Have fun following our fledgling fowl

March 25, 2022

The falcon nesting season is quickly approaching, and our resident mama falcon, Diana, is back for a 16th year at our Mill Creek Generating Station. Last June, the two peregrine falcon chicks in Mill Creek’s nest successfully fledged (“flew the coop”). Now, you can tune in to the plant’s live camera for the 2022 season.

In 2021, there were three successful nests at our generating stations. This included one peregrine chick at Trimble County, two peregrine chicks at Mill Creek and four peregrine chicks at Ghent. Two of these pairs used a nest box, and the third pair nested on a beam under a coal conveyer. Last year, our nests produced eight eggs and seven chicks. All of the chicks fledged successfully.

Since 1999, 172 chicks have been banded by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) at our generating stations. 170 chicks have successfully fledged from our facilities. The first chick fledged from the Trimble County facility in 1999.

“Thanks to partners like LG&E and KU, peregrine falcons have been provided safe nesting opportunities at several generating stations, allowing this population to continue to increase,” said Michael Patton, KDFWR avian biologist. “With the coming of spring, the nest boxes at LG&E and KU facilities will hopefully be filled with peregrine falcon eggs and chicks again.”

Viewers can expect to see chicks hatching between mid-April and early May. Watch the falcons live at lge-ku.com/falcon.