Between 1975 and 1985, 307 captive-reared Peregrine Falcons of mixed heritage were released within the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain as part of the eastern peregrine recovery program (Watts et al. 2015). The self-sustaining coastal population from this effort exhibits relatively high reproductive rates (>1.5 fledged young/pair/year since 1999) and nests primarily on artificial structures such as fishing shacks, duck blinds, wooden peregrine nest towers, bridges, and buildings. The breeding population in the coastal plain of Virginia currently exceeds 25 pairs and most pairs nest on artificial structures in the barrier island/seaside lagoon system located seaward of the lower Delmarva Peninsula (Mojica et al. 2014).
On 19 June 2013, we discovered a pair of Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) nesting in the sand dunes on Cedar Island (37°36′ N, 75°37′ W), a barrier island located in Accomack County, VA, U.S.A. Both adults were marked as nestlings with...