Kip’s Comments - March 22, 2024

Peregrine Falcon at Mayo - Image 869384

Maybe Again?

Decades ago my daughter and I had an opportunity to assist with collecting, banding, sexing, and returning young peregrine falcons to their hack box. Since then I have had an interest in the not so common birds.

Today, while at the Great Healing Place to the North, we checked the peregrine falcon camera as we always do. There she was, the female “Hattie” who was nestled over a single egg. A Mayo volunteer approached us to begin discussing the peregrine falcon program. As the volunteer was talking, she invited another person into the conversation. Unknown to all of us, including the volunteer, was that person was Jackie - the lead person in the Mayo Peregrine Falcon program. Jackie is also responsible for many more nests scattered from the North Shore of Minnesota to the Mississippi River in Iowa.

As we talked I explained how I had previously assisted and asked if maybe, just maybe, I might be able to assist when this year’s hatch is collected, banded, studied, and returned to the nest. I am hopeful, but will understand if it does not happen.

In the meantime, Hattie is sitting on one egg from a couple of days ago. She was expected to drop another egg today, but that had not happened before we left. We will watch the live camera for progress. You can watch too at this link:

Mayo Peregrine Falcon Camera Feed

Today’s photo is actually a picture from the monitor in the Subway level. The picture is not too good, but does show Hattie and her first egg in the hack box.