July 09, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Arrived on site early this morning to the sound of a juvenile screaming and chasing mom around. Both landed on the ledge and then mom quickly took off and went around the building. At the same time Jack flew around from the opposite side and he was followed by another juvenile.
I believe they all went to the rooftop as all was quiet after that. Typically at this time of year we’d be seeing food transfers and hunting attempts in full view of the building however they seem to all be going south for training from what I have observed.
That may be partly due to the fact the some of the buildings in the area have been actively discouraging the Starlings and Pigeons from nesting in and around their buildings. As a result our falcons may be venturing further afield to engage in training the young this year where availability of prey is more abundant.
Posted on July 9, 2012 6:11 pm
July 09, 2012 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Harry Crawford Reports:
Looks like all three chicks are visiting home today.
Posted on July 9, 2012 4:41 pm
July 09, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I arrived on site just after noon and met up with Bruce Massey, Sue McCreadie and Bill McCreadie who were manning the Watch at the Waterloo Sun Life Financial nest site. They informed me that it had been rather uneventful for most of the morning with the exception of a food delivery into the nest ledge area at around 6:30am. It was not to remain that way for long!! First off I was able to look at the resident adult male for the first time from outside of the Sun Life building. All of my looks had been through smoked glass at bad angles due to where he roosts and so I was keen to confirm his band information today. What I learned, thanks to Bill and Sue lending me their scope, is that the adult resident male is in fact wearing a black over red recovery band on his left leg!! I was fooled earlier last week by the distortion and tint on the glass but I am in no doubt today!! This was reconfirmed later by Bruce, Sue and Mark and so we have identified the resident male without a doubt to this point. Now for the tough part, the numbers / letters that pinpoint his identity and origins!!
At 12:30pm. the resident adults had both taken to the air and Statler, the resident female, had come up to one of the concrete walls we call parapets and had a pigeon with her. The resident male flew up to the retaining wall above her and watched as she devoured most of the meal over the next 45 minutes. By 1:40pm she’d had her fill and took off with the remains of her lunch. She flew for over a minute with long and swooping flights over top of the nest ledge area as if to incite some activity from the juvenile. After a good long swoop around, she flew directly onto the roof on the east side which has been identified as the nest ledge area. She entered with food, dropped out of our sights and finally exited after 5 minutes without any food with her. She flew up to the top of the north facing Sun Life Financial sign and perched on the westernmost girder that supports the sign; one of her favourite perches. The resident male was perched on the east side on the retaining wall right where it meets one of the parapets. If your not looking carefully, he can easily camoflage and disappear in that spot!! At just after 2pm, the adult male left on a hunt and by 2:30 had returned with food. He flew past Statler with it and she took to the air. This next little flight was amazing to watch!!
The adult male flew in circles with the food in his talons while the female circled just below him. He swooped up and almost inverted himself while at the same time letting go of the food. The momentum carried the food up into the air for a brief second before it started to fall. It didn’t have to fall far before the female was in and snatched it right out of the air. Awesome food transfer by the resident parents!! She carried the food around and out of our view on the southwest side of the building.
Staying true to the timelines that I witnessed last week, the male took off at 4pm on a hunt. This time he didn’t immediately return with food but rather stayed off site until 5:40pm when he returned to roost on his favourite eastern perch. The female was expecting a little more from him than just a visit and so she positioned herself on the northeastern retaining wall to await her mates next food delivery. By 6:30pm it was apparent that it was not coming and so Statler took to the air and headed west in lazy, climbing circles. Marion and I visually followed her through our binoculars and watched as she spotted a target and then made a spectacular stoop out of our sights. Within 10 minutes, she returned with prey and was on the east side louvers section stashing it away. As I left, both adults had taken up positions on the building near to the nest ledge area and looked to be settled in for the night.
Thanks to Tony Bergauer at Bentall Kennedy and Waterloo Sun Life Financial for all of their support in getting the Fledge Watch underway!! We look forward to an exciting week of meeting the community, sharing our stories and watching this wonderful peregrine family!!
Posted on July 9, 2012 1:05 am
July 09, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Bruce Massey Reports:
I was on site today just after 6:30am and met up with Tony Bergauer of Bentall Kennedy LP at the site. He had just witnessed food being taken into the nest ledge area on the east side of the building and was very excited to see the adults so active. Now that the weather has shifted to cooler temperatures, the way is paved for a greater level of activity. The bulk of the morning leading up to lunchtime was rather quiet as the resident adults spent much of their time around the nest building preening, relaxing and taking in the morning sun. By noon, the adults were becoming active but still no visit to the retaining wall by the juvenile. We expect to see him make his first appearance any day now.
Posted on July 9, 2012 12:31 am
July 08, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Bruce Massey Reports:
I visited the Waterloo Sun Life Financial nest site today in preparation for the official start of the Fledge Watch tomorrow to get a measure of the site and see whether the juvenile male had made his first appearance yet. I arrived at 7:00am and found both resident adults relaxing on the south side of the building. There wasn’t a great deal of activity today and the juvenile did not come up to the retaining wall ledge as the heat was still quite strong. Throughout the observation period, both adults stayed close to the building and it wasn’t until 3:3opm that the first food package went into the nest ledge area. The official dawn to dusk Watch begins tomorrow as the juvenile male will be between 34 and 36 days.
Posted on July 9, 2012 12:26 am
July 08, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Thanks as always to Lyn for her observations and todays great shots of the many faces of Solar.
