Thursday August 15, 2002
Natalie Helferty reports:  With Viking in rehabilitation, we now have Valour, Majesty and Hope left around the Town Hall. If anyone does go by to see them, let us know. We are feeding them every day still and they seem to be taking less and less from the rooftop now. Yesterday, 2 of the 3 quail were left untouched. This indicates some independent hunting, which is good to see finally.

Two of the birds were seen flying by the Town Hall yesterday by Tom Waechter. The best time to see them flying is around 6 pm, when they take to the skies and fly together, doing aerial acrobatics together. It's great to see!

Sadly, with the loss of Spirit, who was true to her name, we'll miss her vitality in the air, as she was always encouraging her siblings to fly with her, enjoying her newfound freedom after her hospitalization. She'll be missed by all for sure.

Tuesday August 13, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  Some sad news tonight - after more than three weeks of strong flights without any apparent problems, Spirit was unexpectedly found dead beside the Richmond Hill Town Hall late Sunday morning.  We are grateful to James Ryan for quickly contacting us after discovering her.  At this point it is unclear what may have happened; Spirit will be delivered to the Ontario Veterinary College for a necropsy, and we hope to eventually learn more about how she died.  She had been doing very well ever since her release, so her sudden death comes as quite a surprise.

Friday August 9, 2002
Harry Crawford reports:  When I arrived in the area at 8:47am, what appeared to be Valour was on the west side of the condo.  He flew over to the south side of the Town Hall at 9:19am.  A check of the area 15 minutes later didn't find him.  A thorough check of the area didn't unearth the other three.

Thursday August 8, 2002
Yuki Nakamura reports:  One juvenile was on the ledge of the east side of the Town Hall.  He/she jumped down on the letter "H" of the logo "RICHMOND".  Another one came to join from the rooftop and they stayed together.  

Tuesday July 30, 2002
Yuki Nakamura reports:  At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I saw 2 immatures over the condo. One was sitting on the south-west corner of the ledge. The other one flew into the rooftop.  About 5 minutes later, one of them started flying gracefully around condo. Her/his performance was very good.  He/she was enjoying the strong wind very much. Around 5:30, there were 2 immatures on the very top of the Town Hall (the south-east corner). One didn't have the transmitter. The other one, I couldn't see.  They were sitting very closely together.

Sunday July 28, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  For those interested in Viking's temporary home, here are some further details.  Viking's pen is 12 feet high, 10 feet wide, and 40 feet long.  This is the last pen of a serpentine flyway which is in total 288 feet in length - it is three corridors that have 180 degree turns at the ends. Currently the flyway is being used by some owls that are to be released in a couple of weeks.  Waiting their turn are some hawk owls that will have the flyway for a month before they will be released up north.  Once they are gone, Viking will have the flyway to herself. 

Saturday July 27, 2002
Natalie Helferty reports:  Viking is doing really well at Kay McKeever's at the Owl Foundation, where she will remain until she moults into her adult feathers. She is now hunting her new favorite prey...mice! They provide her with great fun, as well as honing her hunting skills. She is in a high 40 foot long outdoor pen and will be taking over a new 250+ foot pen within the next couple of weeks.

Spirit and Hope made a beeline to the Town Hall to eat yesterday after I put out their food. And all 4 birds were together on July 22nd on the Town Hall and north side of the Convention Centre. They all are doing well.

Linda Woods reports:  Zoe, Paul and I headed up to Richmond Hill late this afternoon hoping we would see all four immatures all together. We first saw Hope with her antenna, flying very well although, still staying close to the R.H. Town Hall and still likes to sit on the east and west sides of the Sheraton Hotel. The next immature we saw, I think was Spirit on the south side of the convention centre. Hope and Spirit made wonderful flights across Hwy # 7 towards the south and Leslie Street towards the west. On leaving the area around 8:00p.m. one immature was on the west side of the condos and as we headed west, a second was seen on the west side of the CIBC building near West Beaver Creek Rd.

Friday July 26, 2002
Yuki Nakamura reports:  I went to Richmond Hill on Friday and saw 2 immatures on the Town Hall. One was on the south ledge and the other was on the short construction pipe on the east side. (around 5:20pm) I had to leave because of the heavy rain.

Thursday July 25, 2002
Yuki Nakamura reports:  14:00 One immature was flying over the Town Hall.  14:30 I saw only the reflection of one bird on the Town Hall south side. (I couldn't find the immature!??)

