- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
After a hectic first day of putting together a watch team and many calls,day 2 saw everyone come together. Bruce arrived for a very early start to the watch and witnessed one feeding. I arrived at about 9am,and located Bruce easily. Soon Lyn and Zoe joined us. Jan and Linda later came by to see the nest. There was a steady rain for most of the day. We saw both juveniles and both parents. We know the adult female is unbanded and the adult male is Black over Green..so far alphanumeric ID hasnt been made. This indicates he is from the US north-east. We are hopeful that with a scope we will read the numbers. We saw another feeding before the rain got much heavier and we left for the day,youngsters well fed and thoroughly soaked. As one watcher lives very near the location,we asked she call us if it stopped raining long enough to warrent going back. Stay tuned for more!
Posted on June 26, 2010 9:05 pm
June 25, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Mark Nash Reports:
A brief update as we are all scrambling. Four hatchlings produced!! Surprise Surprise!! Oh my goodness!! Quick calls yesterday, Building management, Mark at OMNR, Big Frank, Tracy, Bruce, Linda and a host of other calls burning up the telephone lines! One dead battery on the cell phone, and starting on the second battery!
One fledgling rescued that was trapped behind the glass balcony way up on a condo. Rescued by Toronto Animal services, transferred to the Toronto Wildlife and in the bag safe and sound as we say.
Calls to some old friends at Yonge & Eglinton - Northam Realty property managers - (nest site building), quick talking and some very quick reintroductions. Great folks, and many thanks to Neil Armstrong for his assistance and support!!
Emergency call from Bruce Massey while he is on site in the afternoon, - as he watches one of the resident adult parents - (the female) fly to a huge tall condo building east of Yonge Street,,
- yet another fledgling observed trapped behind a glass balcony on the 43rd floor. Oh my goodness!!! Quick contact with building security at Minto for help. Long story, (many calls later), Tracy dispatched with yet another rescue carrier,,, - end result, Tracy and Bruce do the rescue,, - (second fledgeling in the bag as we say) safe and sound.
Two fledglings still on the nest ledge. Sizes indicate one female and one male still on the nest ledge raring to go!! Mark Heaton from MNR to band both fledglings
later prior to their re-release,,, and likely more to band as they tooo will be coming down to the streets! Very busy part of the city!!! Lots of congestion, NO PARKING ANYWHERE without a kings ransom or your first born!! Oh my goodness, - $ 12.00 for 3 hours of parking!!!!
Metro police Sargent very nasty at 47 div. demanding that we not stand in front or around the station, and forced to move from our watch position! Right,,,, To serve and protect. I must remember that.
Many more calls for help and logisicts!! Still scrambling, but its pulling together and making head way. Our team are some of the greatest folks on the planet!!
With a huge thank you to all that has been involved so far - (way tooo many names to mention during this rush e-mail), a watch has started. First priority to the birds!!
Stay tuned for many more updates and photos to come…..
Posted on June 26, 2010 9:30 am
June 22, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I arrived at 6:00pm this evening to take the closing shift for Mark as he headed off to a CPF event at another nest site. As is protocol, he updated me on the activity level on the ledge. “All calm and quiet here.”, he said. “Well behaved little bunch this afternoon.” …yeah, well behaved right up to the very moment that Mark pulled out of the driveway..
The next two and a half hours began with what is best described as “Blam!! Pow!! Zowey!!.” I looked up at the nest ledge and began counting heads. One, two, wait no, three… …no two, one, three…? They kept bopping up and down like little jumping beans! I had three for sure and went looking for a fourth. As I approached MEC 2, off of the roof comes number four. Oh how I wish you could have seen this landing! This little juvenile male landed on the retaining wall of the roof of MEC 1, the nest building, and had such a head of steam going that when he landed, the inertia pitched him face forward right onto the roof. And here he was thinking he was sooo cool!! It turns out that this little one was Wade and he made a flight out from the roof and landed on the nest box without a hitch.
It was 6:21pm when the adult female arrived with food to a chorus of screams from an over-zealous spoiled group of brats! This adult female has, and I can’t stress this enough, consistently brought in food between 6:00pm and 6:30pm every single day. Maybe peregrines can tell time!
After supper was playtime. Dominating the most raucous activity was the tag team of Craig and Wade. These two… …they held races down the ledge, tag on the nest box, sister pouncing and sumo wrestling to round it all out. Full of beans doesn’t cover it!! By 7:00pm, Wade had made another flight to MEC 2 which he attempted to tease Craig into trying. Joe and Xuan on the other hand, decided that napping was more important. During all of this “goofery” , the adult resident pair circled the building performing all sorts of aerial acrobatics showing the juveniles just how its done. With all three juveniles ( except for Wade ) back at the nest box, our young adventurer makes another flight to the nest building roof. All birds are now settled in… …just as Mark returns from his presentation.
“So, all looks quiet here. How have they been? Give me a brief.” I just stood there, hair a mess and clothes askew with a stunned look on my face. There is nothing “brief” about the last two hours. My answer to him, a single word… …exhausting!
