Canadian Peregrine Foundation

Web Cam is Up!

May 19, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

The online web cam is back up!  Check out the white pile of down next to the nextbox!

Enjoy

!!! If you can’t beat em…

May 19, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

All three young were in the nestbox bright and early this morning for breakfast.  Food is always a great motivator!

This afternoon all three have decided it’s time to see the world..or in this case what’s outside the box.  No doubt the warmer temperatures and sunshine will make the rest of the week more pleasant and more fun for this trio.  I expect in a matter of days they will be running up and down the ledge..giving me heart palpitations!

Special thank you to Renee for being my eyes today at the site as I have a day off…can hardly wait to see them tomorrow!

The Hunt Was On

May 18, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

Bill and I arrived at the Lift Bridge around 11:00am and departed around 3:30pm.  Those hours were spent trying to get a look at the female’s band.  Mom spent a great deal of time hunting and unfortunately, was not successful.  We witnessed three attempts on the local pigeons.  She did her hunting from atop the Hamilton Bridge Tower or the Hamilton Hydro Tower.  “Sir” finally managed to get something (which we missed) and delivered it to the nest box.  “Mom” immediately flew to the nest and commenced feeding.  Throughout our stay Bill was snapping photos in the hopes of getting a band number.  We can only confirm that the black band definitely shows K.  The green appears to be 83, but not definite.  This would mean that this is the same female that had her bands photographed in March.  She stuck her leg right out at us, but the camera lens just wasn’t quite strong enough.   We have one shot of a tiny white head appearing over the back edge of the box while “Mom” was feeding them.  The eyases were left unattended for most of the time we were there.  When we left, “Mom” was in the nest box and “Sir” was standing guard from the face of the Hamilton Tower.

Tomorrow is another day.

Stuffed and Sleepy

May 18, 2009 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre

Linda Woods Reports:

I arrived just as a feeding was finishing.  Three of the four eyases are seen in the images.  One of the chicks has already crawled out of the nest tray  and was directly under the camera and out of my view.  I caught a glimpse of the down blowing in the wind as Rhea Mae walked toward the camera and disappeared.  All I could see of Rhea, was the tip of her tail feathers. It was then I realised Rhea was shading the fourth chick from the strong sun.

In some of the images the size of the crop and pink talons can been seen.  I am sure we have at least one female.

!!! Little Run-a-way!

May 18, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

As it’s a holiday today I decided to take what I thought would be a quick trip down to the site to check on our family and see how they fared with the unusually cold nights over the weeked.

I arrived at approximately 10:45 to find 3 very active eyases and just as I was about to settle in for a good look..one of them decided to jump out of the nestbox!  She is on the side of the webcam and perhaps wanted to visit her dad who is sitting on top of the cam.  At first she stuck right to the edge of the box and then as time passed she got bolder and decided to go towards the edge of the ledge..that was when I realized that this would be no quick visit!

Fortunately she didn’t venture too far off and no doubt a chup from mom cautioned her to turn around which she did.  Then she decided that running towards dad might be fun but she didn’t get far before she tired out.  So back she went to the side of the nestbox and promptly settled down for a nap. Most of the three hours was spent watching them nap and try to shelter themselves from the sun.  Angel also spent quite a bit of time alternately shading them with her wings, preening them or giving them beak kisses - very affectionate mum for a bird of prey!

Tomorrow the eyases will be 3 weeks old and right on schedule I noticed, not only is their size quite impressive standing next to their mother, but I could clearly see what looks like to the eye like someone dipped the edges of their wing tips in black ink and black stripes on their bodies in between the down.  This is the first sign that their flight feathers and body contour feathers are developing. 

When I left them, all three were napping in the shade - 2 sprawled out in the nestbox and the other right beside the box with Angel watching over them.  No doubt little Miss Run-a-Way will find her way home again once dinner arrives…!

North York Peregrines-Weekly Report

May 18, 2009 - North York - Nest

Bruce Massey Reports:

Friday May 8/2009:

It was a fairly Warm Day, and saw both Male & Female in the vicinity of the Doris St. Antenna.  Around 10 minutes later saw what I thought to be an adult on the 33 Sheppard East Nest Ledge.

Saturday May 9/2009:

Did Not Observe- Very Inclement Weather>

Sunday May 10/2009:

Spent about 1.5 Hrs In vicinity of Yonge & Sheppard with no luck.