15:00 One flew to the Sheraton Convention Centre and landed on the roof-top.  15:08 One immature came from south and flew to north of the Convention Centre (in the middle of the building). Looked like she scared a human being on the roof-top.  15:12 One flew to east and disappeared.

16:45 I saw 2 immatures, side by side, on the south-west ledge of the Town Hall. They jumped down together to the roof-top. The action was very cute!

Saturday July 20, 2002
Jan Chudy reports:  Not having seen the fledglings since July 2, I persuaded my husband that I needed to spend some time on Saturday morning watching them. 

We arrived at the Town Hall parking lot at 10:20.  Within a minute, one bird flew over us, across East Beaver Creek and landed on the north east corner of the RBC building.  It sat on the edge for a few minutes, while two mocking birds squeaked ceaselessly.  After a few minutes the peregrine jumped down out of sight.

On turning around, we saw a second bird land on the top east side of the Town Hall.  We watched for a few minutes and then we decided to walk to the Leslie/Hwy 7 corner.  At 10:35 as we got to the Esso station, I spotted a peregrine on the south-east side of the construction site on the south side of 7. As we watched it look off quite lazily, circled over the Esso station and then was lost to view over the Sheraton.  Not having seen the birds in so long, I am unable to identify one from the other, although the first one we saw was very large.

At 10:45 we were circling the  block and as we were approaching the Town Hall from behind, a peregrine flew over us coming from the west and landed on the top of the Town Hall.  It was clearly Hope - we could see her antenna.  A pair of mockingbirds started to squawk and put up quite a racket.

At 10:52 a second bird arrived from the south east and settled on the south side of the Town Hall and settled on one of the letters.

At 10:55 Hope was chased off by the mockingbirds.  She flew over and around the Sheraton and then back to the Town Hall a few times, almost as if she were trying to assert her air space.  She went out of site to the west over the Sheraton.

At 10:58 a second bird joined the bird on the south side of the Town Hall.  Could not determine if it was Hope, nor who the first bird was.

We completed a circuit of the block again and at 11:24 as we walked back to the Town Hall via 7, Hope landed on the "H" on the south side of the Town Hall and went down on the roof.

At 11:27 she appeared from the roof and sat again on the "H".  Between now and 11:50, Hope was continuously bombarded and screeched at by a very aggressive mockingbird.  She was struck at least twice but stayed put.  On one occasion, she raised her self up and shook out her wings but then settled back on the "H".  As we left shortly after 11:50, the mockingbird was still harassing her.

Friday July 19, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Viking has been sent to Owl Foundation for rehabilitation.  She will remain there until her next moult.  Unfortunately, her feathers have proven to be very brittle.  Her last mishap resulted in some extensive feather damage. Therefore, after consulting with the Ministry of Natural Resources and close observation of the bird, it was decided that releasing her would not be prudent.  At the Owl Foundation Viking will be allowed to fully develop in an environment that will ensure that she remains wild and fully self-sufficient once released.

As she will be in captivity for the next year, we are welcoming any donations to help cover the cost of her recovery at the Owl Foundation. Please send your donations to: The Canadian Peregrine Foundation-Viking; 250 Merton Street, Suite 404; Toronto, Ontario; M4S 1B1.  We will forward the funds to the Owl Foundation as they accumulate so they can focus on working with their birds and Viking.  Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Thursday July 18, 2002
Linda Woods reports:  Spirit was released today and it didn't take her long to find her place in the sky. Wonderful flying, she was already making her way across # 7 Hwy and towards the 404. She's maintaining height, Great landings and she is even chasing other birds. No problems with her flying abilities. All four appear to be doing very well.

David Pfeffer reports:  Hope has become part of Project Track-'em.  She was outfitted with her transmitter last night.  She was released this morning and her flights were strong.  The Sheraton Hotel reported that people were commenting on a Peregrine that appears to have been shot.  We cleared everything up by informing them that the transmitter has an antenna that sticks out from Hope's back.  It is amazing to learn just how many people are keeping track of the birds.

