2006 - Midwest Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project

126. SP-Tower Building, South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana. Carole Riewe and John
Castrale reported that female Guinevere 79/E, banded here in 2003 as an adult, paired with sevenyear-old
male Zephyr b/r *9/*A, here since 2003. Four eggs were laid between March 20th and
March 27th. Three chicks, two males and one female, were banded on May 22nd. M/67 was
retrieved post-fledging with a fractured wing tip on June 12th; rehabilitated and released on July
23rd; prone to injury or perhaps just bad luck, he was found injured in NW Ohio (Williams Co.) on
August 6th, he entered training by a falconer and was released around November 1st. On July 27,
2006, another young, E/71, was recovered in South Bend with a fractured ulna and sent to a
rehabilitation facility according to John Castrale.
127. SP-U.S. Steel (sinter plant), Gary, Lake County, Indiana. Seven-year-old female
Crystal X/*K, here for the sixth year, paired with three-year-old Brook b/g 47/H, fledged in 2003 at
Monroe, Michigan and here for his second year after replacing his grandfather, Vulcan in what may
have been a hostile takeover in 2005. Mark Happer observed the pair (female bands read) on 3/17 at
one of the empty nest boxes. Four eggs were in the box on 4/10 and 5/3. Ted Weitzel noted at least
2 chicks on 5/8. Four eggs hatched. Only 3 chicks were in the box on 5/23. They were banded 5/30,
two males and one female, all of whom fledged.
128. SP-NIPSCO Bailly Plant / Mittal Bethlehem Steel / Cargill, Porter, Porter County,
Indiana. This is the eleventh year for this site. After switching among five sites at three locations in
the past ten years, this pair moved back to a smokestack at the Bailly Plant after nesting at Mittall’s
Bethlehem Steel plant the previous two years. Eleven-year-old Barb b/r E/*L, her ninth year, paired
with thirteen-year-old Bailly, b/r 4/9, his eleventh year here. On 4/24, Jeff Neumeier approached the
nest box at the Bailly plant and was greeted by an aggressive pair. Four eggs were observed in that
box on 4/26. Three eggs and one recently hatched egg were found on 5/22. The female chick was
banded and one was egg retrieved on 6/12.
129. SP-BP Amoco, Whiting, Lake County, Indiana. This is the third year for this site.
John Castrale and Steve Hopman report that four-year-old female Nancy b/g 5/*4 wild-produced in
Waukegon, IL in 2002, paired with male g/b B/18, the closest they’ve come yet to identifying the
male. Steve Hopman reported both birds in nest box on 3/23 with no eggs and four eggs by 4/4. The
female was observed in the box with 4 eggs on 4/17. Three chicks and 1 egg were noted on May
4th. Two chicks were banded on 5/30 and the adult male's band briefly noted. The female was
captured. One chick (E/81) was found dead on July 3rd with burnt feet.
130. SP-Southside Landfill / IPL Stout (Harding St.) Plant, Indianapolis, Marion County,
Indiana. This is the fifth year for this site. An unbanded one-year-old female paired with ten-yearold
Orion b/r L/*8 here for at least his fourth year. On March 8th, an adult was perched near the nest
site at the Southside Landfill where nesting took place last year. On the same day, no signs of
peregrines were observed at the Stout Plant where a new nest box was placed last fall. On March
19th, Richard Kinnett saw the pair at the box at the Stout Plant and no birds at the Southside landfill.
Both adults (b/r L/ band was observed) were present on March 22nd at the Stout plant and the empty
nest box had evidence of a scrape. On March 30th and April 5th, no birds were observed at the Stout
plant, but the female spent most of her time at the nesting tube at the Southside landfill with the male
(unbanded) perched nearby. Access to the Southside Landfill was denied after April 5th, when the
building was being demolished. On April 20 and April 21, a pair was seen at the Stout Plant nest
box. The nest box at Stout Plant was checked on May 12 and contained four eggs, likely a renesting
attempt after disruption at the Southside Landfill. Three chicks (one runt) were observed on June 5.
Two chicks were banded on June 19th, 1 male and 1 female; one unhatched egg was collected.
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