February 14, 2001:  Guelph.  Surgery to repair Magellan's multiple wing fractures was undertaken on Friday, February 9 at the Ontario Veterinary College, and went well.  Unfortunately, his condition declined over the weekend, and by Sunday he was refusing to eat and had to be force fed.  On Monday, OVC staff phoned to let us know that Magellan had passed away early in the morning.  We are very saddened by this tragic turn of events.  Magellan had been doing very well on his own, and had obviously mastered the ability to fly and hunt many months ago.  Despite this, he obviously was not immune to danger, and suffered the collision a week ago which ultimately led to his demise.  It is accidents as these which are likely responsible for much of the high rate of mortality among juvenile peregrines. 

February 8, 2001:  Guelph.  Sadly, Magellan's travels for this winter have come to an end.  On Tuesday morning, he was found in a Scarborough schoolyard with a badly broken wing.  He was initially brought to the Toronto Wildlife Centre by his rescuers, and than transferred to the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph by Mark Nash.  The initial prognosis was not good.  Becky Atkinson of OVC informed us that Magellan has a midshaft fracture of the humerus, a dislocated shoulder, a proximal fracture of the radius and ulna, and a dislocated ulnar carpal bone.  In short, the odds of Magellan being able to overcome all of these injuries and return to the air is slim.  All the same, corrective surgery will be attempted in the hope that a miracle may transpire. 

To our knowledge, nobody witnessed how Magellan became injured.  The speculation is that he may have hit a power line or telephone wire at high speed, but there are other possibilities and we hope to learn more about the circumstances of his recovery which could provide us some further clues.  Updates on Magellan's condition will continue to be posted on this page as they become available.

February 5, 2001:  43.8N, 79.3W.  After a frustrating couple of weeks, we finally have a clear reading from Magellan again.  Around noon today, he was near the Highway 401 / Brimley Road interchange, just west of the Scarborough Town Centre, an area which seems to consistently attract peregrines, although none have nested there (yet).  

February 1, 2001:  44.3N, 77.7W ?.  Well, data did come in from Magellan this time around, but it's far from accurate.  The coordinates place him near Campbellford along the Trent River system midway between Peterborough and Belleville.  While it's certainly possible that Magellan really is that far to the east, the fact he has not reported from there previously and this particular signal was very weak makes it somewhat unlikely.  

January 29, 2001:  location unknown.  We've been having a bit of trouble getting a clear reading from Magellan over the past ten days.  One scheduled report didn't come through at all, while the other failed to provide any useable data.  This has happened periodically in the past, and hopefully the problem with transmission will resolve itself before his next reporting window a couple of days from now.

January 18, 2001:  43.8N, 79.3W.  Now Magellan is heading back east again, and as of this evening is in the area of York Mills and the Don Valley Parkway.  This is within a couple of kilometres of where a pair has been resident for much of this winter in the Sheppard/404 area.  If Magellan strays too far in that direction, he may well find himself being chased out of a territory for the second time in a week!

January 14, 2001:  43.7N, 79.5W.  Well, it seems that after the run-in with his uncle Windwhistler, Magellan has headed back to familiar territory in Etobicoke.  Today's coordinates put him in the area of Islington and Dixon Road.  This marks the first time in over a month that he has returned to Etobicoke.  Evidently he has no plans of settling down yet.

January 11, 2001:  Toronto: Yonge & Bloor.  Today a peregrine wearing a satellite transmitter was spotted around the CIBC building at Yonge & Bloor, and was subsequently seen being chased off by the local pair.  Visit the Toronto site for Harry Crawford's full report on the incident.  Though it was impossible to confirm that it was Magellan, it almost certainly was, and given his tendency to wander far and wide, it's easily possible to imagine him passing through downtown Toronto at some point in his travels.

January 10, 2001:  43.8N, 79.4W.  Magellan has shifted further up Yonge Street, and is now just north of downtown North York, near Finch Avenue.  This again is an area where there have been peregrine sightings periodically in the past, and it seems that Magellan is the latest one to be attracted by the tall buildings in the area.