Spirit has reunited with her siblings.  Majesty spent last night on the Town Hall sign in front of the hackbox.  Valour joined her in the morning.  The three were quite calm together, although, Spirit was still inside the box. The first test came when Hope was placed into the hackbox to allow her to eat before being released.  Naturally, in true sibling fashion Hope kicked Spirit off her quail and started eating it even though there were two in the hackbox.  Spirit did not like this one bit!  However, the situation was diffused when the trap door to the box was opened and Spirit could finally be free from captivity.  Hope also came out with her pilfered quail in tow. Everything calmed down once the two had their space.

In the early afternoon Spirit took her maiden flight.  She circled the Town Hall and landed on the Sheraton Convention Centre.  We didn't even realize it was her at first until a headcount was taken.  That gives you an indication of how good her first flight was.  Later Majesty coaxed her to fly again and we had all four Peregrines in the air.

Valour appears to be showing ever increasing signs of independence.  It is quite common to have him disappear.  He also clearly has no time for humans. When checking the rooftop for our headcount, he was right in front of the door eating.  As soon as he saw me he took his quail to the east side out of sight.  Combine this with some spectacular stoops on the local pigeons, I am pretty sure he will fare well once he finally heads off on his own.

Majesty has become the new target in the local Mockingbird's war on Peregrines.  These Mockingbirds are getting quite a reputation and will soon have to be named for their efforts.  One of them went all the way to the far west end of the Sheraton to harass Majesty after Spirit proved to be no challenge.  A couple of times Majesty even got hit on the rump!  For the most part she remained calm and attempted to ignore the assault.  Finally, she got fed up and after some rather coarse language being directed to the Mockingbird she retreated to the green building on the west side of Leslie. I am impressed with the Mockingbird's victory considering that the nest appears to be on the east side of the Town Hall which is on the opposite end of the block.

I must add that Majesty gave us a wonderful display of her flying prowess. In the early afternoon she caught a thermal and methodically circled up higher and higher.  We estimate that she was close to a kilometre high when she was no more than a speck in the sky. She then pulled in the wings and glided out to the west and out of sight.  It was a hypnotic experience to behold.

Tuesday July 16, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  When I arrived today I was a little concerned since the three were not in any of their usual haunts.  So I made my way to the rooftop and was astonished to find Majesty and Valour inside the hackbox gorging themselves on the quail that I had put out yesterday.  Hope was perched on the side of the hackbox ledge resting.  I didn't realize they were there until I was already on the roof.  So, I slowly sat down and hoped that I wouldn't spook them.

Majesty knew something was up and jumped to the top of the box.  Once she saw me she gave me a good earful regarding Peregrines and privacy. Fortunately, the local Mockingbird arrived and distracted them for a while.  So I slowly started inching my way back to the door.  However, my cover was blown when Hope, who until that moment had no idea that I was even on the roof, started to preen her tail feathers.  Well, she certainly noticed me as she slowly raised her head and then quickly lowered it for a double take.  A couple of head bobs and she took off for the Sheraton like lightning.  Majesty and Valour quickly followed.  Oddly, their panic flight was short lived as Valour started diving on Majesty who was just in the process of grabbing Hope's feet.  Talk about short memories.

Monday July 15, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  All three were on the north side of the condo when I arrived to put out their food.  It didn't take long for the three to become airborne and enjoy a good chase.  I am really impressed with their flying skills.  At one point all three were facing into the wind diving and coming back up without a single flap.  They did this for a good five minutes before they chose a new game.

Sunday July 14, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  After I put the food out I took a drive around the area.  I was able to locate all three falcons.  Valour landed on the south ledge of the Town Hall shortly after I placed the food out.  Majesty flew over the Town Hall but landed on a building to the west.  Hope was on the north side of the condo calmly preening herself.  Considering the warm weather it is no surprise that they weren't very active.  A good look at all of them revealed that they are all looking healthy.

I was surprised when a Cooper's Hawk flew past Valour.  Once the hawk realized what Valour was, it quickly stooped away to the west.  I wonder if that hawk is sneaking some of their food?  Valour did not respond to the hawk.  He just calmly watched the bird fly past and away from him.

Saturday July 13, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Viking was brought to the Wild Bird Clinic in Guelph to assess her condition. The good news is that there are no breaks and her internal development looks good.  Her weight was around 800 grams which confirms that she is indeed a female.  The only worry at this time is that she may have a slight respiratory infection.  Since Spirit came down with Trichomoniasis (Frounce), they will be testing for that and other possibilities.

