Tag Archives: peregrine-falcons

9 peregrine falcon chicks fledge at Acadia, Precipice Trail now open to hikers

peregrine falcon chicks

Nine peregrine falcon chicks fledged at three nests at Acadia National Park in 2019, helping clear the way for the popular Precipice Trail to open. Four of the chicks fledged from the Precipice on the east face of Champlain, while three fledged from Jordan Cliffs and two from Valley Cove. That is more than last year, bringing the total up to about 150 chicks that have fledged in the last 28 years.

Peregrine falcon chicks total 8 at Acadia, Precipice Trail now open

precipice trail

Three nests at Acadia National Park produced eight peregrine falcon chicks in 2018, making for a successful year for the state-endangered birds despite the unusual failure of a nest at the Precipice. But that nest failure means the Precipice Trail is now open, earlier than the usual late July, early August time frame, after chicks fledge.

Peregrine falcon chicks hatch at Valley Cove in Acadia; Precipice Trail damaged

peregrine falcon chicks

At least three peregrine falcon chicks have hatched at Valley Cove in Acadia National Park this year, but a nest was unsuccessful at the Precipice and a third site at Jordan Cliffs may also have failed, according to the park’s wildlife biologist. Based on a recent observation, Bruce Connery, wildlife biologist at Acadia, said in […]

Celebrating Acadia birds amid Year of the Bird, climate change worries

Enthusiastic birders flock to Mount Desert Island annually to celebrate the diversity of Acadia birds. Now, as the Acadia Birding Festival marks its 20th anniversary May 31-June 3, the gathering comes during a time of urgency: A new study identifies as many as 66 species of Acadia birds that could become locally extinct by the year 2050, if nothing is done to reduce carbon emissions. This is the Year of the Bird, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act that protects birds, and also sound the alarm about climate change’s potential impact and other threats, with the hope of preventing species from becoming modern-day equivalents of the canary in a coal mine.

“Hiking Acadia National Park” wins gold medal in international book awards

“Hiking Acadia National Park” received top honors in the Independent Publisher Book Awards travel guide category, joining winners from 43 US states, 6 Canadian provinces and 11 overseas nations, in the 22nd year of the “IPPY Awards.”

Rites of spring in Acadia: Mud season closes carriage roads, fundraisers blossom

In an early sign of spring in Acadia National Park, officials closed the carriage roads on Friday for mud season, and fundraisers to benefit the park are popping up like snowdrops. Before you know it, the peregrine falcons will be returning to nest, usually closing the Precipice Trail and other cliff climbs by late March; […]

Grand loop up Sargent Mountain tops hikes in Acadia National Park

A terrific aspect of hikes in Acadia National Park is that people can almost always get back to the start without retracing steps. Acadia’s tight, carefully designed network of 150 miles of trails allow hikers to create a  nearly countless number of loop trips. There are many circular hikes in Acadia National Park, but perhaps […]

Five peregrine falcon chicks fly at Acadia, but one nest fails

Five peregrine falcon checks have fledged at nests at two sites in Acadia National Park this year, but for unknown reasons a nest failed at a third site that has yielded chicks in recent years, a biologist at the park said Friday. Bruce Connery, wildlife biologist at Acadia, said there was a pair of adult […]

If not for Earth Day, imagine a silent spring in Acadia National Park

As millions around the world mark Earth Day, imagine what Acadia National Park would be like without the banning of DDT, the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts, or any of the other changes since that first massive showing of environmental activism in 1970: No peregrine falcons nesting on the Precipice of Champlain Hazy views […]

Signs of spring in Acadia: Return of peregrine falcons, mud season, and soon, rhodora

The Precipice Trail is closed for peregrine falcon nesting, and the carriage roads, off limits for mud season. And as sure as spring follows winter, colorful rhodora and other plants of Acadia will soon be in bloom. For Jill Weber, a consulting botanist for Acadia National Park, the flowers of spring bring a feast for […]