Oh, well, it’s a work in progress!
As well, I continue my work here in the Insect Division with Carl Dick and his bat flies. I am having a great time and the people in this division are friendly and very funny.
Anyway! Without further ado, the 2007 final report (information courtesy of Mary Hennen with some edits and photos thrown in by me). I already can’t wait for next season!
Successful Nesting Sites
North Broadway
Adult Female: Auntie Em (b/g 5/*P, 1999, Milwaukee, WI)
Adult Male: Tracy (b/g *P/M, 1997, 5821 Broadway, Chicago, IL)
Five eggs were laid by 4/8/07. Four chicks hatched and were banded on 6/4/07. There were three males and one female, though one of the males died shortly after banding. The remaining chicks were named Lexi (F, b/g S/04), Luthor (M, b/g B/53) and Clark (M, b/g B/54). I imagine no one needs to be told that the inspiration for the names came from Superman. All three fledged without problems by 6/21/07. This is the fourth (possibly fifth) year that Auntie Em has been present. Tracy nested in Evanston in 1999 and was confirmed at Broadway in 2004.
Evanston Library
Adult Female: Unnamed (b/g 64/D, 2004, Cedar Rapids, IA).
Adult Male: Squawker (b/g 48/M, 2003, Pleasant Prairie, WI).
Four eggs were laid by 4/10/07. All four hatched and the chicks were banded on 6/8/07. There were three males, which the library staff named Baker (for John Alec Baker an obscure British librarian who wrote a memorable book of nature writing titled Peregrine, b/g B/57), Horus (for an Egyptian deity usually represented as a falcon or a falcon headed man, b/g B/58) and Boccaccio (for Giovanni Boccaccio the author of The Decameron, which contains a memorable story about a falcon, b/g B/59). The library staff named the lone female Zipporah (for the wife of Moses. Her name in Hebrew means “little bird”, b/g S/13). Baker grounded on 6/19/07 and was immediately returned to the library ledge near the nest. On 6/22/07, Boccaccio was put back and on 6/25/07 it was Zipporah’s turn to be put back on the library. This is the second confirmed season for the adult female at the Evanston Library
Metropolitan Correctional Center
Adult Female: Hercules (b/r *D/W, 1997, Minneapolis, MN)
Adult Male: “Max” (real name probably Emily, as this bird was a male banded as a female, likely because he was as large a chick as he is an adult, b/g 5/*E, 2000, Milwaukee, WI)
The eyrie was again not visible this year and on the west face of the building rather than the usual northeast face. Two immature birds were visible on outer ledge during week of June 6th. The smaller of the two chicks fledged successfully on 6/18/07. On 6/21/07, the larger of the two chicks, a female, grounded, was banded, named B’Zilla (b/g S/14) and released. B’Zilla was retrieved later that same day by Animal Control. She was taken to SOAR and later released on 8/14/07 in Lockport, IL. The other immature was witnessed flying with the adults on several occasions after fledging. This is the second confirmed year for both adults, though the nest has been active since 1998 and it is likely one or both have nested there before 2006.
Pilsen Park
Adult Female: Bryanne (b/g 9/*Y, 2000, Froedtert Malt, Milwaukee, WI)
Adult Male: Unnamed (b/g L/N, 5821 Broadway, Chicago, IL)
Four eggs were laid, two of which hatched. One male and one female were banded on 5/22/07 and the infertile egg was retrieved. Richard (M, b/g B/41) took his first flight on June 8th. Both young fledged successfully. On 7/3/07, S/02 was retrieved from the ground at a nearby Power Plant. She was taken to the Lincoln Park Zoo and then transferred to Flint Creek Wildlife Rehab for overnight observation. S/02 died during the night. This is the fifth confirmed year for the adult male at Pilsen.
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Adult Female: Rosie (b/r *6/D, 1997, Milwaukee, WI)
Adult Male: Unbanded
Four eggs were laid by 4/7/07. Three chicks hatched. Two males and one female were banded on 6/7/07. An infertile egg was retrieved at this time. Fledging occurred in late June. On 7/2/07, B/56 was retrieved from a nearby roof. The bird was taken to Lincoln Park Zoo and later transferred to Flint Creek. At the time of retrieval, the bird was paralyzed due to unknown causes. It later died on 7/11/07. The surviving chicks were named Kay (F, b/g S/12) and Henry (M, b/g B/55). This is the adult females ninth year at UIC. Her mate was also an unbanded male in 2006, likely the same male as this year.
