Mixed review for NC’s 2008 peregrines

Chris Kelly, Mountain Wildlife Diversity Biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, recently posted a summary of the results from this year’s peregrine falcon nest monitoring program on the Carolina Bird Club’s listserv. Thirteen nesting sites were monitored this year. The six southern mountains sites were Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County, Looking Glass Rock, Devil’s Courthouse, Dunn’s Rock and Panthertail Mountain all in Transylvania County.

Seven sites were noted in the northern mountains. They were White Rock Cliff in Madison County, Buzzard’s Roost in Haywood County, Shortoff Mountain and NC Wall in Burke County, Grandfather Mountain and Big Lost Cove in Avery County and Moore’s Wall in Stokes County.

The 13 pairs produced 15 fledglings for a 53 percent success rate. According to Kelly, the 2008 season was “characterized by a number of changes in nesting pairs and nest success.” One of the changes was the fact that the birds in the northern mountains had greater nesting success than their counterparts in the southern mountains. The Big Lost Cove and Moore’s Wall peregrines both had successful nesting seasons for the first time since 2001. The Grandfather Mountain birds were successful for the first time since 2003.

Buzzard’s Roost, the Haywood County site, has had peregrines since 2004 when a pair staked out a territory. Nesting, however, did not start at Buzzard’s Roost until 2005. The peregrines at Buzzard’s Roost had a successful year this year producing three fledglings.

Whiteside Mountain was the only successful site in the southern mountains. The eyrie at Devil’s Courthouse failed to produce fledglings for the first time since 1999 while Looking Glass experienced nest failure for the second year in a row.

Panthertail Mountain, which according to Kelly is generally a productive site, failed this year and the reason may be a renewed turf battle. Kelly noted that ravens nested on Panthertail during the early years of the falcon reintroduction program but that the peregrines commandeered the pinnacle in 1993. This year, Kelly said the falcons at Panthertail were in constant battle with a pair of ravens.

Common ravens and peregrine apparently have similar tastes when it comes to nesting sites. The original pair at Devil’s Courthouse in 1999 actually laid their eggs in an old raven’s nest.

An encouraging note this year was the fact that three second-year falcons were on territory. There were mated second-year females at Grandfather Mountain and White Rock Cliff and a second-year male at Chimney Rock. While only the Grandfather Mountain eyrie was successful Kelly called it, “... a considerable feat given the bird’s age and inexperience combined with the site’s elevation, west-facing aspect, unprotected ledge and some of the most severe weather in the mountain region.”

According to Kelly 2009 will be an official U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service monitoring year for peregrine falcons. The peregrine falcon was taken off the federal endangered species list in 1999 but it remains on the North Carolina state list. Kelly is looking for volunteers to help monitor North Carolina’s falcons in 2009. She can be reached by email at kellych@earthlink.net.

Besides monitoring peregrines, Kelly is also responsible for (among other things) NCWRC’s northern flying squirrel program plus a whip-poor-will survey begun this year.