June 07, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON : DAY ONE
A quiet, though smokey, day. I was happy to finally see Gordon (and ID him) up on the ledge! And his sibling was just behind him(I believe it’s Lightfoot but have no proof lol), which was a big improvement over the past few days Sally and I have been checking on them. Only heads peeking over. Gordon did lots of flapping and even walked along the ledge. He still has lots of fluff on his tush but is almost ready to go. The girls(or is it one girl, 2 boys??? Time will tell) , well one especially, are going to be a while. Unless accidental… Holden and Nagata were also excited to see them up… They did some great training flights, showing them how its done and where to go. Nagata took on a turkey vulture that got too close… He’s not coming back any time soon! It was lovely to see the parents flying and being playful with each other. Sally joined me for the evening but it was pretty quiet after their dinner. Feedings are definitely less but these kids seem to be very well fed… They aren’t screaming for food or going at the parents for it… Or else they’re very well behaved! So that’s the official day one done… Hopefully the smoke from the forest fires will be better tomorrow (let’s hope for rain so they can get them under control, or out!). And maybe a fledge tomorrow
Posted on June 7, 2023 10:27 pm
June 04, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
UPDATE DON MILLS : I’ve been keeping an eye on our family here and confirmed 2 hatches. It’s been a strange season here and continues to be so. Quest is allowing Canuck to feed the chicks more… Good thing too as when Sally and I went to check on them today, only Canuck was around. But he did great, hunted, fed the kids and kept them safe. We came back later to find no Quest still. And no Canuck but he came in shortly with food. After about an hour or so, another peregrine showed up, very high and circling. Quest? But she didn’t come down and Canuck took off South, with the Pf following. We could see something happening in the far distance but these eyes are not of a peregrine! They disappeared but Canuck came back on Thales, watching south for a while. He returned to top of the old Harlequin building facing south. He circled out and then headed north… We figured on the hunt as it was getting a little late. In no time food was brought… By Quest!! Whew. She was ok. We’ve had an intruder a few times here and also at Don Mills/Amexon… Was this the reason she’s been MIA and Canuck has been getting so much kid time?? Possibly… Sure wish the other Pf would leave the area! Our girl Quest is one tough cookie
Pictures thaks to Sally
Posted on June 4, 2023 11:23 pm
June 03, 2023 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
MEC fledge watch started unofficially yesterday. based on the age of the chicks we started the watch but did not expect any of the chicks to fly yet as they still had so much fluff on them.. Bruce was on site so when security saw one of the fledglings on the ground they contacted him and the chick was rescued. The chick made Bruce do a bit of running to catch her. Bruce called me to let me know she was in the carrier inside MEC1 to hold for later release because not having seen her come down we wanted to make sure she was ok. It turns out it was Scutttle and he believed since she was found at the base of the building she slipped of the edge and fluttered down to the ground so no actual intended flight. Mark went out last night to examine her and found her to be just fine and agreed with so much down still on her she did have a slip off the ledge. She was put back up on the roof so Mom and Dad can find her in the morning. Hopefully Scuttle will hold off on scuttling on the edge until she is a bit older and ready to fly.
Posted on June 3, 2023 10:19 am
May 31, 2023 - Oshawa - Lakeridge Hospital
Marion Nash Reports:
The name the chicks contest has closed and the winning names for the 2023 chicks are Elding for the boy and Olive for the girl.
Posted on May 31, 2023 2:23 pm
May 29, 2023 - Greater Toronto - Private Residential 1
Marion Nash Reports:
There may have only 2 chicks but they sure were cuties. 2 boys this year.
Marlene booked space for us to band and the Property management had everything ready for us,
John Beals was again our climber and extractor and Mark Heaton and Eva Bobak banded the chicks. While they banded I recorded all the band information and Mark Nash spoke to the attendees watching and there were many, Mark explained the banding procedure and the importance of banding.
When John climbed down to the nest he found one of the chicks sitting on the ledge and held still so he would not cause the chick to try to run from him a possibly fall. John called up to the team on the roof to send down the net so he could insure the chick could be safely captured.
John captured the chick and had it in the bag with no issue and everyone watching below cheered and clapped.
Eva hauled the bag up to the roof and brought it down to the banding table whole John remained on the ledge to distract the adults so they would not know the chicks were actually removed.
