As we await the first peregrine falcon eggs of the season, Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) is taking you inside each of the four nest boxes hosted at WPS and We Energies power plants.

Next up, the Valley Power Plant:

First successful nest: 2002

Number of peregrine chicks hatched: 47

Most recent parents: Hercules and an unbanded female

This will be Hercules’ 10th year at the Valley Power Plant nest site and WPS peregrine falcon manager Greg Septon suspects it’s also the 10th year for the unbanded female. Because the female falcon does not have an identification band, Septon cannot be 100% sure that it is the same falcon that has returned year after year. Her back story is also a mystery. Hercules, on the other hand, was born in 2011 at the St. Joseph’s Hospital nest site in Milwaukee. Septon believes these two have produced 19 young together.

Notable resident: Herbert

Herbert was born at Valley Power Plant in 2004 and nested for many years at various sites in Milwaukee, producing 31 young. In fact, one of his offspring is Hercules, the current male in residence at Valley Power Plant. Unfortunately, Herbert was found injured in 2015 and despite months of rehabilitation at the Wisconsin Humane Society, was left unable to fly. As a result, Herbert became an educational ambassador at the Wisconsin Humane Society’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where he happily lived out his remaining years teaching others about peregrine falcons until 2022.

Up next: The start of the 2023 nesting season is just around the corner. Follow WPS on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on all four nest sites and — if all goes well — a new class of chicks.

Later this spring, you can help WPS name the chicks in a special naming contest sure to rally your team spirit.

In the meantime, read up on the Port Washington and Oak Creek nest boxes.

Peregrine falcon program

The peregrine falcon program is another way WPS and We Energies are building a bright, sustainable future. From helping endangered animals and restoring natural habitats, to building new solar facilities and reducing carbon emissions, WPS and We Energies are committed to a cleaner future.