Spirit underwent her final check-up today and a slight irritation was spotted at the back of the throat.  Therefore, she will have to stay for a while longer until it clears up.

Thursday July 11, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  Sure enough, Viking has managed to get into trouble yet again.  This morning, the first shift of volunteers found that she was no longer on the roof where she had appeared to settle in for the night yesterday.  After a brief search, they found her on the north side of the same building, perched on top of a car.  Unfortunately, it appeared that Viking had damaged a couple of her primaries, so she was again recaptured.  Not knowing how she incurred the damage, it was decided that as a precaution she should be sent to the Ontario Veterinary College for x-rays and further examination.  The latest word is that Spirit has improved considerably, so it is possible that we may be able to pick her up when dropping off Viking.  News about both will be posted here as we receive it.

Tuesday July 9, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Viking flew to the green building on the west side of Leslie.  She decided to spend the day there and will be spending the night there as well. The others were very active but did spend a good amount of time keeping Viking company.  Once it started to get dark they couldn't resist flying. They were pulling some very impressive manoeuvres.  For an hour straight they chased one another and made some attempts on other birds.  Overall, a very good day for them all.  I am sure Viking appreciates having a different view for once.

Monday July 8, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  I spoke with David Pfeffer this morning and learned that yesterday Viking came to the ground once more, but this time all the way over on the southeast side of Highway 7 and East Beaver Creek Road - at least she is improving her range, and now perhaps needs to just work on endurance.  Once again she was rescued and brought back to safety at the hack box - though this has happened a few times now, she remains feisty and utterly intolerant of human handling. If anything, once she finally gains her strength, she is likely to do all she can to minimize any future contact with people!

The good news is that this morning, Viking has made the flight over to the roof of the Sheraton Hotel, one of the favourite hangouts of her siblings.  This is a significant milestone for her, as it means she was able to maintain her altitude for a reasonable distance.  Hopefully some more strong flights will follow as she gains both strength and confidence.

David Pfeffer reports:  Viking made some impressive flights to the point that the volunteers were having a hard time distinguishing her from her siblings.  However, the local Mockingbirds sought revenge for Viking's previous landing near their nest. One of them immediately began harassing Viking.  Overall, things were going well until Viking came around the corner of the Town Hall along the east side and glanced off the building.  This led to Viking scrambling down the side of the Town Hall.  Two employees got a good scare when a Peregrine almost landed on top of them.  Fortunately, Viking was okay.  She shook off the crash, but, when she took flight the Mockingbird was right on top of her.  Viking wasn't able gain any elevation and a very low chase ensued.  The volunteers scrambled to keep up with the two birds that were flying north along East Beaver Creek.  Finally, Viking crossed to the other side of the road and landed in a parking lot.  The Mockingbird then headed back to the Town Hall.  As it was getting close to the time for people to finish work and Viking being in the middle of a very crowded parking lot, it was decided that Viking would be moved back to the rooftop of the Town Hall.  Also, taken into consideration was the fact that Viking was looking really hot and quite shaken up from the assault.  Who would have thought that a Mockingbird could be such a force to be reckoned with!

Once Viking was placed into the rescue box, I was called down to do a quick check-up and make sure the collision with the Town Hall didn't result in any injuries.  Viking was very calm during the whole check-up and looked just fine.  She was then placed into the hack box.  She responded by jumping out of the box and on to the roof.  She quickly scanned the rooftop for food and once spotting some, she promptly ran over to it and began to eat.  Her sister Hope shortly joined her and the two feasted on the quail together. Afterwards, both relaxed on the south ledge of the Town Hall. Majesty appears to have caught her own dinner.  She made a long stoop, from the crane that she was perched on, to the Royal Bank building.  The pigeons scrambled out of the way and Majesty disappeared behind the building.  Half an hour later she returned to the crane and started wiping her beak and cleaning her talons.  Judging from the size of her crop she most likely caught a smaller bird than a pigeon.  But, she caught a bird none the less. Valour has begun to show signs of independence.  He still likes to hang around Majesty, but around 8:00p.m. took off to the condo that is west of the Town Hall and spent the rest of the evening there alone.  Reports from the volunteers tend to indicate that he also caught his own dinner.

