Peregrine Update 2011 - CRAG-VT Forums

Climbers,

Here's the latest on Perigrines from Margaret. Note that Upper West is closed for the first time that I can remember.

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I am about to send an update on all peregrine sites, but wanted to touch base with you as climbing group representatives about several cliffs in particular. It would be great if you could get the word out to your constituencies as best you can thanks so much. I want to remind everyone that these cliff closures are not only for the peregrines safety but for climbers safety, too, as you will see below.

As of now, the official closures are:

Bolton Notch 2 cliffs Upper Upper West and Upper West I posted Upper West today in response to some reports that peregrines have been attacking climbers there. There was an incident over the weekend where a climber was hit in the head by one of the pair. I located the nest site, which is about mid-cliff and not too far from the top. For now, we have closed the entire cliff, but I plan to work with Travis from CRAG-VT to see if there are areas we can reopen once the birds settle down, we have a sense of the timing of their nesting (ie when chicks will hatch), and leaves come out. Upper Upper west is closed, but we may be able to reopen it if we determine that there is only one pair in the area.

Mt Horrid (Goshen) Great Cliff is closed

Rattlesnake Pt (Salisbury)

Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee)

Deer Leap (Bristol)

Hazens Notch (Lowell) may not be posted yet, but will be soon

Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) will be posted Tuesday this week the mid cliff area will be closed (as in 2010)

Nichols Ledge (Woodbury)

Snake Mt (Addison) area south of pond and foundation at top is closed only

We have also had a report of a pair at Wheeler Mt in Barton area and the pair at Smugglers is probably nesting but we dont know where yet. We hope to have some portion of the notch posted by mid-late May.
We are pretty certain that there is no pair nesting at the Bolton Quarry, so there is no closure there.

Feel free to ask for more details on any of these closures. Thanks for your help making sure people are aware of the peregrines.

-Margaret

Margaret Fowle
Conservation Biologist
Audubon Vermont
255 Sherman Hollow Rd
Huntington, VT 05462
(802) 434-4806 (home office)
(802) 238-0046 (cell)

Here's the latest:

Hi VT Peregriners

It has been a challenging spring weather-wise, but peregrine season is well underway, and we have visited most sites at this point. Below is a brief update on what we know to-date note that the number of sites will not reflect the actual population this year, as we are not checking every site in 2011.

The big news is that there have been sightings of a possible three new pairs this year. Volunteer John Pennucci discovered a pair at Eagle Mountain in Milton, Ellen Valley saw a pair at Wheeler Mt, and the VT Yankee smokestack appears to be hosting a pair at the moment. Future visits will confirm whether or not these pairs stay for the breeding season.

Thanks to all of you who have participated so far this year. We appreciate your interest and support, and look forward to more updates as the data come in.

