Canadian Peregrine Foundation -- Etobicoke Archives: April 1999

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April 1999

Thursday April 29
Marcel Gahbauer reports: When I dropped into the Falcon Watch Centre early this afternoon, I learned that the reason for the lack of news in the past week is that not much has been happening. Toby and Alberta are continuing to take turns incubating, and are generally remaining perched nearby (often under the camera or on the adjacent ledge) when away from the nest.

This morning Alberta appeared more restless than usual, at times getting up to turn the eggs every few minutes. However, she did not leave the nest, and no intruders were reported, so we presume that her behaviour was more likely in response to the warm morning sun (it was almost 20 degrees Celsius by noon today).

Later in the afternoon Maggie Smith called in to say that a red-tailed hawk made a pass by the nest around 2:30 pm, and was attacked by Alberta. Toby quickly came in to take over incubation, and observers outside noticed that Alberta gave the red-tailed hawk quite a chase - they eventually disappeared from sight to the south.

Thursday April 22
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Toby and Alberta are already nearing the mid-point of incubation of their eggs. Both adults continue to take turns incubating, and the general consensus among observers is that Toby is showing more interest in the eggs this year - staying on them longer, and frequently approaching Alberta while she is incubating them, as if offering to take over for her.

Friday April 16
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Today we celebrated the grand opening of the Etobicoke Falcon Watch Centre for 1999. Approximately forty people were in attendance for the festivites, which included an update on the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's activities, a few video highlights from recent days, and a presentation of a $5000 cheque from the Friends of the Environment Foundation. The Falcon Watch Centre will now be open at least five days a week through the spring and much of the summer. Check the top of this page for hours, which may change over time.

Toby and Alberta are settling into an incubation routine - both are spending hours on a time on the eggs, turning them occasionally, but otherwise not doing much at the nest.

Tuesday April 13
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Toby and Alberta again had an unwelcome visitor today. Yesterday it was a turkey vulture passing by on migration; today it was an immature female peregrine (Angel perhaps back yet again?). It was around 1:45 when Alberta suddenly became very agitated and flew off the nest. I spotted her flying between the East Tower and the Kingsway on the Park, and noticed that she twice dove toward the roof of the KOTP.

After the second dive, an immature female peregrine came into view from the same area, and flew across to the east ledge of the East Tower, just avoiding another attack from Alberta in the process. While I tried to get a better view of the ledge, I turned away for a moment, and when I looked back, Alberta was perched where the younger bird had been, and there was no sign of the other. Alberta was clearly plucking some prey and eating, so it would seem that the intruder had discovered a recent cache, which Alberta was of course very protective of. Because I saw it only briefly at quite a distance, I can't be sure that the intruder was Angel, but given recent history around here, it's probably a good chance it was her.

The excitement for the day was not yet over. Around 2:15, I was back inside the Falcon Watch Centre, and suddenly saw the image on the television shaking violently up and down, as well as side to side. After stabilizing briefly, the picture began shaking for a second time. This came as quite a surprise, since even in strong winds we've only seen this camera shake slightly. Bruce Massey went outside to check and discovered Alberta perched on top of the camera! Each time she adjusted her position, the camera shook under her weight. Yet more evidence that the peregrines are not disturbed by the presence of the camera. Nonetheless, for the sake of the camera's stability, we hope she won't make a habit out of perching on it.

Monday April 12
Tom Moreau reports: I stopped by the Peregrine Watch Centre today at 13:55 and found Alberta ensconced upon the eggs. I then walked out onto Bloor St., looked up and saw a magnificent Turkey Vulture heading toward the building, about 50 - 100 feet above the roof. Immediately, Alberta flew off of the nest, quite upset and vocalizing profusely, drawing it away. The Turkey Vulture continued its flight over the building. Within a few minutes, she returned when the coast was clear. At 14:25, I saw Toby in the easternmost slot of the southeast side and checked in at the Centre again. Alberta was back on the eggs as if nothing had happened. Another day in the life of Toby & Alberta.

Sunday April 11
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Yesterday morning Joan Boardman reported to us the good news that Alberta had laid a fourth egg, eight days after the first.

Today, Bruce Massey and I stopped in at the Etobicoke site for a short while around 5 pm. A surprise late-season snowstorm with fierce east winds had hit the area earlier in the afternoon, and by the time we arrived, the snow was piled up to the edge of the nest box. Alberta was incubating, but she clearly hadn't moved in some time, because there was undisturbed snow piled on all sides of her. We did eventually see her turn, but she remained over the eggs, which remained hidden by the snow pile in the foreground.

Friday April 9
Marcel Gahbauer reports: As of mid-afternoon today, there are still only three eggs in the nest. As in recent days, Toby and Alberta have taken turns incubating the eggs all day long.

