April 12, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
Tracy Simpson Reports:
The CPF head office received a phone call today from a woman in an office building at 225 Duncan Mills Road in East York about a pair of peregrine falcons occupying the building across from her on the uppermost ledge. Her description of the female was an odd one that had us all buzzing in the office… …she has an antenna on her back!! After checking her travel diary… …oh boy its Quest!!!! For the last 5 days, she has been hanging around this particular building and has herself a handsome male suitor. Her presence at the site was brought to our attention by Donna Hayes, CEO of Harlequin Enterprises, and we do indeed have a Peregrine romance in the making! Bruce Massey, one of our longest standing volunteers, was immediately dispatched to confirm her band number and determine which ledge they were interested in. It is without a doubt Quest. There are no eggs as of yet but it is our hope that they are not long off. While there, Bruce was able to note in and out ledge visits by the pair and lots of communication between the two. Donna Hayes graciously allowed Bruce access to the office directly across from the nest ledge to confirm band numbers and sent us the first picture of the mother to hopefully-be sleepily sunning herself off and on throughout the afternoon. We will be watching very closely to see if Quest indeed lays eggs and raises her family here in Toronto. It would be quite an honor to host a such a magnificent female and be a part of the living legacy.
Posted on April 12, 2011 4:23 pm
April 03, 2011 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With a huge thank you to Terry Osborne who first alerted us of peregrine activity in Brampton, Bruce Massey from the CPF has been visiting the Brampton area regularly to get a handle on the birds activity. After several visits, and just when he thought he had the peregrines pegged and showing great interest in a ledge on the Brampton courthouse, the same pair was later observed at yet another serious of buildings well over a km away from the Courthouse building itself. .
The adult male dawns a Balck over Green coloured leg band, (and a USFW coloured band on the other leg). The adult female is NOT banded at all. We have yet to identify the digits on the males band and still trying to identify the digits so we can trace his origin.
While this is very typical of a pairs behaviour when they are looking for “their ideal nest ledge”, (what ever that is), it does make things difficult for us to know where and when the peregrines have decided to set up house.
Usually, the adult male has already chosen several good nesting spots with in the territory that he has been holding and protecting over the past weeks and months, and he goes to great length to show his new mate all of the nifty places within his protected territory. While the male actually believes that it is “he” that decides and chooses the final nest ledge within the territory, it is actually his female mate that chooses the spot within the given territory that she will lay “her eggs” on and raise “her” family at.
Hey guys, does this sound at all familiar?
In any case, we need your support to help us identify the spot that the peregrine have finally chosen to settle in at, as we can never have enough eyes to skies given that the birds are very mobile and still activity looking.
We are interested in knowing where the peregrines have finally settled in, and asking for your help with observation reports of the birds being seen “regularly” on a ledge of a building.
Typically the peregrines will NOT be interested in the flat upper roof areas to nest, and instinctually prefer a suitable ledge BELOW the higher flat top elevations.
Please give us a call or send us an e-mail if you are seeing the peregrines spending any increased amount of time on the actual ledges of a building. Any photos are most welcomed, especially ones that we can use to identify the males band numbers!
The search begins!
Sincerely
CPF Postmaster
Posted on April 12, 2011 11:01 am
April 01, 2011 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 1st - Its not often that we get such a good clear shot of a Coopers hawk, and felt it well worth posting for everyone to see.
A big thank you to Nicole for sending in this great photo of her feathered friend that has been a regular visitor in her back yard these past days.
The photo was taken on Friday, April 1st, 2011 in Mississauga, Ont, Cda. by Nicole Kreutzberg.
The the adult female Coopers hawk hung out in my yard for all of Friday night and all of Saturday…had a few kills and wow, doesn’t even leave a scrap behind.
A regular visitor these days
Nicole Kreutzberg
Posted on April 12, 2011 10:03 am
May 12, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
A big thank you to Gary and Valerie for sending us this shot of some baby American Kestrels. The adult Kestrels have been nesting and producing offspring in their workshop for the last three years and have produced offspring each year. Great mouse and bug control at its best! Also helps keep some of thoes other pesky birds away.