Uptown Theatre
Adult Female: Zoom (b/r *4/H, 1997, St. Paul, MN)
Adult Male: Unnamed (b/g G/G, 2001, Wheatfield, IN)
Four eggs were laid. Three chicks hatched on 5/4/07. Three male chicks were banded on 5/24/07 and the infertile egg was collected. The boys were named George (after American composer Gershwin, b/g B/42), Cole (after American composer Porter, b/g B/43) and Irving (after American composer Berlin, b/g B/44), All three young fledged without problems, though after a month on the wing, Irving was picked up with a broken wing and is currently in rehab with SOAR. This is the Zoom’s fourth year and G/G’s fifth year at the Uptown Theater.
South Wacker
Adult Female: Rahn (b/g 01/A, 2001, Sheboygan, WI)
Adult Male: Etienne (b/b 7/6, 2002, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada)
Three eggs were laid and two eggs hatched. The chicks were banded on 6/6/07. Both chicks were female and were named Eponine (inspired by a character from Les Miserable, like her father Etienne, b/g S/07) and Tootie (b/g S/05). Both fledged on 6/19/07. Eponine fledged first, grounded and was taken to the Lincoln Park Zoo for observation. After receiving fluids, eating and resting over night, she was returned to the nest ledge the following morning. Tootie fledged second and grounded. She was picked up and returned to the nest. On 7/13/07, Tootie was retrieved by Animal Control on State Street. She was taken to SOAR and later released in Lockport, IL on 8/14/07. This is the second confirmed year for both adults at the Wacker site.
Waukegan
Adult Female: Fran (b/g 5/*X, 1999, Milwaukee, WI)
Adult Male: Unidentified (b/g)
Four eggs were laid 4/2/07. Three chicks hatched. Two males and one female were banded 6/1/07. The female was named Susie (b/g S/03) and the males Ian (b/g B/45) and David (b/g B/51). All the young fledged without issue. This is probably the adult female’s fifth year at Waukegan.
Other Sites and Sightings
Bloomington, IL
This seemed to be a wintering site in 2006/2007. A single bird over-wintered and was last sighted during week of March 5th. A nest box is present.
Fermilab, Batavia IL
Adult Female: Neomi Jo (b/r P/*L, 2006, Trimble Co. KY)
Adult Male: Joe (b/g D/11, 5821 Broadway, Chicago, IL)
This is a new site for 2007. A pair of peregrines utilized the ledges on the main building at Fermilab. No nesting was confirmed but both adults were identified.
South Loop: The Field Museum
Adult Female: Unidentified (b/g 73/??)
Adult Male: Unbanded
What are the odds this would be a new site for 2007?!? And no, Mary and I didn’t ship them in and put them up there! A pair of peregrines was seen this year using the ledges on the Field Museum (quite their own idea, I will assure you again). The ledges, thought to be the nest ledge, were inaccessible and without an avenue for viewing. Copulation was observed in late March and again in May. The peregrines were absent from the site throughout the majority of April and returned near the end of the month. No immatures were seen and nesting was not confirmed.
Highland Park, IL
A juvenile peregrine was sighted in June. Over the past few years, peregrines have been sighted periodically in the area.
Hyde Park
Adult Female: Magnolia (black 22R, 1991, LaCrosse, WI)
Adult Male: Unnamed (b/g S/T, 2000, Unitarian Church, Hyde Park, Chicago, IL)
In February 2007, S/T, who nested with his mother, Magnolia, in Hyde park in 2005 was seen in the Hyde Park area. A very clear and beautiful picture was taken of S/T as he ate atop one of the administration buildings on the University of Chicago campus. By May, it was thought that two peregrines were active on the campus, though only one bird was seen at any one time. On 5/29/07, adult female Magnolia was positively identified. Magnolia was defensive of a gutter, but nesting could not be confirmed. The gutter was checked at that time and no eggs/chicks were present. Magnolia has been in Hyde Park for a whopping 14 years!
Lake Calumet / Skyway
One unbanded immature was picked up by Animal Control on 6/19/07, but it died during the night. The bird was found in a neighborhood that we believe an adult pair frequents, though the eyrie has never been located.
Lakeview
This ledge was used by two adult peregrines in April and May of 2007. The eyrie cannot be accessed and can only be viewed from the street. It is not known whether the adults produced young.
Lawndale
2006 Adult Female: Nitz (b/g 2/*Y, 2001, Milwaukee, WI)
2006 Adult Male: Dave (b/g 14/K, 2001, Chicago, IL)
Adults were present in 2007, but there was no positive identification. No nesting behavior was observed. In June, the adults were seen at the site, but no immature birds were present.
