Canadian Peregrine Foundation

After the thunderstorm

June 25, 2009 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre

Jan Chudy Reports:

One juvenile was sighted briefly before the thunderstorm rolled in to the area.  As the bad weather moved on, I found one juvenile on the north east corner of the other hotel with food.  As I watched, it flew off with the meal but I could not follow it.  At 4:15, I certainly had three, and possibly four, juveniles accounted for.  One was on the NE corner of the air handling unit on 120 Adelaide, one was on the east side of the DBRS building, one was on the west side of 120 Adelaide.  As I scanned around I found one on the south side of the Sheraton roof.  However, on looking back to the DBRS building, the one there had gone so I cannot confirm whether I had accounted for three or four.

Ottawa Fledge Watch Day 21

June 27, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre

CPF Postmaster Reports:

I am beginning to think our Nihei is going for a record, the most number of days without flying! Have any of you experienced this? Let me know, please!
Well, same old, same old. Our day started out the same as the day before, with Nihei still on Tower 1. She is now 49 days old, and Tailer is 50 today. Maybe she is waiting to turn 50 before she goes. She had better do it right!
Breakfast was served just before 7am. Tailer had his on the top of the Bay St Apartments, a Mourning dove which he plucked. Obviously his lessons are going well. He flies freely between all the buildings in the area, as well as on the antennas on high buildings, and never forgetting to spend time with his sister on Tower 1. I am sure he is hoping she will join him soon so they can play talon tag and do barrel rolls, and other things young falcons can share ( except food).
Diana and Connor move around between the antenna on the Carlisle, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and the sensors on Tower C, as well as Towers 1 and 2 of Constitution Square. They bring food once in a while. I miss Horizon who was an excellent, but no nonsense mother. She would not bring food at this time, but would fly by her chicklet, holding food in her talon and making sure her baby saw it, then flying away with it. Surely Nihei would have been flying by now…… A thought!
Nihei spends her day alternating between sleeping, begging, eating, being out of sight, beetling, and again. Do we have a drama queen here? She can beg quietly, then turn up the volume, sound unhappy, then turn on the sob story, and can make herself sound absolutely miserable if she isn’t fed! Fortunately that doesn’t work as fast as she hopes for.
Tailer has adopted a habit his father, Connor used to have, sleeping in the “box” on the side of the hotel ( used to be an access door for the neon sign that used to be there).
This afternoon I had the opportunity to go up to the 21st floor to check on our Nihei. She was sleeping on her tummy, out of sight of the watchers below. That visit was to confirm that it was Tailer who flew from Tower 1, not her. We have had several moments of a false alarm now. One time this evening, Tailer had dinner on Tower 2. Just as he was cleaning up, a biplane flew overhead and he nearly jumped to Tower 1. As a chicklet suddenly flew from there to the box on the side of the hotel, everyone thought she had finally gone. Once again, I went up to the 21st floor to check it out. She was still where she had been, picking at something on the ledge, while Tailer had flown and was on the tiny ledge above the box! Diana passed by with food and he dove on her, following her to the west side. Another time had volunteers running around looking for her and finally spotting a chicklet on the side of Tower 2. When Diana came with food, it was Tailer, once again getting fed. Nihei was still on Tower 1, watching! Diana actually fed him beak to beak as if he were still a little baby……. Watching from the Delta is proving a good spot now.
When we left tonight, she was still on Tower 1, east corner, and Tailer was snoozing in the box, just below her.
Tomorrow???????
Eve Ticknor

!!! We knew you could fly!

June 27, 2009 - Toronto - King Street

Linda Woods Reports:

Today at 09:30 Spec took his first flight!  He flew over to the King Edward Hotel, lower level and that is where he was when we closed the  sight at 9:30p.m.

His siblings including Alpin are flying well, amazingly well. Sometimes we have to take a second look to confirm it is a juvenile and not an adult.

Mollie, the oldest female sibling is missing two tail feathers. How ? we don’t know, but she seems to compensate for the difference. And she is identifiable when in the air.  It’s great that we can still see them in the area. I hope they stick around to encourage Speck as he tries to catch up with his siblings.

The Peregrines Have Not Left The Ambassador Bridge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

June 27, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Dennis Patrick Reports:

Junior the male chick is resting comfortably after a nasty tumble during the Vicious Thunder Storms we had on Thursday evening.

The family has not left to wander aimlessly around the region. Despite reports other wise. Two of our dedicated volunteers who are actually following what is going on at the Bridge found Junior grounded and with due protocol rescued the little fellow after that terrible storm.

We are all thankful that Ray and Toni listened to their hearts because of their love of the birds and went down just to see how the birds were doing. Gwen and I had been there in the morning but had other obligations going on when Junior needed to be rescued.

Gwen and I are totally thankful for Ray and Toni finding Junior, keeping their heads and most probably saving his life.

I will give you more information as I have it on Junior.

The chicks are not officially banded or named yet and the male will be named only in the event that he gets better.

There is still every reason in the world to go watch these birds dazzle you with their flight displays. We hope and pray that they stay loosely together as a couple around the bridge all winter again.

To the untrained eye you would say they have left but in actual fact they are hanging around in the same places they did before the hatch was announced and the commotion began.

As I said the Peregrines are not en route to sunnier climes and Junior is not on his way to South America he is resting quietly.

So lets put our thoughts and prayers into his convalescence.

I can’t thank our volunteers enough who are still faithfully daily keeping an eye on the birds. Ray and Toni just happened to be the implements that were in the right place at the right time but that began with their hearts being in the right place at the right time first.

So keep looking up and never assume you know it all. How can you learn anything that way? True genius is knowing that “the more you learn the less you know”. This is a book in the writing it is still in the works. I am thankful for the opportunity to be involved with such marvelous birds and the marvelous people who truly love the peregrine falcon.