Happy spring,

-Margaret

2011 Peregrine Sites as of 5/3/11 (site monitors in parentheses sorry if I missed anyone)

1. Arrowhead (Milton) pair present and incubating at the recently reclaimed common raven nest used in previous years (J Pennucci, W Leenstra, M Fowle).
2. Bald Mt (W. Haven) no known site visit yet.
3. Barnet Roadcut (Barnet) pair is present; no nesting activity seen on 4/15. Rte 5 pullout is closed (W & E Shedd).
4. Benson Ledges (Benson) no known site visit yet
5. Bethel Quarry (Bethel) pair present in northern part of quarry on 3/25 (S Lewins, K Wohlfort).
6. Bird Mt (Ira) no known site visit.
7. Bolton Notch (Bolton) Pair present on 4/22 but did not appear to be nesting. Cliff is posted. Additional sightings at a cliff less than a mile south of the upper notch cliff have confirmed the presence of a pair at the more southern cliff. This pair has been aggressively defending their nest against rock climbers and is now posted. We will be spending some time trying to determine if there is one or two pairs at these cliffs (B Heiser, M Fowle, and various rock climbers).
8. Bolton Quarry (Bolton) peregrines were heard on 1-2 occasions in March but have not been observed since. This site appears to be unoccupied (T Peckham).
9. Bone Mt (Bolton) pair present and nesting at 2008 eyrie on 4/19 (M Fowle).
10. Bristol Cliffs (Bristol) pair present and appeared to be favoring Devils Slide area on 4/6 (B Kodis & M Fowle).
11. Checkerberry Ledge (Bakersfield) pair was not seen during a brief visit on 4/18 or a longer visit on 5/1 but was observed feeding on a ring-billed gull in a nearby front yard on 3/14 (M. Fowle, L Rogers).
12. Crystal Lake (Barton) pair is present. Appeared to be nesting on 3/31 but then were both out on 4/17. Single bird seen on 5/1 (E Valley).
13. Deer Leap (Bristol) pair present on 3/21 and incubating on 5/1 (R Durand).
14. Eagle Mt (Milton) suspect pair present and incubation on 4/24. M Fowle and landowner (Lake Champlain Land Trust) visited the site on 4/28 but did not see any falcons (J Pennucci, M Fowle, C Boget).
15. Elephant Mt (Bristol) No falcons seen during first site visit on 4/30 (R Wickman).
16. Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee) pair present (both adults banded) and appeared to be incubating on 4/29 (S McCaull, K Wohlfort).
17. Haystack Mt (Pawlet) pair present on 4/30 (B Drachman).
18. Hazens Notch (Lowell) pair present on 4/12 (G Belongie).
19. Highgate Cliffs (Highgate Springs) pair present on 4/2 (R Ford).
20. Jobs Mt (Westmore) pair present and appeared to be favoring the 2008 eyrie on 4/12 (T Smith) .
21. Maidstone Cliff/Willard Mt (Maidstone) no peregrines seen during a 3-hr visit on 4/8 (K Wohlfort, P Emerson).
22. Malletts Bay (Colchester) Pair has moved to nearby Marble Island and is nesting in an old raven nest (J Pennucci).
23. Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) pair incubating at a new eyrie just north of the 2010 nest ledge. Cliff closure signs will be posted this week (R Schiff, B & E Boedecker, K Wohlfort).
24. Mt. Horrid (Goshen) single bird observed on 3/17 and 4/7. Appeared to be favoring the eastern cliff on 5/2. Great Cliff overlook is closed (B Flewelling).
25. Mt Pisgah (Westmore) pair present on 4/8 and appeared to be favoring the northern end of the cliff (K Wohlfort).
26. Nebraska Notch (Underhill) no site visit yet.
27. Nichols Ledge (Woodbury) pair present on 4/3 but did not appear to be incubating; appeared to be some battling with ravens for nesting site. Cliff-top is closed (M Gray).
28. Quarry Hill (Pownal) pair present on 3/16 (M Smithers).
29. Rattlesnake Pt (Salisbury) pair present on 4/29. Top of cliff is closed (B Flewelling).
30. Red Rock (Hinesburg) pair present and appears to be incubating at a new eyrie (J LoCicero).
31. Sawyer Mt (Fairlee) no known site visit.
32. Skitchewaug Mt (Springfield) pair occupying and nesting on northern cliff seen 4/15 (K Wohlfort).
33. Smugglers Notch (Cambridge) pair reported in early/mid March and 4/2. No falcons seen on subsequent visits in April (M Fowle, J Buck, J York, D Post).
34. Snake Mt (Addison) no known site visit.
35. Swanton Quarry (Swanton) pair present on 4/16 (R Ford).
36. Vermont Yankee (Vernon) pair observed 4/18; possible third falcon (L Dewald, G Crowley).
37. Vulture Mt (Stockbridge) pair present on 4/14 and appeared to be incubating 5/2 (B Beck).
38. Wallace Ledge (Castleton) pair present and appears to be incubating in the 2010 eyrie (M Droege).
39. Wheeler Mt (Barton) pair present. Copulation observed on 5/1 (E Valley).
40. Whitcomb Quarry (Colchester) pair present on 4/2 (R Ford).
41. White Rocks (Wallingford) no falcons were observed during a 3-hr visit on 4-14 (S Wixsom, C Alexopolous, Boyer).

Sites that will not be checked in 2011:
Belvidere Mt Quarry
Brousseau Mt
Pond Mt (may possibly be checked by B Drachman)

Update from Margaret on May 27, 2011:

Hi VT Peregriners

It continues to be a challenging spring weather-wise, but the peregrines are going about their usual business, often cryptically for those of us observing them. Below is a brief update on what we know to-date please remember that the number of sites does not reflect the actual population this year, as we are not checking every site in 2011.

