Gary Hartley/NPS This has been an interesting year for the peregrine program at New River Gorge. It began with the identification of a nesting pair near the location of the past year's hack site. Unfortunately in early June the peregrine nest failed, so there are no wild chicks this year. Hopefully, the pair will return next year! This necessitated locating a new site for hacking in 2009. After much hunting around and reconnaissance, the best location was found to be at Grandview.
Gary Hartley/NPS The new hack site location at Grandview has been very successful. This site provides a great opportunity to observe the peregrines as they learn to fly and hunt above the New River Gorge. The best observation is from the North Overlook at Grandview, with morning being the preferred time. There have been three releases this year (June 2, June 13, and June 18), with a total of seventeen falcons being released. As of July 2nd, all seventeen have been observed for over 14 days... which means this season's young peregrines have surpassed the 100% success mark and are still going strong. If you have a chance, come by for a look! |
Last updated: February 26, 2015