January 5, 2001:  43.7N, 79.3W.  Once again, Magellan has returned to Toronto following some exploits further afield.  However, he's in a new part of town this time around, near Victoria Park and Eglinton.  It's probably safe to assume Magellan will have traveled again by the time we hear from him again on Jan. 9 or 10.

January 1, 2001:  43.7N, 80.6W (?).  Today we received just one pair of coordinates from Magellan, and they are again very poor in quality.  The location indicated is roughly 10 km west of Fergus, a small town northwest of Guelph, Ontario.  Given that Magellan has not explored this area previously, it seems unlikely that he is traveling there in the middle of winter.  Once again, we will have to wait for the next update to see whether matters become clearer.

December 28, 2000:  Position unclear.  Every once in a while technology lets us down.  Whether it's a glitch in the operation of the transmitter or satellite, or simply atmospheric disturbance of some kind preventing the signal from traveling properly, there are times when the accuracy of the readings is clearly very poor, and today's reports from Magellan are a case in point.  We received three readings over a period of three hours during the night, i.e. a time during which the locations should have been consistent (as I highly doubt that Magellan is flying by night at this time of year).  These reports placed him variously in Mississauga (just west of Toronto), Colborne (on the north shore of Lake Ontario, ~140 km east of Toronto), and in Nepean (on the west side of Ottawa).  Obviously Magellan could not have been in all three places, and quite likely wasn't in any of them!  Hopefully our next series of reports from Magellan, due early in the new year, will be more accurate again.

December 23, 2000:  43.9N, 79.0W.  Magellan is continuing to work his way further east.  Today we received a series of poor quality signals from southern Durham Region, just east of Toronto.  The clearest of these transmissions placed him a bit south of the town of Brooklin, several kilometres north of Whitby.

December 19, 2000:  43.8N, 79.2W.  As of today, Magellan has been in Scarborough for two full weeks.  This time he's a bit further east again, around Lawrence and Galloway Roads.

December 15, 2000:  43.8N, 79.2W.  Magellan is still in Scarborough, but this time a bit further to the northwest, around McCowan and Lawrence.  There is a large hospital near this intersection, which may well serve as a convenient perch for Magellan to overlook the adjacent ravine in search of a potential meal.

December 11, 2000:  43.7N, 79.2W.  Magellan is continuing his exploration of Scarborough.  As of yesterday, he had reached the Lake Ontario shoreline, around Guildwood Park.  There are high bluffs all along the shoreline here, and Magellan may well have taken to one of these seeing it as a natural cliff of sorts.  This location has attracted peregrines fairly regularly over the last few years, yet they have never stayed in the area for long.  It will be interesting to see whether Magellan remains in this area by the time of his next report, expected by the coming weekend. 

December 5, 2000:  43.8N, 79.2W.  After having almost settled down in late November, Magellan seems to have reawakened his wandering spirit.  Today's signals indicate that for the first time (to our knowledge at least) he has headed east to Scarborough.  Specifically, he was around Finch Avenue and Markham Road, near a large train marshalling yard where a pair of American kestrels are usually on territory throughout the year - no doubt they were less than impressed by Magellan's intrusion upon their airspace.

December 1, 2000:  44.0N, 79.4W.  Just when we think Magellan might be settling down, he makes another sudden move!  This time he has shifted north to Oak Ridges, and is reporting from the area of Lake Wilcox.  Peregrines have been seen hunting around Lake Wilcox on several occasions in past years; it appears there is something that attracts them to this site.

November 26, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  For once Magellan has made only a very slightly movement between reports.  Today he was a bit southwest of the former Downsview Air Base, along Keele Street somewhere between Sheppard and Wilson Avenues.

November 22, 2000:  43.8N, 79.5W.  Magellan has shifted a bit to the west again, and as of today is on the lands of the former Downsview Air Base, near Keele and Sheppard in North York.