We now have a possible four new pairs this year! We are still determining the status of a pair at Eagle Mountain in Milton, but it looks like we have new pairs at Wheeler Mt in Barton and VT Yankee in Vernon. There is also a pair nesting just south of the traditional Bolton Notch cliff (Upper Upper), and we are still working on determining whether or not there are pairs at both cliffs, which appears likely. The Bolton Quarry birds do not appear to have returned, so the new Bolton Notch pair may be the quarry pair relocated. Stay tuned as we gather more information.

Thanks to all of you who have participated so far this year. We appreciate your interest and support, and look forward to more updates as the data come in.

Thinking of sunshine and bug-free weather,

-Margaret

2011 Peregrine Sites as of 5/27/11 (site monitors in parentheses sorry if I missed anyone)

1. Arrowhead (Milton) hatch of at least 2 chicks confirmed 5/25 (J Pennucci, W Leenstra).
2. Bald Mt (W. Haven) unable to visit site due to Lake Champlain flooding (E Blodgett).
3. Barnet Roadcut (Barnet) pair is incubating in 2010 eyrie. Rte 5 pullout is closed. Female is same since 2007 with a silver band on right leg and a black M over a red B on left, identifying her as a bird banded in 2000 by C. Martin at Painted Walls cliff in Albany, NH. Male is unbanded (W & E Shedd, K Wohlfort).
4. Benson Ledges (Benson) pair present on 5/13 but unsure of nesting status (R Smith).
5. Bethel Quarry (Bethel) pair present in northern part of quarry in early May, but did not appear to be nesting (S Lewins).
6. Bolton Notch Upper Upper(Bolton) Pair present on 5/8 and 5/11 unclear if they are nesting or if the pair is sharing one member of the cliff with one of the members of the pair nesting in the cliff just south. Cliff is posted. (B Heiser, M Fowle, C Sprague).
7. Bolton Notch Upper (Bolton) Pair present and nesting on 5/2 and 5/11. This pair has been aggressively defending their nest against rock climbers and is now posted. Unclear if this pair is sharing the other Bolton Notch cliff just north of it with one other falcon or if there is a pair at each cliff (M Fowle, C Sprague).
8. Bone Mt (Bolton) pair present and nesting at 2008 eyrie on 5/24; no confirmation of hatch (M Fowle, M Foster).
9. Bristol Cliffs (Bristol) no peregrines have been seen during visits in May, but pair appeared to be favoring Devils Slide area in early April (B Kodis & M Fowle).
10. Checkerberry Ledge (Bakersfield) pair appears to be present but unsure of nesting activity or location (L Rogers).
11. Crystal Lake (Barton) pair present and suspect incubation (E Valley).
12. Deer Leap (Bristol) pair incubating on 5/1 (R Durand).
13. Eagle Mt (Milton) suspect presence of pair. Single falcon seen on 5/7 (J Pennucci).
14. Elephant Mt (Bristol) Pair present on 5/13; suspect incubation (R Wickman).
15. Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee) pair appeared to be favoring a different eyrie in mid-May so may have failed earlier in the season. Both adults are banded: Female was banded in 2001 at Cathedral Ledge in New Hampshire with a black sideways G over a red sideways V. She was captured and released at Logan Airport in January 2003 and was identified again at Logan in the spring of 2003. She was confirmed as a member of the Sawyer Mountain pair in 2004. She was again found grounded with a mild head injury in South Boston in February 2005 and taken to Tufts Wildlife Clinic where an old gunshot wound was found, and was later released in North Grafton, MA. She nested at Sawyer Mountain again in 2005, and was the female at Fairlee in 2008 and 2009. She was also observed at Great Pond in Braintree, Massachusetts on November 26, 2008. The male was banded in 2007 at Holts Ledge in Lyme, New Hampshire with black 2 over green K. We suspected he first occupied the cliff in 2008, when he had immature plumage. (K Wohlfort).
16. Haystack Mt (Pawlet) pair present on 4/30; no known May site visit (B Drachman).
17. Hazens Notch (Lowell) pair present on 5/12 but did not appear to be nesting. Cliff is posted (G Belongie).
18. Highgate Cliffs (Highgate Springs) pair present on 4/2; no known May site visit (R Ford).
19. Jobs Mt (Westmore) pair present and appeared to be favoring the 2008 eyrie on 4/12 and single bird observed 4/30; no known May site visit (T Smith).
20. Maidstone Cliff/Willard Mt (Maidstone) no known site visit since 4/8 when no peregrines were seen (K Wohlfort, P Emerson).
21. Malletts Bay (Colchester) One chick confirmed hatched (L Cordner, J Pennucci).
22. Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) No known site visit since 4/19 when the pair was incubating at a new eyrie just north of the 2010 nest ledge. Portions of cliff have been closed (K Wohlfort).
23. Mt. Horrid (Goshen) incubation confirmed at the east cliff eyrie used in previous. Great Cliff overlook is closed but may be reopened soon (B Flewelling).
24. Mt Pisgah (Westmore) suspected incubation on 5/3 but unable to locate eyrie (K Wohlfort).
25. Nebraska Notch (Underhill) no site visit yet.
26. Nichols Ledge (Woodbury) pair incubating at 2010 eyrie. Cliff-top is closed (M Gray).
27. Quarry Hill (Pownal) pair incubating; expect to see signs of hatching soon (M Smithers).
28. Rattlesnake Pt (Salisbury) pair present on 4/29. Top of cliff is closed (B Flewelling).
29. Red Rock (Hinesburg) pair present and appeared to be incubating at a new eyrie on 4/30 (J LoCicero).
30. Sawyer Mt (Fairlee) pair present on 5/13; possible hatch but eyrie location unknown.
31. Skitchewaug Mt (Springfield) hatch suspected on 5/26 (K Wohlfort).
323. Smugglers Notch (Cambridge) suspect pair is incubating at a new eyrie on the Elephant Head side of the notch. Possible chicks heard on 5/25 (M Fowle, J Buck, J York, D Post, B Frank).
33. Snake Mt (Addison) pair present but did not appear to be incubating when site was visited in late April or early May. No PEFAs seen on 5/26 (A Webbe).
34. Swanton Quarry (Swanton) pair present on 4/16; no known May site visit (R Ford).
35. Vermont Yankee (Vernon) suspect pair is incubating on smoke stack nest box (L Dewald, G Crowley).
36. Vulture Mt (Stockbridge) pair appeared to be incubating 5/2 (B Beck).
37. Wallace Ledge (Castleton) pair present and appears to be incubating in the 2010 eyrie (M Droege).
38. Wheeler Mt (Barton) pair present and incubation suspected (E Valley).
39. Whitcomb Quarry (Colchester) hatch of at least 4 chicks confirmed (E Lazarus, B MacPherson, B Mercia).
40. White Rocks (Wallingford) no falcons were observed during a 3-hr visit on 4-14 or 4/20, but report of single falcon seen 4/29 (S Wixsom, C Alexopolous, Boyer).

