June 11, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Mark Nash Reports:
A huge thank you to Carol and Juanita for your help with a history on the Toronto King Street adult female that has been a mystery for two years now. The resident adult female that has been identified at the Toronto King Street nest site is a 1998 hatchling from Froedtert Malt in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her name is ERIN.
Froedtert is now called ADM Milling Company but it was still Froedtert Malt when she hatched & fledged from there in 1998. Her band is indeed black over red *B/*D. Her USWFW purple anodized band is: 1807-69719.
Posted on June 11, 2009 6:49 pm
June 11, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
Received an update from Diana from the morning shift around 8:15 am that she observed a juvenile make a not so nice attempt to land on the upper roof top of the nest building, softly brushing the glass, and falling down to the lower level of the Sun Life Centre just above street level. Headed out to releive her, I arrived at approx. 9:20 am, and four birds in view, Perry, Elena, Dad, and mom on the nest building roof top retaining wall. A quick check at the live monitor located in the All Trans suite in the ground floor east tower lobby. There I found little McKenzie sound asleep in the nest tray.
Good, all five birds in sight! Returning back to the street, I watched Dad soaring over the nest building (cork-screewing up and up) . I lost count at over 50 revolutions with not a single flap. Moments later, mom joined him and she stayed in the air soaring around above the nest building until both adult were almost out of my sight,,, and that was with 10×50 bins!! At approx. 10:30, mom flew in with food with several touch and go’s teasing Alena to fly. Unsuccessful in coaxing Alena to fly, mom finally landed beside her and gave her the food. Moments later, Perry ran over and forcibly took the food package from Alena and proceeded to eat it. After several minutes of consuming the food he finally let Alena take it back and she finished it off with little brother Perry standing almost touching each other nose to nose.
At 11:00 am, Alena took her second flight, and a very good one!! She flew to the west holding her altitude and landed hard on the centre tower roof of the Sunlife Centre. Mom followed her in the air and landed on the roof top of the west site of the nest building keeping her in view. By 11:30 am, Elena took flight again, this time flying east to land on the Kingsway west tower roof, but a much better touchdown. Mom followed again, and landed beside her.
By 11:45 am, mom had brought in a food package to the nest ledge, but proceeded to consume her it herself right in front of Perry and McKenzie who were both on the nest ledge.
Posted on June 11, 2009 12:23 pm
June 11, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Matt MacGillivray Reports:
If you have photos of any of the CPF monitored nest sites, birds or fledglings in this exciting time, we would love to see them! If you have older photos or videos from CPF events, like the 2009 Sportsman show, we would love to see those too.
We’ve got a flickr group that you can upload photos and short videos to. If you have longer videos, upload them to youtube and tag them with cpf and peregrine and I will find them.
Example shot from the Sheraton Banding in the Flickr Pool -
We might include some of the videos or photos in our updates, or around the site. You could be famous!
Matt.
Posted on June 11, 2009 10:29 am
June 02, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Mark Nash Reports:
With a huge thank you to Emma from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and her good camera work while on the window washers swing stage during the banding, she was able to get a GREAT PHOTO of the resident adult female’s band number. See attached photos. Now checking to get some history. Black B over Red D Who is it???
Stay tuned…..
Posted on June 11, 2009 4:30 am
June 07, 2009 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Peregrine falcons nesting under bridge
WILDLIFE: Mother dive-bombed bird banders
Posted By STEPHEN TAIT, SPECIAL TO THE OBSERVER, PORT HURON TIMES HERALD
As Tonga dive-bombed them, biologists from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) banded her babies — four fledgling peregrine falcons that live beneath the Blue Water Bridge.
The biologists also gave the birds names — Helen, Desmond, Claire and Liberty — and determined their sex — two males and two females.
DNR biologists banded Helen and her siblings Tuesday morning at the bridge with a handful of Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) workers, some media members and DNR volunteers looking on.
MDOT workers have built a nesting platform for the rare and endangered birds on the underside of the old westbound span of the twinned bridges, 150 feet above the St. Clair River.
It was there this week — with a stiff, cool wind from the north — that Tonga, an adult falcon, and her unnamed mate put on a show for onlookers.
As a cherry-picker bucket was put into position, Tonga started swooping toward the workers, producing a loud and constant scream, what DNR volunteer Tom Heatley called an “alarm call.”
Occasionally, Tonga dove toward the workers, causing MDOT worker Larry McClelland to duck and flinch on several occasions.
“They are getting dive-bombed,” said Barb Baldinger, another volunteer from the DNR.
At times, Tonga would land on a nearby beam and watch as the workers handled her offspring, producing her menacing alarm call.
“She’s right there on the beam, right in their face,” said Bill Fockler, MDOT’s maintenance supervisor for the bridge.
Baldinger, Heatley and others looked on from the eastbound bridge as the small falcons were banded.
The male falcon, which is not named, remained quiet but fly around the area, landing on the bridge and its cables.
As it did, about a dozen people on the bridge looked on with cameras and binoculars and others watched from the ground.
Dan Miller, who watches the birds as a hobby, used a long-lensed camera to capture the action. The Fort Gratiot resident said he especially likes watching the birds take flight.
“They are just like little jet fighters, dog fighting down here.”
Posted on June 11, 2009 3:57 am
June 10, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Volunteer Reports:
You never know what a new day will bring. As usual it starts off quietly, NOT! According to Jordan, noise, noise, noise……. The dulcet tones of hungry chicklets calling, no demanding breakfast. And, they got it. In fact the volunteers watched as Connor dispatched a pigeon in front of their eyes, something that few ever get to see.
