June 05, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills
Frank Butson Reports:
Today fellow volunteer Rob Mueller and I had the pleasure/priviledge of attending the banding at Harlequin. Rob got some great shots that he has graciously shared and Ive added a few of my own to tell the story.
Before the banding started several folks watched Quest and her chicks from the street outside. Quest brought in a meal for the chicks shortly before they were collected.
Inside Harlequin headoffice, a large group gathered to see the banding which was filmed and was also being seen live at Harlequins office in New York. That is the picture in a picture on the screen behind Mark Nash in the photos. You can see Quests satellite transmitter in the pics of her. As you can see by her chicks and bringing in the food,it isnt inhibiting her at all!
The chicks Blaze,Amora and Mira came out one by one to meet their adoring public. Donna Hayes opened the banding with many kind words of support and a great introduction. On behalf of Harlequin Enterprises Donna (CEO of Harlequin) presented Mark and Marion Nash with a sizeable and much appreciated donation. Donna then was called upon to assist Ministry of Natural Resources biologist and long time friend of CPF Mark Heaton in banding the first chick Blaze.
More photos will come from the many gathered Im sure so dont be alarmed if you dont appear in any photos seen yet,there are thousands our CPF friends are sorting through.
Posted on June 5, 2012 6:06 am
June 04, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 4th - 2012
Banding was hosted again this year at the Harlequin head office in Don Mills Ontario with a record attendance crowd! A huge thank you to all involved that made the banding such a great success. Behind the scenes, Harlequin staff pulled together yet another incredible event that will be remember by all for sure.
A big thank you to Solar Window washing and their staff who provided both the equipment, delivery, set-up and manpower to assemble the swing stage that once again got us to the nest ledge allow access to the nest ledge and the young hatchlings.
A big thank you also goes out to Berkley Property management and the board of directors of MTCC 918 for all of their assistance and support, and to Mark Heaton and the Aurora District office of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for their support in banding.
Lastly, and certainly not least, a big than you to both the CPF staff and volunteers that were on hand (both on the window washers swing stage to do the extraction of the young hatchlings, and theos that were at the banding and behind the scenes) that were involved in coordinating and assisting with the event.
The three star attractions arrived in fine form, no worse for ware, and were sexed, banded, checked for health, named and returned to the nest box and their parents in record time. Just moments prior to the window washers swing stage arriving at the nest box to do the extraction, Quest had flow in with a freshly prepared pigeon, and each of the young hatchlings had full crops at the banding table, so their weights are slightly heavier (by approx. 20 grams).
The three hatchlings particulars are as follows:
1. - 600 gram male - 27 days old, - named Blaze - banded Black R over 41 - with Blue tape
2. - 845 gram female - 24 days old - named Amora - banded Black S over 13 - with Red tape
3. - 745 gram female - 26 days old - named Mira - banded Black S over 14 - with Green tape
Both Quest (the resident adult female) and Kendal (the resident adult male) were on hand to supervise the activities of the extraction team out on the swing stage, and we can report that both adult parents resumed parental activities moments after their young hatchlings were returned to the nest box.
We are waiting for all many of the photos that are soon to come in, so stay tuned…..
Some of the outside photos included with this posting are from Bill Longo,
Thanks Bill for sending these into us so quickly! Great shots!
Posted on June 5, 2012 4:58 am
June 04, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Managed to catch a good glimpse of 2 of the juveniles this morning and a third set of wings flapping from the back! Didn’t see number 4 but he/she could have been napping or hiding towards the back of the ledge! O’connor was on the webcam preening.
Of the 2 I saw clearly, one barely has any down left that I could see and is looking quite beautiful and was flapping the most - I thought it might be the male but he/she seemed quite large - likely the oldest of the bunch. The other one still has quite a bit of down left on the outer side of it’s wings but was flapping up a storm regardless. The third one was towards the back so all I saw was black/white wings come up in response to all the flapping it’s siblings were doing.
Posted on June 4, 2012 7:54 am
June 03, 2012 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Stretching my wings earlier today, and a late night snack. Love the images
Posted on June 3, 2012 8:55 pm
June 01, 2012 - New York - Prescott-Ogdensburg Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 1st - 2012
As you know, the old nest box located on the Prescott-Ogdensburg bridge was relocated from the Canadian side of the bridge last year and moved to the Ogdensburg USA side.
The resident territorial adult female named “Zanar” - (who was produced at the Crowne Plazza hotel in Ottawa in 2004) was successful in attracting a new mate this spring and there is good news regarding their efforts. The pair have been successful in hatching several of their eggs this season and have hatchlings in nest box!
