I was up to see Voltaire and Freddie yesterday and today. Voltaire is on nest and not flying around much today. Freddie flew over me once yesterday dropping a bird head down on me. Didn’t see him today at all.
Stay tuned…..
Collette Denkers
We received a letter today from our friends at Harlequin that are so enamoured with our newest nesting pair, Quest and Kendal, that they have arranged this news release and have graciously offered us the opportunity to post it here on our website!!
Harlequin’s Newest Lovebirds—Peregrine Falcons
You may think Harlequin’s hottest new couple would be appearing on the covers of their novels, but you’d be wrong, because the publisher’s most buzzed-about twosome are a pair of peregrine falcons. A mating pair of the world’s fastest animal—they can reach speeds of more than 320 km/h when in their hunting dive—was spotted by Harlequin Publisher and CEO Donna Hayes nesting on the uppermost ledge of a building across from Harlequin’s world headquarters in the North York area of Toronto.
An avid birdwatcher, Ms. Hayes immediately contacted the Canadian Peregrine Foundation Tuesday, April 10, 2011 to alert them to the pair and noted that one of the falcons had a tracking device and antenna on its back. The CPF immediately dispatched a volunteer to Harlequin’s offices and identified the bird as Quest, a peregrine falcon born, tagged and fitted with a transmitter across Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York. Her mate has been identified as Kendal, a peregrine falcon born on top of 18 King Street East in 2009.
“We’ve got a real cross-border romance going on here,” said Ms. Hayes. “Quest and Kendal have been courting around our offices. They’ve been putting on quite a display of aerial acrobatics, spins and dives—high-altitude flirting. Our lovebirds have started their scrape, the peregrine falcon equivalent of a nest, across from our building, and have become the most popular couple in our office—they’ve even overtaken the mating pair of geese that visit us every year.”
Ms. Hayes has given the CPF access to an office directly across from the scrape to track the amorous falcons’ progress and has even set up her own telescope for Harlequin employees to watch the birds and, hopefully, their offspring.
Marion Nash, director of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation directs people to their website (www.peregrine-foundation.ca) to follow the Harlequin peregrine falcons story, to pledge support or to help with the fledge watch should Quest and Kendal have offspring.
“We conduct a fledge watch at all the urban nest sites to help the little ones survive their first few days and their first flights,” said Ms. Nash. “Often during the first two to three weeks, as uncoordinated babies, the fledglings lose altitude and come to the ground, get themselves in all sorts of trouble or hit the building trying to land. We man the street in teams to keep an eye on them and rescue them when needed and get them back to the rooftop or to a vet if hurt. The fledge watch starts early in the morning and goes until dark for as long as needed—until the babies are doing well enough without us. There can still be accidents after that, so we are on standby right up until they migrate in the fall. If eggs are produced and we have a hatch we will be calling on our current volunteers to assist, as well as recruiting new ones on our website. Volunteers can fill out a form on our site.”
Harlequin employees are raising money to make a donation to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and hope to adopt the birds. Ms. Nash said that if Quest and Kendal hatch any chicks, they will name one Harlequin.
There is definately a tale of romance here at 220 Duncan Mills Road. This afternoon Bruce Massey attended the site to check in on Quest and her handsome male suitor and he was able to positively identify him… …it’s Kendal, a 2009 hatch from the 18 King Street nest site!!!! The story of these two birds could start off with something like, “Their eyes met across a misty Frenchman’s Bay…” as Quest and Kendal have potentially been flirting with the idea of getting together since last year. On Sept. 12 of 2010, Denis Gauthier was able to take two exceptional photos of Kendal in the Frenchman’s Bay area which coincidentally was around the same time that Quest’s transmitter put her nearby at the power plant ( check Toronto - King Street page for the full sighting notation ). Bruce was able to witness mating behavoir between Quest and Kendal today and watched as Quest spent time on her selected ledge working on a nest scrape. Bruce and I will both be on-site tomorrow as we are excitedly awaiting the potential arrival of eggs!!!
