From RRP's FB page 11/4/16:
Raptor Resource Project added 5 new photos
2 hrs
We got some great news from the bird banding lab last week! Two falcons from Xcel Energy sites were spotted many miles from their places of origin.
Falcon Mel hatched at Xcel's Prairie Island plant near Hastings, MN. She was the youngest of an unusually large five-falcon clutch and was maybe 15 days old at banding as compared to her 19-22 day old siblings. An article about the banding can be read here:
http://bit.ly/2e8AQ2f. Her band was reported by Alberto Charles, a raptor rehabber near Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, roughly 1700 miles from her birthplace!
Falcon Roberta (named after Robert Anderson) hatched at Xcel's Riverside plant in NE Minneapolis. She was spotted near Capleville, TN, by Michael Linz and is about 700 miles from home. I'll post juvenile photos of her when we get them.
Thanks to all of you who report bands to the Bird Banding Lab! If you see a band and want to report it, visit
https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/Falcon Mel at rehab in Cancun.
Another photo of Mel. Note the juvenile plumage. Falcons don't gain adult plumage until they are around two years old.
Mel's wing, and another great look at brown juvenile plumage.
Alberto with Mel.
Alberto releasing Mel!