Dennis and Gwenster and the “Falcon crazy Team”

P.S. I posted a couple stoop shots and some watchers!!

Fledge watch day 20

June 26, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Arriving at 6am, Both chicklets were on Tower 1, hoping for breakfast.   Tailer spotted Connor and followed him around Tower 1 and heading south.  Nihei started to beetle westward along the north side, and disappeared inside.  A few minutes later, Diana delivered breakfast to Tailer on Tower 2.  She then went to the antenna on the Carlisle.  Soon, Tailer flew to join Diana, but she left as soon as he arrived.  For a while Connor was on the southwest corner of the Crowne. There may have been a food drop to Nihei near the northwest corner of Tower 1.

Eve Ticknor

!!! All 6 in view, late this afternoon

June 27, 2009 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre

Linda Woods Reports:

Late this afternoon, it was reported that all 6 members of the Sheraton Centre Hotel peregrine family were  seen in the area in and around the hotel.

This is exciting because now the air shows will begin in the early evening. Hunting , flight skills will be demonstrated by the adults,so the young can learn. Also the adults will take the juveniles on long soaring flights encouraging them to fly higher and higher. Eventually you may even see a few of them on the Scotia Tower.

!!! Alpin comes to ground, Spec still at Home

June 26, 2009 - Toronto - King Street

Linda Woods Reports:

This morning, as predicted, Alpin the juvenile who was originally discovered sitting on a window sill on Wellington St. did eventually come to ground. Bruce was on hand to assist the young bird. It was gently placed into a pet carrier and transported to a cool quiet place, away from curious on lookers, noise and disruption. This gives the bird time for stress levels to drop and return to normal.  Before it’s release back to the nest building, Mark Nash did an examination and  found the bird to be in “peregrine” spirits with no signs of apparent injury or distress.

It was released in a safe area on the upper elevations of the nest building, where protection from the elements is available.  It also allows to adults to see the bird at first light.

Speck is still un-fledged had a  full spoon feeding around 7p.m. It seems that as soon as the church bells chime for the arrival of the 7th hour, food comes to the nest ledge. Just like clockwork, every evening give or take a few minutes.  Speck remains on the nest. He did show a lot of enthusiasm and had us convinced that he might have flown this evening, but nope. He’s still there. 

We also noticed that one of the juveniles is missing at least one or two tail feathers. We think that this bird might be Mollie. She is flying well at this time.  The other two are doing well. Some wonderful flying skills are being displayed.  One flew over # 1 Toronto St towards Church. As it approached halfway, it stopped in the air and flapped one wing and was turning on the spot. Very funny and very interesting technique to turn. But it worked and the juvenile continued back to the nest building area. They are also picking up speed and following the adults. To fast for us to track on foot. We just wait until the circle back to us.

All are doing well from the view point of the sidewalks.  Hope this continues.

Any reports of  peregrines in need of assistance, please contact the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, who are on site to assist.

A New Lesson Learned – Hmmm The Skyway?????

June 26, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

Things are pretty quiet at the Lift Bridge.  It would appear that the girls are trying to stay cool as for most of the day, no one was visible.  No one on the Hydro Tower, no one under the Skyway and no one on the face of either tower.  Finally, early this afternoon there was some flying back and forth between the two towers and then all went quiet again.  After our dinner break, we found Cirrus sitting quietly under the Skyway.  All of a sudden both girls joined her.  This was the first time that we have seen them make that trip.  There was lots of vocalizing for Cirrus’ attention.  The funniest part of all this was that Cirrus was sitting about 2 feet away from 3 pigeons, who were keeping an eye on her.  As we left this evening, Sir had finally appeared and was having a nap on a ledge on the Burlington Tower, with Truss above him and Maple below him.  Cirrus had gone on a mission towards Burlington.

!!! All four juvies accounted for!!

June 26, 2009 - London - TD Tower

Jan Chudy Reports:

At various times through the morning, I could only find one juvenile.  At 3:55 I was fortunate enough to witness a juvie, sadly I could not identify it, flying lovely lazy, wide circles south of the Sheraton.  It flew several circuits and then landed on the south side of the  Sheraton roof.  I have observed over the last few days that the juvies seem to return to the Sheraton area around 3:30 or 4 and this day proved no exception.  I was very happy to clearly identify all four juveniles at 4:10.  One remained on the south wall of the Sheraton roof, one was on the east side of 120 Adelaide, one was on the east side of 130 Adelaide, and one was eating on the roof of the art deco building on the north side of Adelaide.  By 4:30, two were on the south side of the Sheraton roof, one was on the “r” of centre, even though the sign was lit!, and the fourth was on the SE corner of 120.  A great way to end the afternoon.

Fledge Watch day 19

June 25, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre

CPF Postmaster Reports:

With the day so hot, it is little surprise that our Nihei is still atop Tower 1.  As the air started to cool down a bit this evening, she became a bit more active and beetled around the edge faster than before.  Let’s hope this is the prelude to flying tomorrow.

Tailer seems to like the antenna on the Carlisle Building the best.  He is often found there.  He spent time there with his mother several times today.  He also had lessons in catching food dropped by Connor and never missed a beat!  At one time today, he went to the top of the antenna with his wings out straight, feeling the wind, and appeared to rise up in the air with no effort of his wings.

The parents are still trying incentive flying to get Nihei off the Tower.  I wish they would stop feeding her until she flies.  Right now she has little reason to fly since she gets most of what she wants by sitting on the ledge of Tower 1.

I think she will soon try her wings out again, especially as we are very short of volunteers, many shifts have no one signed up.  However, when she goes, let’s hope she does it right……….

Eve Ticknor