The big news today is that we have set next Friday, April 16, as the day for the Grand (re-)Opening of the Etobicoke Falcon Watch Centre. The event will start at 11 am, and will feature a presentation from the Friends of the Environment Foundation, information about the 1999 Falcon Watch Centre, refreshments, and much more (hopefully including a visit from a live peregrine falcon!). Everyone is more than welcome to attend; if you have any questions, please contact us. Following the opening, regular opening hours for the Falcon Watch Centre will be posted on-site, as well as on this page.

Wednesday April 7
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Joan Boardman phoned to say that she was fortunate to witness Alberta laying her third egg at 2:30 pm today. In the morning, it had again been difficult to tell how many eggs there were, since either Toby or Alberta was incubating almost all the time. Toby was on the box when I first checked the camera shortly after 9 am, and Alberta was standing nearby. They remained this way for nearly an hour, and both seemed quite relaxed, spending most of their time with one or both eyelids closed. Eventually Alberta left, and Toby remained on the eggs, never moving once until he finally left just before 11 am. At that point the eggs were uncovered for a minute or two until Alberta arrived, and it was possible to determine that there definitely were only two eggs in the tray. We now eagerly await a fourth egg - perhaps on Friday or Saturday?

Tuesday April 6
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Throughout the day today, the eggs were incubated almost continuously by either Toby or Alberta. I arrived in Etobicoke shortly after 8 am, and it was 1:30 by the time I finally had a clear view of the eggs. Alberta had been on the eggs for the first three hours, and when Toby finally took over, it happened so fast that by the time Alberta was out of the way, Toby was already on the eggs. At any rate, in the afternoon it became apparent that there are definitely still only two eggs. This means that it's possible there was a three-day span between the first two eggs, and that the second was laid early yesterday morning, rather than Sunday. In either case, there should be a third overnight or tomorrow.

Alberta did seem somewhat lethargic today, suggesting that she might be producing another egg. Just before noon, she returned to stand beside the nest box, but Toby made no move to get off the eggs. While she typically is rather aggressive in such situations, and forces him off, she simply stood there watching him. The two of them maintained these positions for a whole hour, until Alberta finally turned and walked toward the camera. Only a half hour later did she return, and at that point Toby finally stood up, revealing the eggs, and flew off, letting her take over the incubation. See the photo gallery for a snapshot taken just before Alberta got on the eggs.

The amount of incubation that is going on now is a surprise to us. Last year, neither adult incubated for a sustained period until all four eggs were laid. This year, however, they have hardly left the eggs uncovered since the first one was laid. While it may be marginally colder than last year, it's hard to believe the temperature difference is enough to cause such a change in behaviour. The consequence of this is that we will likely see a greater range in hatch dates between chicks this year, since the oldest one will have as much as a whole week's head start in development (assuming that there will be additional eggs on Wednesday and Friday this week).

Bruce Massey reported seeing no eggs in the nest at 9:30 am on Friday April 2, which means that the first egg must have been laid later in the morning, or in the early afternoon, since it was there by 1 pm. At 9:30, Alberta was in the nest box and seemed to be rooting around in the stones. She also was laying down and making a depression with her talons. Presumably this represented the final stages of preparation for laying the egg.

Monday April 5
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Joan Boardman phoned this morning to report that the second egg was in the nest by 7:30 am. She also said that the first egg was in the nest by 2 pm on Good Friday (April 2). Yesterday Alberta was on the nest for most of the day, making it impossible to tell whether there were one or two eggs in the nest. Given that there is typically a two-day span between eggs, the second egg was likely laid Sunday morning, in which case we should have a third one tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.

This afternoon I watched the nest for a couple of hours via the camera at the office, but never had a chance to see the eggs - either Toby or Alberta was covering them at all times, and I must have been away from the screen for a moment when they switched.

Saturday April 3
Marcel Gahbauer reports: I arrived at Etobicoke around 2:30 pm, and was delighted to see an egg in the nest tray. Ian Dalton had discovered the egg earlier in the afternoon, and perhaps other observers had spotted it even before that. I watched the nest for a few minutes, and saw Alberta come in and sit over the egg. Outside, Toby was flying around well to the west, then returned to perch on the roof right above the nest.

Thursday April 1
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Yesterday afternoon we received a report of an unidentified brown bird, found dead by the Bloor Street sidewalk near the United Church bookstore. Mark Nash went to investigate and was surprised to discover that it was a woodcock! It had been partly eaten, and since the carcass was discovered more or less under Toby and Alberta's nest, the assumption is that one of them caught the woodcock and began to eat it, then at some point in transit dropped it. Given that the woodcock migration is peaking just about now in the Toronto area, it's possible that Alberta or Toby caught this unfortunate individual nearby.

For most of today, Alberta and Toby have again been taking turns on the nest box, but have spent a few minutes together on a couple of occasions. The wait for eggs continues - maybe Alberta is holding on to produce an Easter egg of her own!

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