Thanks Gary and Valerie.
Posted on April 11, 2011 11:00 pm
March 21, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Some additional great photos sent in to us by Collette showing the Freddie is very busy these past days, and it looks like he is really cleaning up the neighbourhood.
Posted on April 11, 2011 10:39 pm
April 10, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 10th - While we are unsure as to the exact date that the egg(s) were laid, and still really don’t know when full time incubation started, it appears that full time incubation is well underway.
Again some good photos from Collette clearly showing that Voltaire is now in full time incubation mode!
Best guess as to a hatch date, given what we do know, - we can expect to see a hatch between the first and second week of May.
Some nice shots of Freddie in flight!
Posted on April 11, 2011 10:21 pm
April 07, 2011 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 7th -
While a long time waiting indeed, it appears that the Scarborough Yellow pages peregrines have finally settled in to a ledge on the north west side and currently on 2 eggs. My visit today was filled with a kind of a bitter sweet emotion, in that the territorial pair are currently incubating two eggs. On the bitter side, it would appear that Lawrie, (the young female peregrine that was produced here in southern Ontario at the St. Lawrence Cement plant in Mississauga - (now called the Holcim nest site), and who’s father was that of Nate - (who we hacked out at the CPF Richmond Hill hack site in 1999), may no longer be the resident female at the Scarborough Yellow pages nest site.
The resident male at Yellow pages appears to be the same guy, (Named Ruben) and was produced in Ohio USA if I remember correctely. The resident male was observed dawning a Black over Green coloured leg band, but sadly, I was too busy “running and ducking” for cover in an effort to get out of his way and off of the roof area to see the digits on his Black over Green coloured leg band.
The resident adult female is very different in her attitude,, (unlike the full body contact hitter Lawrie), she bolted from the nest ledge and I never saw her again until I returned to the ground level. While I can not confirm her band colour, I believe I saw a quick flash of a solid black coloured band, but not really sure. If the resident female is in fact still Lawrie, there is something very different going on, as Lawrie has a “No Fear” attitude and has always been a “full contact hitter” in the past. I have experienced her rathe on four different occasions in previous years both at the old Scarborough Bell nest site and at the yellow pages nest site. Three of the four times, she drew MY blood. I still dawn two of the old battle scars proudly.
A big thank you to security for their assistance in helping us gather the site logistics again this year, and we look forward to seeing a hatch and young ones this year.
It will be very interesting to find out just who the current resident female is, and of course confirm the identity of the resident male?
Posted on April 11, 2011 9:45 pm
April 07, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 7th - Again thanks to Collette, and some great photos she took of the happenings going on down at the Windsor nest site, it appears that incubation maybe underway. A single photo tells part of the story. A good photo of Voltaire laying down on the nest ledge and later on some great photos of an excited Freddie (and later again) Voltaire suggesting that he get out and protect the territory and bring in more food!
Posted on April 11, 2011 7:33 pm
April 11, 2011 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Linda Woods Reports:
Paul Marshman and Harry were at Cherry Beach in Toronto this past Saturday and spotted an adult peregrine and a juvenile. Having a zoom lens Paul was able to capture an image of the leg bands of the juvenile and it has been I.D as a juvenile from 2010 Sheraton Hamilton nest. The adult may be one from King St. in Toronto who has been seen there in the past.
Many Thanks to Canadian Peregrine Foundation Volunteers Paul Marshman for the photo and Harry Crawford
Posted on April 11, 2011 7:18 pm
March 21, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
A big thank you to Collette for some great shots of a food transfer as the resident adult male - Freddie is photographed bringing in a tasty meal to his mate Voltaire on the nest ledge. she is then observed leaving the nest ledge with the tasty treat to find a safe place to eat it where she won’t attract attention to the nest while eating. The male takes over holding the fort and the nest ledge duties while she is off eating.
While we have received no official word from Dennis as to the presence of eggs and/or incubation going on, this single observation and photos tell an interesting story. It might appear that egg laying maybe in progress..
Photos by Collette Denkers
Posted on April 11, 2011 6:57 pm
