June 09, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Frank Butson Reports:
All day long Euro threatened to fly. He and sister Windward did alot of flapping and running the nestledge. It kept the volunteers on their toes and prepared. Everyone thought today was the day. Baylie and Diana, Kathy and myself, Tracy too,but it wasnt until after 9pm in almost darkness that I thought I saw a chick make its first flight to the Kingsway On The Park condo beside the nest building. Mom O’Connor had returned to the nestledge and flown off over to a favorite roosting spot on the condo. Noone noticed in the darkness if she had flown back in. Moments later a bird flew off of the nestledge to the same general area O’Connor had. Was it a chick? Had O’Connor snuck in without us noticing and taken off again? Kathy will be on site early and so will Baylie to count heads on the ledge. Until we are sure we are all singing the Peregrine Fledge Watchers lament. Tomorrow, it will happen tomorrow. All of the chick were much more visible today, with even Olympia making appearances near the edge of the ledge.
Posted on June 10, 2012 6:27 am
June 10, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Canada Square Peregrine report for 20120609
Both Haven and Stormin were active today but not interacting with one another.
When I arrived at 5:37 Haven was on the Canada Square nest ledge with her back to the sun. Shortly thereafter she flew to Rio-Can and perched 7 floors from the top. Stormin flew in, perched on the NW corner of Canada Square, called once and then flew to the nest ledge, landed and took off up Duplex Ave and disappeared. Soon after that he was back, coming in from the east along Eglinton he frightened a gull silly! The bird gave a loud squawk and accelerated out of his way in mad panic! Stormin was not interested and simply flew over the nest ledge circled the Canada Square roof and eventually landed on the mast on 2180 Yonge.
Two minutes after that Haven flew south to 2180 Yonge and landed on the second to last balcony where she did a funny walk along the railing from the south end to the north end of the balcony, hopped out of view for a minute, reappeared and hopped out of view again. Stormin craned his neck in her direction but I doubt he could see her. Haven did not find what she was looking for and flew south. She put in another appearance flying towards the nest but veered east and disappeared.
At 6:00pm there was brief action on the ledge in the form of one pair of wings up and then down and Haven was back on RC four floors from the top.
Twenty three minutes later Stormin flew from his perch on the mast, went south and was gone for a few minutes before reappearing over Eglinton east and the Bell building amongst others. He was gone for forty minutes . I saw him fly from over the roof of RC, and into a stoop over Duplex Ave and west and was gone again. Two minutes later he was flying over the nest and back to the mast on 2180 Yonge. Several minutes later he flew around the north side of the tall condo building, circling lazily several times and climbing until he was finally high enough to perch on the topmost point on the northwest corner of the building. Two minutes later he flew north east into a stoop over Eglinton and the Bell building and behind that. One minute later he was back with a bird in his talons and went to the east side of Canada Square where he disappeared. He obviously was not going to share and twenty minutes later he landed on the nest ledge and took off immediately. I did not see whether he dropped off any food.
By this time the eyases were waking up. One did brief peregrine calisthenics and then just sat. He was joined by his brother who was intent on showing how the exercises were to be done. He kept me entertained until 8:00pm! Stormin went into a third stoop from somewhere over Canada Square and over the low brick building next to the black building down Duplex. A few minutes later he was back on the mast. Through all this, an hour and fifty three minutes, Haven sat on the south face of RC.
At 7:53 Haven flew to the wall at the nest and perched there. The youngster who had been exercising really showed off for his mom! Those little wings moved. At one point he rested and was on the edge, looked over and thought *ummmmm, not going there* and hopped back down onto the ledge. At 8:02 all action stopped. The eyases had disappeared to the back, Haven was still above the nest and Stormin on the mast so I left. I did see all three youngsters today. Whilst one was sitting watching his brother exercise I saw a pair of wings flip up and then disappear.
Lyn
Posted on June 10, 2012 6:17 am
June 09, 2012 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Arrived to start the evening shift. After looking at the usual perches for Rhea Mae and Tiago I focused on the huge new condo tower on University Avenue, called the Shangri La. By 6:50 p.m I found Rhea Mae sitting on the east facing balcony, 3 floors from the top of the new tower. An hour later she took off and out of sight. Tiago appears on the north facing balcony of the same building. The four youngsters remained quiet this evening with minimal flapping.
8:15p.m. Rhea Mae is seen hunting in the area of Scotia Tower and westward. 8:45p.m. the kids start vocalizing and a little bit of flapping but I could not find where Rhea Mae or Tiago were perched. I assumed they were in view of the nest ledge. By 9:20 both Rhea Mae and Tiago were not in sight and the juvies had settled down and back from street view of the nest ledge. No food drop to the nest ledge this evening.
Posted on June 9, 2012 10:00 pm
- Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Lunch is served at the Sheraton This afternoon at 2p.m. Three juvies feeding while the 4th is looking out the nest ledge, I guess waiting for something better to eat. Lots of fluff visible on two of them.
