September 16, 2009 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
The Canadian Peregrine Foundation sometimes recieves reports of various birds of prey,which are mistaken for Peregrine Falcons. We dont mind this,and encourage people to report possible Peregrine sightings to us,particularily if its believed the bird is in trouble/injured. We are also often sent photos to ID. It is in this context that I submit this report,to possibly aid folks in recognizing a Merlin. As it is a falcon,the confusion is understandable.
This Merlin perched in a tree at Rosetta McClain Gardens in Toronto Canada. It preened and watched as possible prey flew by it,eventually taking flight to try to catch first an American Goldfinch and then later a Northern Flicker(woodpecker family member),before disappearing. We were fortunate to watch 2 Merlins in a “dogfight” another day. They whizzed around the park at breakneck speed and came up so close to 2 observers they made them duck out of the way.
This video isnt the greatest but does show relative size and a few behaviors http://tinypic.com/r/6rhq55/3
Posted on September 24, 2009 12:00 am
September 14, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Three falcons here this morning, Angel, Jack and Elena!! Last Thursday and Friday, Jack spent most of the days here with Angel in close proximity and no sign of any juveniles at all. Although I didn’t see any bowing and scraping myself, there was alot of time spent together on the nest ledge between them.
This morning when I arrived Elena was on the ledge beneath the ADP sign and Jack was on the sign, with Angel on the opposite side on the nest ledge. A few minutes later Jack departed to chase breakfast and Elena immediately flew to his perch on the ADP sign as if to say ‘about time you gave me back my spot!’.
Elena is now on the sign and mom is in front of the nestbox preening and no doubt Jack is off somewhere enjoying breakfast!
If anyone is out in the Port Hope area, keep your eyes peeled for a female falcon named Quest. She won’t be hard to spot as she has a transmitter on her for tracking purposes. She is daughter to Mariah and Kaver of Rochester and her location shows she has spent the past few months up in that area and even ventured into Etobicoke in the past few weeks. It would be great if someone spotted her and took some photos for all her followers!
Posted on September 14, 2009 8:36 am
September 14, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Our adult birds are protecting the nest ledge vigorously. Since junior mysteriously disappeared we have been monitoring the site EVEN CLOSER. NO JUNIOR!!
Any information on what happened to Junior please contact us. Any information will be treated in total confidence.
The adults have settled into a daily rhythm but they are on the nest ledge it self far more than last year at this time
WE will be at Holiday Beach this weekend the 19th and 20th of Sept. for Hawk Fest to answer questions and just hang out with our peregrine friends.
Oct. 4th 1-5:00 PM we will be at the Grove Gallery to raise awareness of the Peregrines plight.
Victoria the owner of the Gallery will be hosting the event at her gallery The Grove Gallery. I will be posting more info.
Again any information on what happened to Junior please contact us.
Please continue to go down to the bridge site. You will not be disappointed if you love to see peregrines. In the evenings even after work 6:00 Freddie is always active hunting and so is Voltaire. They fly over head with total authority!!!
I have some other great shots but have been unable to upload them so hang in there.
D&G and the falcon crazy team.
Posted on September 14, 2009 8:24 am
September 08, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Took me 30 minutes to get anID on Jack today in the blazing, hot sun but I’m pretty sure it’s him. Very white upper breast and the sideburns are the same shape as his - couldn’t see his feet though. I had to go into a back lane behind the retail area to get a look at the side of his head to verify as he was standing right on top of the building in the hot sun - very unusual especially as it’s 30c today - both parents were alarm calling and defending several times today that I heard about and a few times I witnessed.
11:55 today and by that point I had only seen Angel early in the morning. Suddenly she started alarm calling and flew off the ledge over the condo rooftops and Jack, who was on the roof not visible to me, came flying to join her and both took off after something. I didn’t see what the ’something’ was but pigeons were scattering everywhere.
1:00 approximately and alarm calling again, only saw 2 adult falcons in the air but no sign of intruder that I saw.
2:55 again alarm calling and male takes off northwest over the park, mom gets on top of the building and starts kacking. Once again - blinded by sunlight - and no sign of who was upsetting them.
3:30 and both Angel and Jack on the roof ledge looking around. They were both on alert for something and then finally by 4:06 pm Angel relaxed enough to go back to the nest ledge while Jack stayed up top on guard in all his glory.
No sign of Elena today I haven’t spotted her since Thursday when the jets were around and they flew all weekend so maybe she decided it was time to go, especially with both parents now back and defending the territory together!
Posted on September 8, 2009 5:36 pm
September 03, 2009 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Kathy Reports:
Thank you to Alison of the CMNH Forum for bringing this news to my attention! I’m sure fans of Freedom and Purity will happy to hear that one of their offspring - Millie, born in 2005 is the new resident female at the Monroe Power Plant in Michigan. She was previously nesting at Toledo Edison’s Bay Shore power plant in Oregon, Ohio. Not sure what happened there but happy to hear that she came to no harm and has now found a new home.
Her new mate is Leopold, a 14 year old PF that has been at this site since 1997. They produced two chicks this year named Heidi and Tyson. Two more great grand-children for Mariah and Kaver of Rochester!
Thank you again to Alison for sharing this exciting news!!