November 18, 2000:  43.7N, 79.4W.  Another new location for Magellan - this time he's near downtown North York, around Sheppard and Yonge.  This is an area where peregrines have been spotted in the past, and where there is a good concentration of high buildings (and pigeons) which may be suitable for a nesting pair of peregrines.  Will Magellan recognize the potential of this area, or keep wandering?  By the end of the week we should have our next report from him.

November 14, 2000:  43.8N, 79.5W.  Magellan continues to wander locally, this time heading back to the northeast a bit.  Today's coordinates indicate that he is in Vaughan, near Dufferin Street between Highway 7 and Centre Street.  Knowing how many red-tailed hawks inhabit the Highway 7 corridor, it's possible that Magellan's arrival will arrive in some aerial skirmishes (with the slower, less agile hawks no doubt on the losing end of any encounters). 

November 9, 2000:  43.8N, 79.6W.  We had expected a report from Magellan on November 4 or 5, but for some reason it did not come through.  However, today Magellan's transmitter reported on schedule, and he is still in North York, now a bit further west around Islington and Steeles.

October 31, 2000:  43.8N, 79.5W.  Magellan is still in North York, but visiting a new haunt.  His coordinates place him around the G. Ross Lord Reservoir, northeast of Dufferin and Finch.  Perhaps he is looking to live up the peregrine's alternate name of Duck Hawk by searching for migratory waterfowl resting at the reservoir.

October 27, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  This is becoming a familiar pattern - after a short excursion away from Toronto, Magellan has again returned to North York's Sheppard / Weston area. 

October 22, 2000:  43.6N, 79.8W.  The urge to move west seems to have struck Magellan again.  He's now on the west side of Streetsville, near the intersection of Winston Churchill and Highway 401 (see map below).  He has made several forays west of Toronto already, but until now has returned each time.  Will this journey be different?  We should have an indication by Friday, when we expect our next report from Magellan.

October 18, 2000:  43.7N, 79.6W.  Magellan remains in Toronto.   His latest position puts him a bit further west, closer to Pearson International Airport.  Perhaps while watching the planes depart, Magellan will clue in to the fact that he too should be taking off for some distant destination...

October 13, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  There must be something attractive about the Sheppard Avenue / Weston Road area in North York - after his expedition to Hamilton a few days ago, Magellan has returned to almost exactly where he was a week ago.  It is beginning to look like he might not be interested in a long-distance migration, although there's still plenty of time for him to change his mind on that...

October 9, 2000:  43.3N, 79.8W.  Magellan has entered "enemy territory"!  Today's satellite report indicates that he is in downtown Hamilton, just a few blocks east of the Hamilton peregrine nest site (see map below).  It could very well be that Magellan is just passing through and will never encounter Toledo or Percy, but if he does meet one or the other, there could be some aerial acrobatics over Hamilton, at least if the local birds are feeling territorial at this time of year.

There was also a report yesterday of someone spotting a peregrine with a transmitter at Toronto's High Park.  No leg bands were read, so we don't know which bird it is.  However, it could have been Magellan on the way to Hamilton from his last reported location in North York.

October 5, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  Back to North York again!  Magellan has spent much of the past few months near the Humber River, and he has returned to the valley once more, this time near Sheppard Avenue and Weston Road.  It still remains far from clear as to whether Magellan will eventually head south for the winter, or not.

September 30, 2000:  43.8N, 79.4W.  Magellan's wanderings are becoming quite erratic.  He's now back in the Greater Toronto Area, but in a part of the city he hasn't visited before (at least not to our knowledge).  His coordinates this time put him along Yonge Street, just south of Highway 7, in Thornhill.  It will be interesting to see whether Magellan encounters Rouge, who at last record was still just to the east, around the Richmond Hill Town Hall.

September 26, 2000:  43.3N, 79.8W.  Magellan has turned around again, and is halfway back to St. Catharines as of today.  His afternoon transmission placed him along the Skyway bridge between Burlington and Hamilton.  Peregrines have in the past been seen at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters, which is near the midpoint of the bridge, and it could very well be that this is the precise spot where Magellan was as well.