Day 13 of incubation and it has been very quiet here at the site. I’ve only spotted Jack twice in the past week. It seems his schedule and mine are quite different now that both his females are into the incubation period so I seem to be missing him but I did observe one shift change a few days ago while I was out there.
I did go down the street with binoculars to make sure Angel was okay and could see her wing tips peeking out the top of the box so I’m assuming that everything is going as planned.
Quiet and calm is good at this stage in the game.
Update: Of course as soon I mention not seeing much of Jack - I see him! When I left the site tonight, he was on his usual perch hanging out!
One of the adult peregrines is currently sitting on the north east corner of the King Edward Hotel. Must be an evening hand off of the nest. I see the adults sitting on both the King Edward Hotel and this morning, one was sitting on the “CHFI” antenna, just north of 18 King St.
We are actively working on restoring the internet connection to get the live image feed back up and running. Please be patient it’s coming.
April 13th /2011
While it is still a little early for eggs in Ottawa for the peregrines, it is worth reporting some of the recent updates and observation reports and question that have been coming in.
With a huge thank you to the reporters, it is being reported that both birds are now being observed daily (and at the same time now), on the Crowne Plaza Hotel upper ledges, (and in particular), both in and on the south west and south east corners of same. While these spots on the ledges are also favoured roosting spots, the increased photo-cell, longer days and the sun starting to both appear and stay more often these days, we expect to see some serious courtship activity very soon. Copulation, egg fertilization and production is not far away!
The birds have for the most parts in recent years utilized both ledges on the southeast and southwest sides to lay and incubate their eggs and raise their families. Sadly, with the un-timely scheduled window washing activities over the past years and the territorial battles between squabbling females fighting it out for the nest site, it is very likley that these additional stresses have added to the recent problems of low production at this nest site.
Historically, the site had always been a low production site.
As a result of these types of disturbances and intrusions, it has forced the birds to move back and forth to the opposite sides of the building during the birds courtship, nest ledge selection routines, and the critical period of egg fertilization, egg production and egg laying processes.
We can only hope that at least the non-essential and critical human activities will be held off until later in the summer and that the territorial disputes diminish to allow the birds the space they need to both lay, incubate and successfully hatch their eggs, and raise their hatchlings to fledge.
Stay tuned………
With news just in before April fools day, (and no joke), we can report that the Hamilton birds have laid their first egg. With two attending adults on territory (still believed to be Surge and Madam X), we are all looking forward to additional eggs, and of course a successful hatch and fledge.
March 31st
Stay tuned……
Posted on April 13, 2011 3:12 pm
Observation for Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
From Mary Beth Washburton - New York state - Very sad that 3 of the 4 chicks did not survive, BUT the one that did had quite a journey. The surviving chick was rescued from the river when it was about a week away from fledging. She spent two nights in rehab and I took her back to the bridge and she made it!!
Sept. 2010
Postmaster Notes:
While this high fledgling mortality is a typical happening at most bridge nesting sites where the nests are directly over large spans of water, it is still never the less heart braking to see this happen year after year at these same sites. While many man made structures can offer an incredibly good nesting situation, some (as in this case) are not so safe. As always, a big part of the equation and success is as we have all said, location, location, location!
Hi Frank,
Peregrine report 20110412 at abouyt 4:20pm
I went looking for the peregrines today and found just one sitting on one of the window ledges at the top of the Rio-Can building. I watched for five minutes and then left. From the colour I could see on the chest it was the female I was watching. She had her back facing west and was enjoying the sun on it.
I could not see onto the nest ledge and did check the other buildings around to see if I could see the male but I came up empty. Not sure where he was.
In recent days the male has been seen though.
Cheers
Lyn
March 22nd - A big thank you to Dave Timmerman from the Sacramento Ca area in the USA for sending us the attached photo he snapped of a male Northern Harrier during a “fly-by”. A good ID shot indeed for all to see.
David writes: The bird was tracking what appeared to be a small field mouse that it eventually caught.
Photo by David Timmerman