Saturday July 6, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Viking finally gave us a hint of a strong flight.  This afternoon she took off west from the Town Hall then circled around the north side, headed east and made it across the road to the movie theatres.  She then attempted to get back to the Town Hall.  However, she ended up landing on the parking lot.  Bruce Massey and Linda Woods did a great job in making sure any cars gave her lots of space.  When I approached Viking to pick her up and return her to the roof, she surprised us all when she calmly took flight and made it to the lower ledge of the Town Hall.  That is the first time that she has ever gained elevation in a flight.  Of course, the local pair of Mockingbirds were not as impressed and Viking had to endure a nasty barrage of attacks from the female.  It appears that Viking landed right beside the nest!

The smoke from the Quebec forest fires really darkened the sky around the Town Hall.  The other three hardly moved this afternoon.  This is very unusual but they were probably just as confused by the weather as we were. The only bird with a good excuse for not moving was Hope.  She ate so much food that her crop looked like a beach ball was stuck in her throat.  For the longest time she didn't even leave the Town Hall roof and instead rested on an electrical box.

Friday July 5, 2002
Natalie Helferty reports:  For the second time, ViKing, our baby girl (not a boy as previously thought) got blown off the roof again and had to be rescued...again!

The first time was on Tuesday, July 2. ViKing took an early morning flight, or fall, prior to the arrival of our coordinator at 6 am. After a full day's frantic search in the humid 34 C weather, she popped up at 4 pm on the low roof of the parking garage at the base of the Town Hall. After looking from every available rooftop and scouring the ground and all visible ledges, she managed to hide herself away in the one spot we could not see her from above or below.

Although terribly hot from being in the sunny west side all afternoon, ViKing was none the worse for wear as she fly-hopped across the roof over to the Maple Pepper Restaurant, which ironically specializes in serving pigeon as a Chinese delicacy. After an ungraceful slide down their slanted roof window, she ended up on their balcony as if to say to the bemused chef and waiters looking on, "I'm here! When's dinner?"

Being only about 15 feet off the ground, she was in a predicament and she seemed to know it. But, we waited and watched patiently, certain in the knowledge that she'd come to the ground sooner or later. After spending a night on the balcony and walking her personal elevated walkway around the perimeter of the town hall, she gorged herself on a skillfully tossed quail that David Pfeffer, CPF staffer and Richmond Hill co-coordinator, landed on the 'walkway' the following morning.

After sleeping off breakfast, lunch and dinner (and after probably getting bored at staring at herself in the reflective glass all day), she finally tried to fly and came down to the ground. Bruce Massey quickly scooped her up, and into the rescue box she went. Back into the hack box on the rooftop after a thorough once-over by David. She decided that the next day was too hot to come out of the hack box (or perhaps she was just utterly humiliated) so came out only after the heatwave broke yesterday.

Well, with her 3 siblings joining her in the evening on the ledge of the town hall and with the gusting cool winds, she couldn't resist playing with them--her siblings and the wind. After being lifted by the wind 2 feet off the hack box roof and scrambling for a foothold, she moved to the ledge. Running across the ledge, she pushed her complaining sister, Hope, off the ledge, peeving her off royally. Having had her fun with her, she then ran further across the ledge and played submissive to her dominant sister, Majesty, with a lot of head-turning and beak-tapping, and then squeezed by Majesty, to run further along the ledge to strike up a talon boxing match with her older brother, Valour. What fun she thought this was! But as the winds picked up and the temperature plummeted, so did the birds!

Nobody took notice of ViKing--she'd hopped down to the sign below the ledge out of sight to roost for the night as was customary--as they were suddenly distracted by her sister, Majesty, who was not gaining enough altitude in the dropping temperature and was making unsuccessful landing attempts, i.e., faceplants into the east side of the Town Hall windows, a couple of times before circling around a few more times and getting enough height to land safely on the Town Hall roof! It was getting very dark as it was 9:45 pm by then. Having just accounted for all the birds a few moments ago, nobody thought twice that ViKing couldn't be on the roof anymore and it was too dark to see the birds from below.

David was driving Linda Woods and Bruce Massey to the subway when he received a surprising call to return to the Town Hall from the Security Guard, Mohammad.

The 'pigeon' that the big, burly moving guys called into Security to come and remove from the back of their moving van in the loading dock of the Town Hall wasn't all that friendly they complained, and in fact was hissing at them! Strangest pigeon they'd ever seen, with scary-looking sharp nails to boot! They weren't going to go near it!