The boys were named by the residents of the building Atlas and Turner. Turner was named after Tina Turner.
Environment and Climate Change Canada was there to do blood testing on the chicks as part of a year study on environmental toxins.
Both chick received 2 bands one on each leg. The first is the black band a Canadian Recovery band and the second a silver US fish and Wildlife band.
Here is the banding information.
Atlas weighed 590 grams his band number is C over 39 and he has yellow tape on the silver band
Turner weighed 660 grams and his band number is C over 40 he has Red tape on this silver band.
The colored tape helps the fledge watchers identify the chicks from a distance as it is easier to see the colored band then band numbers.
The fledge watch will begin in about 2 weeks.
Thank you goes out to to Marlene, the building management, John Belas our climber and our banders Mark Heaton and Eva Bobak for yet another successful banding.
Posted on May 29, 2023 11:18 pm
May 29, 2023 - Oshawa - Lakeridge Hospital
Marion Nash Reports:
Another site with 2 chicks this time one boy and one girl.
Don Barron form the hospital met us at the main entrance and explained that along with Mark Nash who explained the banding procedure and importance of banding and was also the person who stayed out on the ledge at the nest box to distract the adults, Mark Heaton and Eva Boback our banders, Glenn Barrett and Kyna Dawn from Environment and Climate Change Canada who were doing blood testing on the chicks as part of a 5 year study of environmental toxins, Don and myself there would also 3 people recording, filming and taking photos and because it is a very small area the hospital ran a contest allowing only 2 winners to attend the banding and the lucky winners were Tia and Laurie. I brought with me 4 more people who have been assisting the foundation to monitor the falcon family and who wish to become fledge watchers keeping an eye on the chicks when they take their first flights and rescuing them should they come to ground.
We were spread out enough that we could work without any problems and the chicks were not overwhelmed. All went very well and everyone who attended were able to got some photos. We decided in order to protect hospital staff and patients this year we not have anyone hold the chicks at the end of the banding for a photo shoot due to Avian Flu but doing a selfie with the chicks in the photo would be ok.
I want to thank Don Barron and Lakeridge Health for their ongoing support of Oshawa`s only Peregrine falcon family and for giving us access to band the chicks, place a nest box on the ledge for the falcons and install a camera in the box to better monitor the falcons. Their tremendous support has made a big difference in the survival of these falcons and management of this nest site.
Here is the band information of the Oshawa chicks along with photos taken by myself of the chicks at banding and Mark Nash of the chicks and adult female out at the nest.
There are no names of the chicks listed her because the hospital is running a name the chicks contest with the staff so stay tuned for the names.
Each chick got 2 bands one on each leg. The first a Black alpha numeric Canadian Recovery band and the second a USA fish and wildlife band.
First chick weighed 500 grams was a male his band number is C over 41 and he has Yellow tape on his silver band.
The second chick weighed 790 grams a female, her band number is 26 over AB and she had Red tape on her silver band.
The Colored tape helps the fledge watchers identify the chicks form a distance.
Posted on May 29, 2023 11:07 pm
May 27, 2023 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Marion Nash Reports:
Looking through my scope, I could confirm there are 2 babies, little white fluff balls.
This is the best photo I could get with one of them and mom. I have to be quite far back to see in the nest.
A large area under the bridge has been blocked off for repairs so I couldn’t get closer for ID’ing any bands, not that it mattered, since mom didn’t move and there was no sign of dad.
Posted on May 27, 2023 11:27 am
May 27, 2023 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Marion Nash Reports:
Posted on May 27, 2023 10:29 am
May 27, 2023 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Marion Nash Reports:
Everything went well Anne Yagai and Mark banded the chicks and Lucie did the recording. Environment and Climate Change Canada was also there to take some blood samples as part of a 5 year study on environmental toxins. For some reason only 2 of the 5 eggs hatched one male and one female chick. All unhatched eggs recovered this year will also be part of the study.
Thanks goes our to ADM’S Eric Maxemuk and his staff for making this day possible.
2 healthy chicks
1070 grams Female band H over 77 named Cookie with blue tape on silver band
606 grams male band 39 over AW named Brownie with Red Tape on silver band
Love the names
Posted on May 27, 2023 10:28 am
May 27, 2023 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
Banding Day at Bloor and Islington Place has changed to June 15th at 1:30
Posted on May 27, 2023 10:22 am
