Bill and I spent some time at the bridge today. Cirrus is very busy taking care of the little ones. She was either inside the box or standing on the outside corner. Mackenzie was just hanging around. Still can’t see the little white heads from the parking lot, but we should be able to soon.
These four little ones sure look ready to eat! Because the four hatched within 3 days of each other, I think there two females and two males. Linda and the MNR may prove me wrong!
This photo was snapped via the web cam at 11:42 Toronto time. Looks like the adult is waiting for a food delivery.
On Friday, Marion and I made a trip up to the Yellow Pages building to check in on Linn and Rueben and their progress towards a hatch this year. When we arrived, neither adult was in sight and so off we went inside to speak to security. Paul Zisis, security for the building, was able to share the recent activity around the building as being relatively quiet and only one adult seen at a time. Marion and I then headed up to a higher elevation to check on the pair and struck it lucky as Linn had just taken off for a break and Rueben was out of the area. This allowed us to take a first glance at their progress and indeed the pair have three eggs that they are currently incubating. We will be watching for the change in behaviour that will signify a hatch. Check back soon as we hope to be announcing their first arrival!!
What a pleasant surprise we got this afternoon. We got to the bridge and started to look at the nest site with our scope to see Voltaire feeding again and this time not just three chicks but FOUR (4). We were so pleasantly surprised we didn’t know what to do. Voltaire finished feeding them and then just hung around on the nest tray.
Gwen & Dennis Site Co-ordinators CPF
Frank and I were back in London on “The Perch” on the west side of Wellington Street for another day of observation of Dougal and Thunder, the resident pair. Frank stayed in the street while I made the rounds and visited with some of the fabulous people I have met in London.
First stop was to the London City Centre Property Management Group office to drop off some endangered species postcards and update everyone on the recent identifications made of the adult pair. I must say that the London City Centre folks are absolutely amazing hosts and “parents” to the falcon family and I enjoyed sharing some of the stories we have witnessed as of late. Thank you so much to all the folks that look after the Dundas and Wellington towers and I am so excited to see how much they embrace their birds.
Next, off to One London Place to share the news with Domenic Ripepi and Linda Machuk of Sifton Property Management Group who manage the building that faces directly towards the nest ledge. I was able to meet up with Domenic and I can say the the local excitement regarding the pair is mirrored here at One London Place. From a higher elevation I was able to see that the female was again lying down in the tray and was napping for the most part. Dougal flew in to relieve her but she refused to budge and instead came and visited the suite above where I was watching at One London Place. After updating Linda, I stepped outside to find Dougal on the top of one of the triangular ledges preening.
Back at The Perch, Frank had already witnessed a Bald eagle moving through and just shortly after I arrived, a pair of Osprey took a chance and bombed through between the towers. They met with no resistance as Thunder was tight to the tray. Dougal flew back into the ledge and tried to encourage her off but she refused to budge. The only time that both birds took to the air was when another female peregrine entered the territory and Dougal immediately escourted her out. There was a short battle between the two out over Wellington to the south before the male returned and Thunder came out for three short recon loops of her building.
When we left, Dougal was on his favourite perch at One London Place and Thunder was back in the tray in incubation mode. Thanks to our supporters at TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, we will be back in London on May 17th delivering Project School Visit and Frank will be back on The Perch on Wellington Street for more observations of the pair. Stop by and visit!!
More photos to come!!
Taken at approximately 8:15 this morning, the King Street eyases appear to be getting some instructions. Perhaps advice on staying in the shade - it looks like a lovely sunnt morning in Toronto.
Now I know why the eyases grow so quickly! I assumed that in the dark hours they would just sleep. Apparently not. I snapped this off the web cam at 1:30 a.m. Toronto time.
A quick camera check this evening, stopped my heart for a moment. The chicks have disappeared. Then the image refreshed and captured Erin coming in with food. The next image, the four wee ones have already moved down to the other end of the ledge and under the camera. All four are present and accounted for, just in time for a meal
I am so happy to report that Bill and I were able to count 3 little heads this morning. We set up our scopes down by the washrooms and watched while Cirrus fed the little ones. First we saw one head, then two and then finally we saw a third. Mackenzie was standing guard from the old nest ledge. At one point he had to show a Coopers Hawk and then a Turkey Vulture the way out of town. When we left, Cirrus was in the box with the little ones and Mackenzie was once again back on the old nest ledge.
