news from Acadia NP, Maine

[KPMMBM]

Acadia National Park officials are closing several popular hiking trails to protect peregrine falcons that have been showing pre-nesting courtship behavior.

The closure of the popular Precipice Trail and other trails near the park's Precipice and Valley Cove cliffs is expected to last until late July or early August. That's about five weeks after any newborn peregrine chicks would be expected to take their first flights.

The peregrine falcon is listed as a Maine endangered species.

Acadia was selected in the 1980s to be one of the reintroduction sites for a peregrine falcon recovery program. Since 1991, more than 90 chicks have fledged on Mount Desert Island.

news story today, March 28, 2010

 

[Andrew]

We saw a NPS biologist with a spotting scope at the trailhead parking lot when we walked by. We were wondering if they started nesting behavior so seemingly early.

My oh so knowledgeable 9 year old expert birder nephew asserted that the Acadia Peregrines don't migrate?

 

[FARMER]

We descended from Acadia mountain and were suprised there was no sign at the junction posted that the valley cove trail was closed. We had been told earlier in the day by a ranger that it was though.