There was not much activity today, other than several meals delivered on time, and presumably lots of sleeping. We did have people coming over to see what we were doing, or to get updates. One lady from Scotia McLeod came to say that she would be back in a few days and that we should be able to go look out their kitchen window at lunch time. They are directly across from the ledge. I also had 2 members of the Dutch Embassy also invite me up for late afternoon when I can show up. Scott is checking with Revenue Canada for me to see if the officer who had let me in his office in Tower A is still there.
The glass windows over at 240 Sparks St will be covered with flagging between Thursday and Sunday, just in time for fledging.
Back to the Watch now. Connor and Diana moved around from time to time. And, then, around 8pm I spied a brown body near the south end, just up from the corner by the indented area. Sure enough, there was a chicklet closer to the edge, little head bobbing around as it checked out new sights. It was there for at least 15 minutes! Feathering would make one believe it was older than it is. Lots of brown, with fluff on the crown and bloomers, but next to none showing over the front or shoulders. We could not see the back, but it was browner than I had expected. Here we go…… Joan, you should have stayed a little longer!
Cheers, Eve
Posted on June 11, 2009 3:49 am
June 10, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
Another flurry of calls this morning and another downed fledgling on its maiden voyage, and with a huge thanks to Diana who was on her on seconds after she hit the ground, Elana made her debut and came to visit us in the streets. I must say that Elana is one tough aggressive little peregrine!!!! Examined and good to go back to the roof top, she was taken to the roof top of the nest building and released. But not without having to wait for hours while her little brother made many visits to the roof preventing us from getting there any time soon. Perry was active all day flying around from roof top to roof top, and spent allot of his time ending up back on the nest building roof top of the nest building roof top throughout the day. McKenzie, while very active on the ledge, spent most of the time on the nest ledge. He didn’t do much flying today seemed very cautious about flying. Perhaps a little shell-shocked after his ordeal yesterday. Mom and dad kept the food coming and continued terrorizing the other local avian population when they came too close to the nest building. Several gulls were severely throttled as they were dived on with full contact strikes by mom and dad on two occasions. What a show!! Another huge passing gull found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time when it was stripped of several of his/her back feathers when the resident adult male hit the gull in mid air above my position on Eagle Road. The gull screamed in terror as it was hit from above and I watched several white feathers from the gull float to the ground.
I have attached some of the photos of Elana’s release from today.
Posted on June 11, 2009 3:34 am
June 09, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
It has been a while since I have been able to get to a computer and file an observation report. I will have to be brief as the days have been long, and the nights (sleep time) have been very short!!
With the support of all, the day ended up a huge success despite McKenzie’s grounding and adventures with the local crows, Blue Jays and the squirrel. I met lily on the corner of Eagle Street and Bloor shortly after 9am and we proceeded to the Sunlife security office to ask them for escort to the upper terrace area to take a look for McKenzie. Moments after our arrival to the upper Sunlife terrace, Lily spotted McKenzie to the east over on the lower terrace area of the Kingsway on the Park Condo’s hiding in the bushes in a corner against the wall. Next stop, the Kingsway security office to ask for their support and escort to their terrace. A text book rescue and recovery. Easy! Mild mannered McKenzie.
After a detailed examination to ensure that he has not suffered any obvious sign of trauma, brakes or fractures, Lily and I dehydrated him and returned him in the rescue carrier back to the Sun life security office for s short hold over to take another look from the street at the upper roof top of the nest building. this is to ensure that there were no other fledglings that had made it to the upper roof area that we might scare off by putting McKenzie back. Also, the short hold over in a cool quiet darkened place allows the downed fledgling time to settle down, cool off, and ensures that we can take another look at him to ensure that he is still alert and that their is no sings of any other obvious injuries.
A huge thank you for the great support of the Sun life Security staff who have been peregrine sitting and providing a cool, quiet and safe environment until we have been able to get the downed McKenzie back to the roof, and to the Kingsway security. After the coast (nest building rooftop) was clear, Lily and I once again attended the Sun life security for an escort to the upper roof area to release McKenzie. Success!! Free once again. For the balance of the evening, mom and dad brought in several food packages and McKenzie was able to fly from the roof up to the top of the retaining wall that surrounds the roof area and chased both parents back and forth for hours.
I have attached some photos that Lily shot during McKenzie’s examination shortly after he was retrieved from the ground after flying back across Bloor Street to the nest building, but falling far short of getting enough elevation to come even close the nest ledge. Several other shots via the camera phone of McKenzie moments after being released back the roof.
Posted on June 11, 2009 3:00 am
June 10, 2009 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Stinker been in the area the entire time. Yesterday I had reported that the adults had been running off gulls in the area of York and Richmond in the vicinity of the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre.
Today,Late thisafternoon, while watching the nest ledge. A juvenile came across the court yard across from the hotel, not 30 feet over my head. It was being persued by a gull. The juvenile did not look stressed by the chase. At first I had thought it was a new fledge since Stormin had not been seen for over a day. It flew low between the gap in the buildings towards Adelaide St. and I lost sight of it. Lily, Bruce and Paul joined the search, thinking we had a new fledge. Paul found it in the court yard terrace of 150 York St. and confirmed that it was Stormin. It took flight from there and set down on the west side of University Ave between Richmond and Queen St. on an office window ledge, directly across from the Four Seasons Arts Centre and that is where we left him for another overnight.
Paul and Bruce stated that the flight looked good and was not pumping the wings to stay aloft. After closing the watch for the night, I was informed that the little guy had been just under the motor court canopy at the south west end the entire time and that would make sense of when I was seeing the adults run off the gulls yesterday.
Great job everyone, thanks.
The other three, Liberty, Osler and Sandy- Links continue to do a lot of flapping and screaming when the adults appear in view. Food went into the ledge this evening giving us good indication that they are there for the night. White fluff is still noticeable on the girls, Osler is looking very ready to take flight.
Posted on June 10, 2009 11:08 pm