Luckily our Town Security Guards have taken an interest in our falcons and recognized it as a one of our birds right away. When David and the crew returned, David was warned by the moving guys that it was a vicious 'pigeon' and to be careful. Despite ViKing's spread-winged attempt to 'blend in' to the truck's wooden wall to avoid detection, a quick toss of a towel, to the amazement of the moving crew, and she was once again safely retrieved.

If not for her 'viciousness', she would have ended up hitch-hiking her way south rather than flying! The truck was on its way to London with only one last piece of furniture left to be loaded!

After spending another night in her 'favourite' rescue box, we put her back in the hack box this morning and she hopped up on the roof within 2 minutes, flapping away enthusiastically in the very blustery wind. Short-term memory perhaps...try, try again girl!

ViKing is expected to be fully feathered within a day or so as her primaries are now fully developed. With down still under her wings and a funny featherless neck, of downy fluff and feather quills that makes her look like a vulture, this 'runt of the litter' sure is a lucky one and we hope her antics are all airborne ones from now on.

David Pfeffer reports:  Viking is truly a bird that I will never forget.  It appears that she did in fact make a successful flight.  Linda Woods noticed that one, among the other three that were airbourne, was really struggling to fly.  This bird did land on the Sheraton Convention Centre.  When it tried to return to the Town Hall, however, it disappeared behind the building.  We just assumed that it was Majesty feeling the bump she received from glancing off the Town Hall.  But we later realized that Majesty had actually landed on the opposite side of the Convention Centre.  Thank goodness for log books!

I am happy to say that Viking has made another successful flight albeit a very short one.  She flew from the south ledge of the Town Hall to the north ledge.  Considering what this bird has been through that was an achievement. After again watching the bird closely I finally found the problem.  Viking is still missing many of the feathers that cover the bottom of the wing (underwing coverts) .  The feathers that would normally cover the shaft of the primary feathers are still growing in.  This means that her wings currently have rather large gaps right where the primaries extend from her wrists.  Imagine flying with holes all along the middle of the wing.  It is no wonder that this bird had to flap so hard!

The others are making lots of flights and hunting attempts.  Valour alone made four attempts at catching blackbirds in less than half an hour yesterday.  Today, Majesty made a spectacular dive on the local pigeons.  Their progress is incredible.

Good news regarding Spirit.  She is undergoing treatment and is responding well.  She has been diagnosed with Frounce (Trichomonas gallinae).  Everyone is looking forward to seeing her make her maiden flight once she is better.

Thursday July 4, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  We continue to receive many inquiries from readers about the condition of Spirit.  Unfortunately, we have yet to receive any word at all about her status.  Whenever we do finally get some news, it will be posted on this page.

Tuesday July 2, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  David Pfeffer informed me tonight that Viking finally took flight today.  Unfortunately, Viking is not nearly as skilled in the air as the older siblings, and he/she ended up on the lowest ledge of the Town Hall, remaining there for the night.  Valour, Majesty, and Hope all are still doing well.  No news yet about Spirit.

Monday July 1, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Valour, Majesty and Hope continue to fly well.  In fact their first successful hunt occurred around 7:00p.m.  Two of them were spotted chasing a starling in relay fashion.  A few minutes later they were feeding together. Well, it was more like duel on who would get to eat.

I was able to get a close look at all of the birds around 8:30p.m. when they came to the Town Hall to finish any leftover quail from an earlier feeding. All look really good.  They all show incredible appetites and were very affectionate to one another after they finished eating.  When I left at sundown they were all perched on the "Richmond Hill" sign.

Viking continues to grow in feathers.  It appears that he is in fact a she! Today Viking was very playful and enjoyed a really thorough bath.  Viking decided not to fledge today but continues to flap and run around.  In fact, Viking managed to run the entire length of the south and most of the east ledge of the Town Hall in one long burst of energy.

Sunday June 30, 2002
David Pfeffer reports:  Valour, Majesty and Hope are flying really well.  They are far more active than the birds from last year's hack.  In fact, their progress in the air is so rapid that it is hard to believe that they ever endured any hardship. Two of the birds have begun hunting attempts.  One even made a wonderful stoop on some pigeons over East Beaver Creek.  I can't tell you which bird it was since all three were in the air and going every possible direction! Viking continues his feather growth.  His siblings are now coaxing him to fly by circling above him and making close passes.  He is constantly
flapping and running across the ledge.  His fledge is imminent.

