Bartell (left) and Unbanded female (right) spotted on Thursday, February 15, 2018.

They’re back!! We’ll actually, they’ve been back, Bartell (Band (b/blu) 41/A, confirmed by Peregrine Falcon Expert, Greg Septon) is the same male from 2017, who evicted the long-standing resident male, Patriot ((b/g) E/36), last year. Bartell’s mate last year was Valcor (Band (b/g) N/22), who had made the Manitowoc nest site her home for the last two years (2016 and 2017). But this year it appeared there might be a new girl in town who could rule the roost. The week of February 12, Bartell was seen with an unbanded, adult female.

Unbanded, mature female spotted on Thursday, February 15 at 10:52 AM.
Bartell hanging out on ledge enjoying a cold February morning. Male Peregrine Falcons are typically smaller than the female falcons.

On Monday, February 19, the plotline thickened when Valcor returned to Manitowoc. Peregrine Falcon expert and conservationist from the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Program, Greg Septon, positively ID’ed Valcor that morning.  Valcor will not likely give up her nest site without a fight. The new unbanded female may try to overthrow Valcor, but she may also decide to move on to another location without fighting. Should Valcor hold strong, this will be her third year at the Briess Manitowoc nest site and second year with Bartell.

Greg Septon positively ID’d “Valcor” (b/g) N/22 on February 19.
Cover image of the 2017 Wisconsin Falconwatch is of “PBR” (b/r) 07/B, is a male peregrine produced at Milwaukee’s Miller Brewery nest site in 2009. He was photographed at WE Energies Pleasant Prairie Power Plant in Pleasant Prairie, WI on February 14, 2017. “PBR” has nested at this site since 2017. ©G.A. Septon 2017

Curious about the Peregrine Falcon Recovery Efforts for Wisconsin? Check out the annual edition of the Wisconsin Falconwatch – 2017 Nesting Season Overview by Greg Septon, which details the Peregrine Falcon nesting activities in Wisconsin for 2017.

Excerpt from the Wisconsin Falconwatch – 2017 Nesting Season Overview:

“This year there was a record known total of 117 young produced at 36 successful nest sites. Fourteen nests were located along the Lake Michigan shoreline, 6 along the Fox River, 3 along the Wisconsin River system, 2 pm the shores of Lake Superior, 8 (6 on cliffs) along the Mississippi River (source RRP), 1 on the Door Peninsula, and 2 inland at Madison and Jefferson. And in June this year, I [Greg Septon] banded my 1,000th wild-produced Wisconsin Peregrine…”

LIVE Webcam

Stay tuned for the latest updates on “All My Eyasses” and don’t forget to Check out the LIVE Briess Peregrine Falcon webcam: Click Here.

Photography by Greg Septon.
2017 photo of Valcor taken on the day of banding the 2017 eyasses.