Loyola Campus, Chicago, IL
A juvenile peregrine was sighted on a Jesuit residence on 5/9/07. It was also seen on Mundelein, over-looking Sheridan Road. (Note: Juvenile sightings can be misleading as peregrines do not molt into adult plumage until they are one year old. Unusually this is finished in our area by May/June though each individual is unique. Also, before peregrines migrate, the young of the year will disperse but stay in the region.)
McCook, IL
This is a new site for 2007. A pair of adult peregrines (one confirmed banded though no id) were observed in June 2007 near the quarry in McCook. Three immature birds were sighted in July. Periodically over the past 10 years and single bird has been observed in this area, but sporadically and not staying for any length of time.
Peoria, IL
No current activity. A mature male and immature female were seen during winter of 2005/2006. A nest box was installed during this time period as well.
The River Birds
There were peregrines reported in the neighborhood of Michigan and Wacker. Two adults were sighted in March. A peregrine were observed in that neighborhood flying along the Chicago River and frequenting the Prudential building through out the season though no nesting was confirmed. In July, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune, doing a story on the window washers of the John Hancock tower, got video footage of an adult peregrine defending a ledge area of the adjacent Water Tower Place building. After conversing with the reporter and viewing the footage, it was determined that no young were present. The building will be checked regularly next season.
St. Michael’s Old Town & Belmont Sites
Adult Female (deceased): Kelliwatt (b/g, 60/D, 2004, Aberdeen, OH)
Adult Female (replacement): Ballistic (b/g 69/C, 2005, Bohn Building, Cleveland, OH)
Adult Male: Hops (b/g 58/M, 2003, Milwaukee, WI)
In the fall of 2006, a pair of peregrine began using the ledges of a building near Belmont and Lake shore Drive. The female was identified as Ballistic on 11/21/06. The male could not be fully identified, but he had b/g bands. There were no other reports regarding this pair until the end of April, 2007, when two eggs were found. They had been laid in the gutter of the building and lost during a rainstorm 4/2/07.
To backtrack a bit, in March 2007, the St. Michael’s pair, Kelliwatt and Hops were confirmed to have returned to the St. Michael’s site for the second year. On 3/23/07, Kelliwatt laid a single egg. The egg was blood covered and there was an inordinate amount of blood stained on the building ledge were Kelliwatt was perching. On 3/24/07, Kelliwatt took off and three birds were observed in flight. Later that day, the third bird was identified as a female named Ballistic. Birds were absent from the site in April. In May and June, Ballistic and Hops reappeared at St. Michaels, though they made no attempt to renest. Kelliwatt’s desicated body was retrieved from the roof of the rectory (across the street from the nesting site on the church) in July. From her condition, it is thought she died months earlier. It is thought that Kelliwatt either died from complications during egg laying or was injured prior to laying the bloody egg by Ballistic as she fought to take over the male, Hops, and the nesting site. None of this was observed, however, and therefore is supposition.
Illinois Birds Nesting or Seen In Other Locations
Kelly (b/g 26/B, 2003, 125 S. Wacker, Chicago): Kelly had 2 chicks which were banded last in June. She nested in Beaver County, on the Monaca/EastRochester bridge in PA.
Jean (b/g 19/C, 2005, Evanston Library): Jean laid four eggs on a bank building in Milwaukee. Hatching was due to occur around May 8-10th.
Raynie (b/r A/*H, 1995, 5821 Broadway, Chicago): For the 11th year (in 2007) Raynie nested at Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, Kenosha WI. She fledged 2 young this year. Originally (1996) she nested at WEBCO Oak Creek Power Plant, Milwaukee.
Beth (b/g 25/B, 2003, Waukegan, IL): Beth nested for the second time (2007) at Green Bay’s WPS Pulliam Power Plant in Wisconsin.
Nancy (b/g 5/*4, 2002, Waukegan, IL): In 2006, Nancy nested for her 3rd time at the BP Amoco refinery in Whiting, Indiana. In 2007, a nest box was installed, but no peregrines utilized it. Peregrines were sighted in the area, but no IDs were confirmed for 2007.
Laurie (b/r E/*H, 1995, Hyde Park, Chicago, IL): Laurie was last sighted on 4/10/07 at Cline Ave, East Chicago, IN. No nesting was confirmed. This was Laurie’s 10th year in Indiana.
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