Monday May 11/2009:

Quite a day in the Area, at about 0900 Hrs had the Female vocalizing and flying to the East of Yonge St. and to the East of  The RBC Building. At 1100 Hrs when I was on the West side of Yonge Street, I observed what I would suggest was a male Peregrine chasing a Female Peregrine to the East of the 33 Sheppard East Nest Building. At around 1300 hrs while walking down Doris Av. I had Female kiting overhead and then Stooping towards the NorthWest and later the Male following.  As I followed them and got over in the area of Mel Lastman Square the Female flew from East to West and toward the Cemetary West of BeeCroft.   Heading South on BeeCroft, I didn’t see the Peregrine, but I saw 4 Turkey vultures interacting and landing on the Nestle’s Building on the South-West Corner of Yonge & Sheppard.  When I got down in the vicinity of BeeCroft & Sheppard I observed one of the Adult Peregrine Falcons on the 33 Sheppard E. Nest Ledge.  Around 1500 hrs both the Male & Female Falcon came in and cleared out the 5 TV’s in about 10 minutes of Great Flying and then saw them out of the area to the East.

Tuesday May 12/2009:

Both Male & Female seen in Yonge-Sheppard are at various times of the Day.

Wednesday May 13/2009:

Both Female & Male seen in the vicinity of Mel Lastman Square and the Old Nest Site area.  Checked out the 33 Sheppard East Nest ledge to confirm there were no Eggs. The Ledge was quite a surprise, it was much narrower than I imagined.

Thursday May 14/2009:

Very Windy, Male in from North East, circled over the Square and then in a fast stoop in behind the RBC Building.  The Female showed up landing on the South East corner of the ledge on the East side of the Cadbury’s Building. The Male landed above the Female a few minutes later.  Both Birds flew North, and then disappeared to the West behind the second building from the Square.

Friday May 15/2009:

Interesting turn of events today, while I was walking up North up Yonge Street I observed the female fly into the North side of the Nestle Building, and then the Male popped up in the same area. The Female flew North and landed on the East side of the South side of a Condo on ParkView Av.   First she landed on a roof top over the Penthouse Suites, and spent 5 Minutes, then she flew over to a Balcony on the North West Corner of the same building again for 5 minutes and then flew to a balcony on the South West Corner for another 5 minutes. Finally she landed on a balcony around 5 storys in the middle of the Building.  She spent 5-10 minutes walking around the railing of the Balcony, and much to my surprise jumped down out of sight.  After finishing work, I got my Binoculars and from about 2 blocks south of the Condo, I noticed two Flower Pots and in the West one it appeared that I could see a Peregrine Tail moving around. My Interpetation of this was the Female was preparing a Nest Bowl.

Saturday May 16/2009:

Just driving up Yonge St., and saw Female in the vicinity of Balcony on the  Building I saw her on yesterday.

Monday May 17/2009:

Spent  1.5 Hrs in the area today and only found one Bird (Male) first in the area of the RBC & Nestle Buildings. A little bit later found the Male situated on the Parkview Condo the Female was seen on. I didn’t to my knowledge see the Female in the 1.5 Hours.

Food at bedtime

May 17, 2009 - Toronto - King Street

Linda Woods Reports:

At about 8:00p.m.  the adult female brought  food to her brood.   She appears to time it well, always having her head down when the camera snaps the photo.  These images are  taken in sequence and although difficult, all four are present and accounted for.  The broken egg shell in the foreground may be the fifth egg.  It appears that it did not hatch, but may have been broken open by one  the adults.

Life is Good!

May 15, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

Quite an peaceful week in the life of our family.  Lots of eating, napping and preening going on.  I’ve noticed Angel spends more time in the nestbox this year at this stage than she did last year.  I suspect that is due to the colder than normal morning temperatures and high winds that seem to be frequent these days.   It has been very sunny however and most mornings finds her and the chicks all facing the wall to avoid the blinding sun.

Both parents are showing their experience at how well they care for the young and how frequent feedings are taking place.  I did take some photos this week from the live feed downstairs in the lobby.  Once I get them sorted, cropped and resized I will post a few so you can all see how big and beautiful they are!

Someone Ordered Take-out?!

May 12, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

I witnessed a double feeding today at approximately 3:30 in the afternoon!!  Angel was feeding the young eyases and they looked ready for a nap or so I thought!!   Just as the meal was finishing up, dad comes in with another meal….and I thought for sure she’d tell him go put that away these kids are stuffed..look at their crops!!   No way!  She starts defeathering the new arrival and two of the little piglets start grabbing at it like they haven’t been fed for days..the other one starts picking at the darn bird itself as if it’s going to self-feed!  It was hilarious, they ate for another 20 minutes straight- their crops were sticking out past their tummies I swear!!

One thing  I have noticed the last 2 days is this group are  more active at this age than last years crowd was.  Two of the young are quite chatty and I can see their mouths moving constantly it seems. I thought for sure they were going to jump out of the box a few times today!  It’s quite entertaining watching mom trying to manage crowd control and point them towards the back of the nestbox

Everyone is OK!

May 11, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

The  family looks good this morning, everyone is fine after the weekend storms and winds!  It’s very cold out despite the sunshine but expected to warm up as the day goes on.  Angel is hovering over her brood this morning helping them keep warm even though they are pretty big now!  They are cuddling up to her brood patch all standing together in a huddle .

Dad was right up above them on the top of the building when I came in standing guard as always!