At last look, as I made my way back to my car, the juvenile Wade was making a last flight out to the condos north of the nest building. An incredible feat as this is a long flight for a young fledgling. A few minutes to catch his breath and he was airbourne again and headed right into the ledge on the north side of the nest building. This story ends with Wade running down the ledge “whee, whee, whee all the way home” to bed.
Posted on June 25, 2010 3:49 pm
June 25, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With a big thanks to Bruce and all of his efforts this afternoon, he has located the ledge that the Yonge & Eglinton peregrines have been using. From what Bruce has gathered so far, their are two more hatchlings on a ledge on the South west corner of Yonge & Eglinton, ready to fledge!
We are currenly chasing down the building management and will start the fledge watch this afternoon as soon as we can get watch volunteers organized and on site.
Posted on June 25, 2010 2:43 pm
June 25, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Mark Nash Reports:
We have had an incredible development that was just brought to our attention. This afternoon we received a call from the Toronto Wildlife folks with news that they had received a young Kestrel that was transferred to them from the Toronto Animal services.
The young falcon was trapped behind a balcony at Young & Eglinton here in Toronto and was rescued by the Toronto Animal Services after being called by the concerned occupant of the apartment residence. While identified by Toronto animal Services as an American Kestrel, but it didn’t take Toronto Wildlife staff but minute to recognize that this raptor was not a Kestrel, and the photo evidence sent to us confirms their findings without any question.
In addition to the bird being UNBANDED, we can confirm that it is a juvenile peregrine, and a recent fledgling peregrine falcon at that! The photo that was sent into us from the good folks at Toronto Wildlife clearly confirms its a juvenile peregrine and given the time of year, its a young fledgling peregrine.
So, the mystery (at least in part) has been partially solved, with regards to the here-again, gone again presence of the Up-Town resident peregrines that we have received so many reports about over the past months. After many site visits, we have never been able to find a nesting site of the on-again, off again un-banded territorial adults at Yonge & Eglinton, but we now have proof that they have in fact nested, and have produced at least one fledgling!
The search continues to locate their nesting site and further petition the area property management groups and residents to try and find out where the pair have set up house.
The fledgling is doing just fine and is unharmed and no worse for wear. Efforts are being made with the OMR to ensure that this bird is banded and released back to it parents in a timely fashion.
Stay tuned,,,,
Posted on June 25, 2010 1:30 pm
June 25, 2010 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Didn’t see much of the boys yesterday due to the heat, they kept a low profile most of the day and I only saw two at any given time. This morning it is much cooler and all three boys are out on the ledges and on the adjoining building roof top.
A rather harassed looking mom is preening herself, no doubt having three hungry boys chasing you for food messes up your feathers 
Posted on June 25, 2010 8:23 am
June 23, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Tonight we were entertained almost non stop from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The “Falcon Follies” started well before 8:00pm. Lots of tag, lots of talon touching and lots of screaming for food. At times there were 4 birds in the air doing aerobatics. Mom was hunting. Dad brought in what appeared to be an American Gold Finch. Everything was happening so fast, that we were uncertain as to who got the meal. Great to watch this stage of learning to hunt and chase prey.
Posted on June 24, 2010 10:41 am
June 23, 2010 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Locked talon flying is when the juvenile birds grab on to each others talons and spin each other around and around. Like a high speed marry go round in the sky. I’m dizzy just thinking about it. This is important for the males because they will need to claim a territory and defend it and attract a mate. This exercise is good for strength and stamina. This also determines who the dominant bird is .
Jerry captured this shot. Sibling interactions are a big facter in the chicks success down the road.
stayed tuned the action just gets better and better.
Everyday that these little creatures survive increases their odds of making it on their own.
Dennis Patrick.
Posted on June 24, 2010 7:38 am
June 23, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
As I stated earlier, it has been a busy couple of weeks. With the rain yesterday, Bill was finally been able to process his photos from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy.
Posted on June 23, 2010 9:17 pm
June 23, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
We’re all very happy to report that “Cheyenne” has just flown in (sort of) from Alberta via West Jet this afternoon and wasted no time telling us what was on her mind. FEED ME NOW!!!
No worse for ware, little Cheyenne as she had been named will spend the next 30 days with her new CPF human foster parents and will of course be the centre of attention for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until she is flighted - (fledged).
Adorable is the only way to describe her. At 18 days old and barely able to stand upright, she still wasted no time voicing her opinion and demanding food from her new human foster parents.
I watched both Marion and Kathy scramble to prepare the food, as Cheyenne watched impatiently while her food was cut up. (I guess that the food on West Jet was simply just not enough, or not up to her standards)? Or, maybe there was no in-flight meal?
We hope that you all will welcome little Cheyenne to our educational team, and we all are looking forward to spending some time with her throughout the imprinted process.
Stay tuned for some really great baby photos to follow………..
Posted on June 23, 2010 8:22 pm
