May 27 2016
By Brad Dokken
Grand Forks Peregrines Have At Least Three Chicks
Grand Forks’ peregrine family appears to be flourishing.
Local raptor expert Tim Driscoll, who keeps close watch on the birds, said female Terminator and her mate, Marv, have at least three chicks.
Driscoll spent more than an hour waiting for a glimpse of the birds Thursday afternoon. That’s easier said than done, because the peregrine box is high atop the UND water tower.
“There may be four (chicks), but I am sure about three for now,” Driscoll said.
Terminator is the matriarch of Grand Forks peregrine population and has produced chicks every year since 2008, the first summer she nested in Grand Forks. She was dubbed Terminator in 2006 after being banded as a chick in Brandon, Man.
Driscoll banded Marv in 2013 in Fargo, and the bird has mated with Terminator since 2014. Peregrines don’t migrate together, but the pair somehow finds their way back to the UND water tower every year.
Driscoll says he will band the latest batch of chicks when they’re about 20 days old, which should be sometime around June 9 or June 10. Stay tuned.