Again the PPL Martins Creek Power Plant is home to new Peregrines. All four eggs hatched and the eyasses look healthy.
Most years, we look forward to seeing them return from their migration in late winter to early spring. This year, were seeing one, sometimes two Peregrines around the plant most of this past winter. The conditions must have been just right to keep them here.
The first time the eggs were discovered, everything seemed the same as in years past. We noticed something different about the female standing over the eggs. She had ID bands on her legs!
In all the years past, we became accustomed to seeing both parents without bands on their legs. At this point, we have not seen the male close up to see if there are bands on his legs.
In several weeks, specialists from the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Delaware Valley Raptor Center, will visit the young falcons. At that time they check the birds health, count how many males and females, and give them each leg bands. The leg bands have played an important part of tracking the Peregrine falcons and helping the population return from low numbers.
—Comments and photo from Jack Hahn, Martins Creek Specialist
PPL Environmental Preserves 
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