So we can finally confirm that Sundance and Marilyn nested in Selkirk this year! They nested on the smokestack at the Manitoba Hydro Generating Station. This was the first year we have had birds nesting there though we have been hoping they would choose the site for about a decade now. Because it is a new site we have been working with Hydro to keep an eye on the chicks from hatch to fledging as we have no cameras at this nest. The peregrines settled in so nicely that Hydro has given us the green light to install a nestbox on-site in the hopes they will be back again next year. Hydro was also happy to go public with the news - so much that they put together a nice video (thanks Luke!).
Video -
https://youtu.be/-AZdcaTe0To(You can also find it on their Facebook page if you prefer)
Anyway, Sundance (2013 Logan) and Marilyn (2016 Grand Forks) had two eggs that we can confirm and two young fledged. Because of their location (way way up high) we couldn't tell if they laid any eggs until a Hydro employee was doing regular maintenance and saw two eggs (and the annoyed parents). We don't know if they had more eggs but we know they fledged out two young. Like Radisson and McKenzie Seeds we had to forego attempting to band the chicks this year - the window to band safely is small and we weren't going to risk sending people up (not us for safety reasons) without being sure of the timing.
As mentioned, we are working with Hydro to install a nestbox and if Sundance and Marilyn return next spring (knock on wood) and decide they like the idea of more comfortable digs (a raven's nest is pretty open to the elements and predators) then we will definitely be able to monitor the nest and adults/chicks more closely and band the chicks. It would be nice to see how Sundance's and Marilyn's kids do as the next generation now that we have lost Joli and Cowboy (Sundance's parents) and Terminator (Marilyn's mom).