Posted on June 3, 2012 12:56 pm
June 01, 2012 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 1st - 2012
While it appears that the Ottawa Delta peregrines may not have a hatch this year, we all still have our fingers crossed that it still may happen. They are now closing on 35 days of incubation, and its getting down to the wire as they say.
On another note, as you know, the old nest box located on the Prescott-Ogdensburg bridge was relocated from the Canadian side of the bridge last year and moved to the Ogdensburg USA side.
The resident territorial adult female named “Zanar” - (who was produced at the Crowne Plazza hotel in Ottawa in 2004) was successful in attracting a new mate this spring and there is good news. The pair have been successful in hatching several of their eggs this season and have new hatchlings in nest box!
Posted on June 3, 2012 12:53 pm
June 03, 2012 - Niagara Falls
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 3rd -2012
Observation reports and updates on our family of peregrines and their hatchlings from our friends to the south in the USA continue to stream in offering very positive news indeed, despite the much cooler non-seasonal temperatures and the much needed rain that has moved in.
While the views over the past 48 hours have been difficult given all of the rain, we can verify that there are at least four hatchlings in the nest, and both resident adults are very much present and attending their new family members.
On yet another front, we are to understand that Wallenda’s walk will take place despite efforts to have him put off his stunt of walking across the falls later in the summer. The good news is that the hatch was much later than expected and the young falcons will not have fledged and as such will still be confined in the nest during the time that Wallenda is expected to do his monkey stunt walk across the falls.
Posted on June 3, 2012 11:44 am
June 03, 2012 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Paul Reynolds reports:
I fished the pier this morning and the little ones are really active now. One was really giving the wing flaps a hard go and their colour is really changing now. I did witness a number of attempts by the parents chasing after food. Mum was finally successful and took the food up to the box and I’m almost sure she just left it there for the chicks to feed themselves.
Paul
Posted on June 3, 2012 11:32 am
June 03, 2012 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Friday we were there for a while the four babies were sleeping then it started to rain and we left when it got to the point where we couldn’t see through the windshield because of the rain.
Yesterday we were there in the afternoon, the four of them were sleeping then they all decided it was preening time. Voltaire came in onto to the Church Steeple and with the Biniculars we could see she was very wet, she must have had a shower somewhere and then she did a lot of preening herself. Freddie flew in with food and left right away, it was good to see the four of them eating by themselves. One would pick up the food and the other one would be on the other end and that’s how they ate. About an hour later Voltaire came in with food and fed the four of them like she usually does. Viper, Twitter, General Broc and Eddy are getting very big. They are always busy trying to get rid of the white fluff.
Posted on June 3, 2012 11:16 am
June 03, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Canada Square Peregrine report June 2 2012
After very little activity on Thursday and no observation yesterday, due to the rain, I thought I should get out and check on the peregrines.
When I arrived at 5:10 pm Haven was sitting on the wall above the nest on Canada Square and Stormin was on the south face of Rio-Can. It was very cool out and both peregrines looked *chilly* and fluffed up against the weather. After twenty minutes of no activity, the sun came out and that was Haven’s opportunity. She flew off. Two minutes later, she was on the northwest corner of the *black building* over the TTC garage, plucking feathers madly from a pigeon. It was the feathers floating in the breeze which alerted me to her whereabouts. Shortly thereafter she grabbed the food parcel and flew south off the black building before turning and beginning to climb back to the height of the nest ledge. It was a bit of a struggle but she managed.
Stormin kept his distance and ten minutes after Haven had disappeared on the nest ledge he flew to the northwest corner of the black building in the hopes of finding scraps. All he managed to find were some feathers. He took off alongside the building flying south, around the bottom end of it and out of sight.
Fifteen minutes later I was still looking for him and heard chup-chup-chup twice. It appeared to come from the nest but I was not sure. I scanned all around but could not see the reason for the chatter.
Eight minutes later Haven flew to the south face of RC, followed by Stormin who perched one floor higher than she was. I did not see him fly from the nest but I wonder if he had arrived at the nest when I heard the chup-chup-chup? Haven did not stay long before flying to the ledge on one of the windows on the concrete wall on the west face of Canada Square. It appeared to me that she had a drink of water. Is this possible? I guess there were little collections of water left in places after the rain from yesterday. Haven then returned to the RC building, same perch. Once more her stay was short lived and she flew back to the wall at the nest. Stormin flew around the RC building and headed north on Yonge Street. It took almost half an hour for Stormin to return and when he did he sat right at the top of the southwest corner of Rio-Can. Haven spent the whole time on her perch on Canada Square above the nest. At 7:15 I left them in those same places.
BIGFRANK’s note: Its very possible Lyn saw Haven drink some pooled water. Peregrines dont need to drink water, they get their moisture from the blood of prey, but they will drink water infrequently and also bathe.
Posted on June 3, 2012 2:44 am