Posted on September 3, 2009 8:45 pm
September 03, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
The snowbirds are practicing for their weekend air show it seems. They usually dont’ practice their flying so close to our complex but for the past few hours they have been delighting people and scaring birds of all species. At one point they flew so low on top of our building we were deafened by the sound and if you were outside you could read the letters on their jets - that’s how low they got.
As soon as the rumbling started and I saw birds panicking and flying in all directions outside the windows I went out to check on our guys. Elena was on the ADP sign apparently not in the least intimidated…kids =p And then I went around the back of the building and saw 2 peregrine falcons on the same ledge about a wing span apart. My first thought was wow..Elena flies fast but quickly realized that one of those falcons was alot bigger than the other and both were black and white and not brown! Both heads were swiveling back and forth and both were facing inwards towards the wall. Interestingly there are workmen on the condo next door and normally Angel would at least be kacking to let them know she’s not impressed however no one is even moving from the ledge right now. I watched them for a good 15 minutes and I’m pretty sure one was our resident male unless mom has something she’d like to share with me 
The noise is still ongoing and expected to last until 4:30 pm both today and tomorrow. I just went out to do another check and only Angel is out back now, no sign of Elena or Jack at all. Mom flew around in a circle for me but the planes start coming back and she immediately landed on the ledge again. I will check on them when I leave the office.
At least I know what to do the next time I’m worried Jack is missing, I’ll just call out the army (sorry Mel)!
Posted on September 3, 2009 2:35 pm
September 03, 2009 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
What a sight this morning, Angel on the corner of the East Tower and Elena on the corner of the West Tower. I could see them from two blocks away - these two large females both in exactly the same positions facing each other across the towers!
Yesterday morning both of them were on the sign perched together eating breakfast and then Angel flew off to her cam eventually and Elena flew to a ledge on the back of the nest site building to get some shade.
From my point of view, it’s been an absolute delight to watch both Angel and Elena still interacting at this late date. It’s like they are sisters hanging out together. Last year the juvies were dispered by this time with occassional sightings every few weeks but this is the first time I’ve seen one stay so close to home. More interesting is that Angel is not only tolerating her presence but seems to be enjoying it. Perhaps because Jack has not been around, she appreciates having an extra pair of talons to protect her site or perhaps this type of behaviour goes on more than we think in urban settings. I know at certain nest sites in Europe, juveniles returning the next Spring were not only tolerated but in one case in the UK - the previous years female offspring was actually allowed to help in the feeding of mom’s current offspring which previously had been unheard of! I expect Elena will leave soon though in order to migrate..we’ll have to see and if she does, she will certainly benefit from this additional time spent with Angel learning to hone her skills.
I had a report late last night that someone has spotted Jack, our resident male over the past 4-5 days near the residential site. Perhaps given that it’s migration season he’s positioned himself between his two territories so he can ensure that no other falcon wandering through the area gets any ideas about trying for one of his sites! As I mentioned before he has apparently bonded with the female at a private site this summer after her mate was seriously injured during nesting season.
I have done some research on ‘bigamous’ male falcons and have found a few interesting papers written by US biologists and it seems it has to do with ‘territory’ and nothing to do with wanting two mates! In all cases reported - a male at an adjoining site had been injured and/or disappeared and the male at the adjoining nest site saw it as an opportunity to either expand his territory or reclaim what had originally been part of his existing territory. Unfortunately the rate of success for maintaining two nest sites and successfully raising two sets of eyases is not very good and those that have succeeded had only done so with the assistance of humans.
It will be interesting to see whether or not he can keep both sites and if he does - what will happen next Spring if the residential male is recovered and released. Never a dull moment in the Falcon World!
Posted on September 3, 2009 7:59 am
September 03, 2009 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
When fledge watches end for another season and fall migration begins,I run a raptor watch. That is friends and I gather to count migrating birds of prey,including Peregrine Falcons going past Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough,Ontario Canada. This August,which is the start of migration season for birds of prey,we enjoyed 10 sightings of Peregrine Falcons. This is the highest August total in 6 years of counting at this site. We record each sighting,though we cant be sure all are different individuals. I am sure at least 7 of these sightings were different birds. I will be sure to update our total sightings at the end of September or if we have an exceptional day. One day last fall,we saw 18 Peregrines,all of which were different individuals. Canadian Peregrine Foundation staff and volunteers,including Mark and Marion Nash,Bruce,Linda and Kathy will all join me at some stage during the fall season and we hope to have a banner day to report.
Posted on September 3, 2009 5:17 am
September 03, 2009 - Scarborough - Bell
Frank Butson Reports:
For the past 2 weeks,there have been several sightings of a Peregrine Falcon,which I believe is a male adult,at the water tower near Warden and Eglinton. My friend Murray Shields saw it twice,one week apart,perched under the tank. This location is nearish both our former hacksite of Pharmacy and Eglinton and a nesting site which is abit further north at the Yellow Pages building,at Markham and Milner. On one of his visits,Murray spoke to someone who worked nearby and the person told him the bird had been there for a month or so. Thanks to Murray for the photos.
Posted on September 3, 2009 4:58 am
August 27, 2009 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Hi Again
Rhea Mae & Tiago were back on the ledge for quite a while today-close to 2 hours! The nest cam shot is a bit washed out, but you can see them both. I’m not sure who went down to the Osler cam end for a closeup-they’re so good at hiding their bands. It’s nice to see them together!
Ei
Posted on September 1, 2009 12:08 pm