David Dean reports:  Clare, Chloe and I made it out to Richmond Hill this afternoon to cheer on our most beloved orphans. They all seem to be doing well, except ViKing is still a little hesitant. He's a fast walker, but he's not a penguin or an ostrich, so that wont cut it for much longer! He was hanging out on top of the Town Hall the whole time, scurrying back and forth and occasionally spreading his wings.  The oldest male (according to Linda Woods) flew across Highway 7, and landed on the construction site. Then, he took off, and started to chase a kestrel for about 15 seconds. He was joined by another one of the kids, to no avail.  The newest arrival sat down on the same construction site, which is where it stayed until we left (1 hour or so). The oldest male flew over to the Sheraton and set down beside the big vent. 

Friday June 28, 2002
Mark Nash reports:  Today, I had the pleasure to be present at the release of the Toronto chicks at the Richmond Hill Town Hall.  I have to say that I was like small child in a candy store. Excited is an understatement!  Surrounded by some old friends, and some new friends, we gathered atop the roof of the Town Hall to take a close look one more time at the five young peregrine chicks just before their release.  One of the chicks (Spirit) seemed a little under the weather, and although full of energy and very feisty, for safety sake, she was taken to the Ontario Veterinary College for a medical check up.  The other four chicks were also full of energy and definitely ready to go.  Each bird was inspected by Mark Heaton of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and given a clean bill of health to be released.

The birds were put back into the hack box, and after a allowing them to settle in for a short period of time, the bars were released and the birds were free to go.  The watchers stationed in the streets at various checkpoints, radios in hand, and we all waited for the first flight.  It took almost a half an hour for the first bird to venture out of the hack box and on to the landing platform.  Seconds later the 2nd and 3rd, and 4th bird followed.  Over the next few minutes there was much flapping, and much vocalizing by all.  The big female (Majesty) leapt up to the roof of the hack box and took a dominant posture, vocalizing at the three of us still scrambling to get out of sight.  Dominant is an understatement!!  She  reminds me of her mother Victoria, that I spend so many years watching while working in downtown Toronto.  One after another, Majesty, Valour, and Hope left the landing platform of the hack box and took flight.  All strong first flights. It was incredible to see.  Strong powerful wing beats, and successful landings on the surrounding rooftops.  

ViKing (the youngest chick) on the other hand decided that he would seek the shelter of the shade atop of the R.H. roof top and wait out the noon day sun.  It was hot, very hot with very high humidity. Throughout the balance of the day the other three were all active at demonstrating strong flights. The three spent most of the day up to 9:15 pm roof hopping around and on the R.H. Town Hall, and finally only just settling down as darkness fell.  ViKing spent most of his time afoot, running around the R,H. roof top and ledge. Still covered with much white down, it would appear that he is just not ready to go yet.  Worth mentioning, is the dominant attitude of Majesty.  She spent much of her time visiting all of her siblings on the various ledges and roof tops throughout the day.  It was almost as if she was protecting them!  Several times throughout the day, she attended each of their sides, often scolding and vocalizing at the workmen atop the hotel roof, where her siblings roosted periodically throughout the day.

Sunday June 23, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  After having reviewed the progress of the five chicks again, it has been decided that they are rapidly gaining strength and will all be ready for release after a few more days of muscle-strengthening.  The release has been scheduled for Friday June 28, 10 am.  The Fledgling Watch will commence at that time and continue for a period of approximately two weeks, depending on how quickly the peregrines develop their flight skills.  Additional volunteers are still needed; contact Natalie Helferty at nhelferty@rogers.com for details.

Saturday June 22, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  David Pfeffer checked on the status of the birds today while feeding them.  The older ones are already eager to leave the hack box, spending their time on the upper ledge and hoping (in vain) to squeeze between the bars.  Their progress continues to be very encouraging and thoughts are turning to picking a date for their release.

Friday June 21, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  First a quick update on the five birds.  David Pfeffer provided them with food yesterday evening and noted that all five had already made the jump up to the upper ledge of the hack box and were looking out through the bars at their new surroundings.  This is very encouraging in terms of their growth and improving strength.