Posted on June 9, 2012 2:10 pm
June 09, 2012 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Harry Crawford Reports:
Morning Shift: No fledge this morning. There was a feeding at
8:20am. Mother flew into the nest ledge and left 25 minutes
later. The chicks settled down for a couple of hours. By 11am,
all 4 chicks were visible on the ledge with the parents on the
Sheraton west antenna just above the area. Later, two of the
chicks were flapping. The shift was passed to Marion.
Posted on June 9, 2012 1:53 pm
June 07, 2012 - Niagara Falls
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Banding Day - June 7th - 2012
A big thank from our good friends Vicki and Roger who was able to snap some photos of the banding event from the USA side . Some great shots from a different view, a view that we never get to see!
Thanks MUCH folks!!
We’ve posted the photos a little larger than normal, so they might take longer to download when viewing. You can see both resident adult peregrines involved in an intense attack on the rock climbers during the extraction. As earlier mentionaed by our rock climbing crew, the resident adults have become far more aggressive this year.
Posted on June 9, 2012 8:55 am
June 09, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I received some great news from Ross at the William Osler Hospital site on Thursday that the second egg of Hurricane and Chessie has hatched!! The two little ones are being brooded by Chessie right now as the weather turns less friendly and we will get pictures as soon as we can of the latest family. Congratulations Hurricane, Chessie and all of the folks at William Osler Hospital!!
Posted on June 9, 2012 7:11 am
June 09, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Frank Butson Reports:
Day 3 was another day of hurry up and wait. After a short turn around for me I was glad to get alot of company and help today from Baylie,Rob,Diana and Kathy. Everyone doing their part helped the watch go smoothly. With the weekend upon us Im sure we will work together just as smoothly when chicks start flying everywhere. Thanks team!
Today there was a feeding at 8am. Feathers were showering down onto Bloor St. By 830am the chicks got their “pigeon power” and were busy flapping like mad things. By 9am their energy was spent and they had calmed down.
At 2pm all chicks were in view. Olympia remained in the shadows while Windward,Regatta and Euro were right on the ledge edge. At 615pm Jack did a few “touch and goes”. The adults fly onto the ledge, the young run to the adult and the adult immediatly flys away, hoping to entice the young Peregrines into flight. After alot of heavy flapping,preening and ledge running,by about 930pm everyone was asleep for the night.
A selection of photos from the past few days. Thanks to Rob and Baylie for their photos.
An important note, as evidenced from stories about O’Connor last year and early this season,she is a VERY AGGRESSIVE bird. She makes full contact with intruders whether avian or human. Not only did she strike one of the swingstage operators at banding but when the Kingsway On The Park had someone on the roof yesterday,she struck him and scartched him drawing blood before he really even got out the door. SHE IS FIERCE defending her young and they will soon be flighted. Residents local to the nest need to be careful this is not a bird to be triffled with. Surrounding buildings should not access areas such as rooftops unless absolutely necessary.
Posted on June 9, 2012 2:47 am
June 06, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
June 6th - 2012
Frank Butson Reports:
Canada Square Peregrine report
Two minutes after I arrived today Haven flew in from the south somewhere and made several lazy spirals over the black building, Canada Square and Yonge/Eglinton intersection before disappearing on the east side of Rio-Can.
Five minutes later she flew in with a food parcel and today she stood on the edge of the ledge and fed her eyases. I saw one little head for a brief second before it was gone. Once she had finished feeding them she disappeared to the back of the nest and then flew to the RC building and perched 7 floors from the top.
Twenty five minutes later Haven flew back to the nest ledge and ate some of the leftovers. Whilst she was busy eating I saw ONE HEAD AND ONE WING at the back of the nest. This is my first time seeing the youngsters active in the nest this year.
Once she had finished eating Haven sat on the edge with her back to the sun. She did turn around for a few minutes but then turned her back on us again. Half an hour later, Haven flew off the nest to RC and perched, briefly, six floors from the top, before flying to the wall/upright at the nest.
At7:24 pm Stormin put in an appearance from the east side of RC building, flying east a bit before turning around and flying west again to gain height to perch three floors from the top on the south face.
I was not paying attention and missed Haven’s flight to RC but did catch her flight from that building and I saw her go into a stoop over the black building before disappearing. Shortly thereafter Haven flew from around 2180 Yonge and up the west side of that and the black building with a struggling bird firmly clasped in a talon. She perched seven floors from the top with the still squawking bird. It uttered a few peeps later on and then Haven *dispatched* it before plucking feathers from it and flying to the nest ledge where she once again perched on the edge and fed the eyases. This time I saw a whole head with gaping maw as Haven fed them!
Once she had finished she flew to RC, perched briefly and flew to the wall/upright at the nest.
Finally I saw two heads and some wings going through their exercises. I have been waiting for this for ages.
Stormin put in a last and brief appearance before disappearing behind the RC and presumably going up Yonge. I saw one head and one wing and then I called it a day, leaving Haven perched on the wall.
Lyn
Posted on June 9, 2012 2:27 am
June 08, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 8th - 2012
Quest and family, photos by Cathy Kerr taken this afternoon.
Posted on June 9, 2012 2:20 am
