2009 NESTING SEASONThe falcons at the Black Dog nest are both there for their second year. The female was recently identified as Mandy Rose, band black/green 30/D, born at the Xcel Monticello nest in 2004. The male has a purple band on his right leg, and black/green on the left, but he has not yet been identified.
In their first year, they had four chicks, who all fledged successfully. Tragically, earlier this year the bodies of three of the four chicks were found at the bottom of a gas turbine stack, where the bodies of the former female, Nora, and another juvenile peregrine had been found in 2008. Attempts are being made to come up with a solution to prevent this from happening again.
The first two chicks hatched on May 22, the third on May 22-23, and the fourth on May 24.
Mandy Rose with the babies:
I think this is Dad. Mandy Rose has a more rounded malar stripe, while Dad's malar stripe is somewhat tapered, and he has really big eyes.