Now, the moment that everyone has been waiting for - the naming of the chicks and unveiling of their photos!  Thank you to everyone who entered the Name the Chicks contest - from Germany to the Dominican Republic to dozens of states and several provinces, we had suggestions literally from around the world, reflecting the incredible international interest in the Toronto peregrine family.  We have never before received so many entries, nor has the selection process ever been so difficult.  There were dozens of suggestions which merited strong consideration, and even narrowing the field down to a final short list was a challenge.  

In the end, convinced in large part by the frequency of such sentiments among the messages we received, we decided that the names selected should either honour the legacy of Pounce-Kingsley and Victoria, or reflect the remarkable experiences the chicks have had.  All suggestions were reviewed anonymously to eliminate any biases in voting. Without further ado, we are pleased to formally introduce this year's famous family of five:

Thursday June 20, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  When working with wildlife, even the best laid plans can go astray.  We had expected to bring three captive-bred peregrine chicks to the Richmond Hill hack box in early July for our third season of Project Release at this site.  Instead, the Richmond Hill hack box is, as of last night, home to five wild-produced peregrine chicks!

In brief, these chicks hatched in downtown Toronto, the offspring of Pounce-Kingsley and Victoria in their eighth season in the city.  Unfortunately Pounce-Kingsley was found dead recently, and Victoria also disappeared, leaving the chicks without any source of food.  The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Canadian Peregrine Foundation cooperated to rescue the chicks from their nest on Saturday June 15, and the chicks subsequently spent a few days under observation at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's Kortright facility, where they could be monitored for health, activity, and growth.  Yesterday all received a clean bill of health and were transferred to the Richmond Hill hack box.  Details about events over the past week can be found on the Downtown Toronto page.

The eldest of the five youngsters are already approaching the age at which they might begin flying under normal circumstances.  However, as they were underweight when they were rescued, it is taking some time for them to build up their body weight, and more importantly, their muscle mass.  They will therefore be kept in the box somewhat longer than usual, to ensure that their flight muscles are sufficiently strong to support them before they are set free.  The chicks will now be fed through a tube in the hack box to minimize human contact, and their activity can also be monitored through peepholes.  Prior to release, they will be checked once more to confirm that they are ready to go.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  We can't yet say exactly when the Fledgling Watch will begin, due to our uncertainties about the rate of development of the chicks, but it will likely not be for at least another week.  However, when the time comes, we will need help to keep track of their movements and ensure their safety - though we intend to keep them until their flight muscles are strong, even fully developed fledglings often have trouble with their initial flights and require rescuing from the ground.  Because there are five of them, it will be all the more difficult to keep track of all at once, so we really are hoping for a large turnout of volunteers to assist with the watch.  We anticipate the watch will last for approximately two weeks, and will go from dawn to dusk daily.  No experience necessary, just an interest in watching the peregrines!  If you would like to participate, or require more information, please contact our Richmond Hill coordinator, Natalie Helferty, at nhelferty@rogers.com. 

Sunday June 9, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  Plans are underway for Project Release to return to Richmond Hill for a third year this summer.  Chicks are again expected to arrive in late June or early July; watch this space for details to be confirmed in the near future.

Sunday April 14, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:  There have been several possible sightings of peregrines in the general vicinity of the Richmond Hill Town Hall over the past week or two.  Given that Lionheart was in the area on at least one day, it's possible that he is the bird being seen.  Alternatively, Legacy may also still (or again) be in the area.  Within the next week to ten days, there is also a good chance that Lightning may return to Richmond Hill for at least a brief while.  We ask that anyone in the Richmond Hill area keep their eyes peeled for peregrines, especially those wearing backpack transmitters; if you are fortunate enough to catch sight of them, please e-mail us your observations. 

Tuesday January 29, 2002
Alan Kirschbaum reports:  I was on the bus yesterday at around 4:45 when I saw a falcon on the antenna of one of the taller buildings in the Yonge and Cummer area.  The building is probably 12 stories and has a very large antenna system on top of it. 

Marcel Gahbauer comments:  Though the above sighting is not from Richmond Hill, there's a good chance this might be Legacy from last year's Richmond Hill release.  There have been a couple of other recent sightings along Yonge between Sheppard & Finch, as well as further west on Finch.  Of course it's also possible that this is a peregrine from somewhere else entirely - if anyone else sees this bird (or these birds, as the case may be), please let us know if any bands are visible.