Avian expert bands his 500th falcon

MILWAUKEE — First came Lilly and then came Butch.

Lilly was No. 499, and when Greg Septon attached a pair of metal bands to the legs of Butch on Friday, he had reached a milestone.

Over the past two decades, Septon has placed identification bands on 500 peregrine falcons. No one else has banded so many in Wisconsin.

His accomplishment is the freshest evidence of the speedy raptor's comeback after resident populations were wiped out by the insecticide DDT.

On Friday, with the help of a broom-wielding assistant, Bill Holton, Septon climbed on a 120-foot catwalk at We Energies' Valley power plant.

Holton batted away the chicks' diving parents while Septon removed the young birds from a nesting box and brought them into a conference room at the power plant.

There, they squeaked in terror as he methodically attached the bands and took blood samples.

The work was done in 15 minutes, and before the chicks were returned to their nest, Septon was presented with a plaque from We Energies and an illustration of a peregrine from wildlife artist Thomas R. Schultz of Green Lake, Wis.

Septon, 56, first released peregrines in 1987 at the former First Wisconsin skyscraper while working at the Milwaukee Public Museum. He began banding the birds the next year.

Now he is a private consultant and has managed the peregrine recovery program in eastern Wisconsin for 22 years. His avian expertise has led to lectures in 17 countries and the publishing of more than 70 articles on natural history and conservation.

"Peregrine falcons are highly dependent on management, oversight and having people maintain relationships with folks where the nests are located," said Patricia Manthey, an avian ecologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Greg's efforts have been instrumental to their survival in Wisconsin."

Septon is still trying to get a handle on this year's population as he moves from nest box to nest box to band the chicks and check on their parents.

Last spring, there were 27 nesting pairs in Wisconsin — the highest since 1987. The adults produced 81 young.

"We are probably approaching what we had historically, but the picture has changed dramatically," Septon said.

DDT was responsible for wiping out peregrines by weakening egg shells. No peregrines are believed to have lived in Wisconsin from 1965 to 1987.