Sites that will not be checked in 2011:
Belvidere Mt Quarry
Bird Mt (may possibly be checked by CJ Frankiewicz)
Brousseau Mt
Pond Mt (may possibly be checked by B Drachman)

Here's the latest! --

From: "Margaret FOWLE"
Sent: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 9:30:48 PM
Subject: June VT Peregrine Update

Hi VT Peregriners

Amazing to think that the 2011 peregrine season is winding down. Below is an update on what we know so far about the sites we are monitoring. There are still several sites that need more information, but we are getting a handle on most sites. I hope to have final results in a few weeks.

Thanks to all of you who have participated so far this year. We appreciate your interest and support.

-Margaret

2011 Peregrine Sites as of 7/5/11 (site monitors in parentheses sorry if I missed anyone)

1. Arrowhead (Milton) 3 chicks not yet confirmed fledged (W Leenstra).
2. Bald Mt (W. Haven) suspect pair did not nest or failed only one site visit made due to Lake Champlain flooding hope to confirm in July (D Blodgett).
3. Barnet Roadcut (Barnet) At least 1 chick is confirmed fledged. Rte 5 pullout is closed (W & E Shedd, K Wohlfort).
4. Benson Ledges (Benson) territorial pair (R Smith, J Flewelling).
5. Bethel Quarry (Bethel) unsure of nesting status to-date (S Lewins).
6. Bolton Notch Upper Upper(Bolton) Pair appears to have defended this cliff, but we are still unsure of nesting status Cliff is posted. (B Heiser, M Fowle, C Sprague).
7. Bolton Notch Upper (Bolton) 4 chicks confirmed hatched on eyrie until late June. One chick found dead at base of cliff on 6/30; 2 chicks confirmed fledged on 7/1. Portions of cliff still closed (M Fowle, C Sprague, W Jenkins).
8. Bone Mt (Bolton) nesting failure (M Fowle, M Foster).
9. Bristol Cliffs (Bristol) unsure of nesting status to-da