September 21, 2000:  43.6N, 80.5W.Another change of direction for Magellan - today he is in Waterloo Region, roughly midway between Kitchener-Waterloo and Elora.  By coincidence, this happens to be almost exactly where the annual International Ploughing Match is currently being held (an event at which the Canadian Peregrine Foundation has a display about Project Track-'em!).  It's also interesting that two of this year's Track-'em birds have now visited Kitchener-Waterloo (Adelaide was there from late August through early September).

September 17, 2000:  43.2N, 79.3W.  Has Magellan started his migration?  His latest transmission places him on the south side of Lake Ontario, roughly 65 kilometres south / southeast (as the peregrine flies) of where he was on Sept 13.  Although it's possible that he arrived in St. Catharines by following the shoreline of Lake Ontario and passing through Hamilton, it seems more likely that he simply crossed the lake, especially since we know that he has already been far out in the lake earlier in the summer.  Now the question is whether Magellan will remain in the Niagara Peninsula for a while, or continue heading south.  

September 13, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  Magellan has moved marginally south since we last heard from him five days ago - he's now closer to Sheppard and Weston Road.

September 8, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  Magellan remains in the north part of Etobicoke, east of the Humber River around Weston & Finch.

September 4, 2000:  43.7N, 79.6W.  The latest transmission from Magellan indicates that he has returned to northern Etobicoke, several kilometres northeast of Pearson International Airport.

August 30, 2000:  43.8N, 79.6W.  Magellan remains in Vaughan, near Weston Road, north of Highway 7.

August 26, 2000:  43.8N, 79.6W.  Weston Road and Highway 7 is where Magellan is today.  This is the same area that Nate (and possibly also Eco and/or Lincoln) visited earlier this year.  The attraction of this area is not immediately apparent - there is a large railway marshalling yard neaby and lots of industrial/commercial buildings, but not high structures or noteworthy green spaces.  However, the local pigeon population is certainly thriving, and that alone might be enough of an attraction.

August 12, 2000:  43.8N, 79.6W.  Magellan's seafaring days appear to be over - at least for the time being.  Today he was back in the north end of Etobicoke, around Kipling and Steeles.

August 4, 2000:  43.6N, 78.9W.  Once again, Magellan has made quite a radical change in position.  Today's reading places him well out over Lake Ontario, roughly 25 km south of Whitby.

July 30, 2000:  43.8N, 79.5W.  Magellan has shifted slightly to the east, and is now around Sheppard and Keele.  This is adjacent to the former Downsview Air Base, which currently supports many grassland species.  Considering that Marco and Angel brought Eastern Meadowlarks in as prey this spring, I wonder whether Magellan is now hunting this species at Downsview, as they are quite common there.

July 26, 2000:  43.8N, 79.5W.  Magellan headed northeast to Downsview today, with a couple of transmissions reaching us from the Sheppard and Jane area.

July 21, 2000:  43.6N, 79.5W.  Today Magellan made a foray to the east, signalling from the area of Queen and Lansdowne, a bit east of High Park.  It seems that he's gradually expanding the circle which he's exploring.

July 17, 2000:  43.6N, 79.6W.  Magellan continues to roam around Etobicoke.  Today he was in the area of Burnhamthorpe Road and Highway 427.

July 13, 2000:  43.6N, 79.5W.  For the first time since the days immediately following his release, we have confirmation of Magellan being back around the Clarica Centre.  Perhaps he's not quite ready to leave his family behind altogether.  

July 8, 2000:  43.7N, 79.6W.  Magellan spent today along the airport hotel strip on Dixon Road.  Nate has been in this area recently too - it would appear that the airport is an attractive spot for peregrines.

July 4, 2000:  43.7N, 79.5W.  Already Magellan is traveling a fair distance from home.  Today's reading places him along Keele Street, just north of St. Clair, several kilometres northeast of the Etobicoke nest site.