Canada Square Peregrine report 20120707
As I exited the Yonge/Eglinton shopping mall I spotted a peregrine on the north side of Canada Square. I waited patiently for her to show her band, which she did, silver no tape, and then I knew it was Solar. She was very diligently preening.
I moved to my usual seat outside 53 Division and spotted Stormin in hiding on the old nest ledge right up against the concrete wall. Shortly thereafter I saw a peregrine fly towards Rio-Can and I assumed this to be Haven but on reflection I think it was Simcoe. There were no missing feathers!!! He landed on RC. During this period Stormin took off and I missed it so have no idea which direction he took.
Haven flew in a few minutes later carrying a food parcel. She flew to the north-west side of Canada Square and landed just above Solar, who had moved over. Simcoe flew in squawking madly and landed near Haven and almost bumped her over. He really is a little hooligan J Haven deposited the food of the day and flew off. Much to my surprise Simcoe did NOT eat. He moved off into the shade near the wall. Solar did not fly up to the nest ledge level but she was quite vocal. I think both of them must have been full!
Simcoe flew off and back and landed next to Solar. Shortly after that he took off again and circled seven times in the Y/E intersection and once in the Duplex/Eglinton intersection before flying south to 2180 Yonge and then back to the northern antenna on Canada Square.
He could not settle and was off again just as Haven flew in to the old nest ledge, followed by Simcoe. Haven moved out of sight on the ledge and then Simcoe did the same at which point Haven flew off. Throughout all this Solar continued to squawk.
Simcoe flew again, high over RC. Then Solar launched herself and she too flew high-ish. She flew a number of circles over Eglinton and Duplex and when she was in front of RC Simcoe came onto the scene and dived at her. They attempted a talon touch and it was Solar who flipped and presented the talons. They did not connect though. Eventually they both disappeared and I came inside. A few pictures of Solar attached.
Lyn
Posted on July 8, 2012 8:12 am
July 06, 2012 - Toronto - Hearn Power Station
Frank Butson Reports:
We got an update on the resident adult female today from the Toronto Wildlife Centre where she is in rehabilitation. She has a very serious elbow injury and we’re waiting on results from some lab tests. Test results are due back early next week. The prognosis is guarded and the vets are “worried.” We will of course pass on any information as soon as we get it. Thanks to Toronto Wildlife Centre staff and volunteers for all of their efforts.
Posted on July 6, 2012 10:34 pm
July 06, 2012 - Mississauga - Holcim
Frank Butson Reports:
Today I got an update from TWC about Emmalina who fell into cement powder. She had complications from the toxicity and was seizuring for days. Emmalina now seems to be stabilized but is being treated for really horrible eye ulcers. The workers that found her and rescued Emmalina had done an eye wash on this little one (an eye wash you would normally do in an emergency situation for humans). We think this very much saved the little ones eye balls.
We will post updates as we recieve them. Thanks to the folks at the Toronto Wildlife Centre for all of their efforts.
Posted on July 6, 2012 10:28 pm
- Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Fef, one of the two females fledglings, visit the nest ledge with Rhea Mae watching over. A very hot July 6th, 2012. Temperatures reaching 36 degrees.
Posted on July 6, 2012 3:06 pm
July 05, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Lyn had plenty of action today. Timing is often everything.
Canada Square Peregrine report 20120705
My observation today was barely an hour and sixteen minutes long.
When I arrived I spotted Stormin on the antenna atop 2180 Yonge. A few minutes later I heard squawking from a hungry young peregrine and searched all the known spots for their perching. I finally found a youngster on the antenna on top of Canada Square. I am not sure this was the one squawking though. Shortly thereafter Stormin flew and I lost track of him.
The next bit of activity was when the pigeons on top of the CIBC building, across Yonge, scattered. This was indication of something afoot. I checked the top of that building and sure enough on the south west corner of the brown part on top of the roof was a peregrine. Just from the size I believed this to be young Solar. I did not at any point see band colours. The peregrine on the Canada Square antenna was Simcoe.
I saw a small bird almost drop all of its feathers when it flew up to the roof where Solar was sitting. No exit was made any faster than that one! This particular roof is a favourite perching area for the pigeons at Yonge and Eglinton and as pigeons do, one flew up to the same level as Solar but far end from her and landed on the roof. I could almost hear the hysteria when this pigeon realised it was perched within feet of its foe! Wing flaps were wild and uncoordinated as it almost fell off the roof in its attempt to make a fast getaway. Solar just looked at it in astonishment.
Fifteen minutes after this Simcoe could stand it no longer and flew from the antenna to the east over Eglinton Avenue where he actually chased a pigeon!!! He missed but scared the living daylights out of the pigeon, which I think is still on its way to the Maritimes!!! Haven then launched herself from a hiding spot and showed Simcoe, who was still in the air, how it should be done. She chased another pigeon over Yonge Street and close to the CIBC building but she also missed and this second pigeon has migrated to the United States!
Solar seemed to be plagued by pigeons as another one landed on the same roof level as she was and began walking towards her! When the pigeon realised the big bird was a peregrine it turned tail and walked VERY fast from Solar. As Solar had just seen her brother and mother in action and she figured out that pigeons were for eating, she began stalking the pigeon in a very hurried manner. This unnerved the bird which dropped to a lower level of the roof.
Ten minutes after that and after a number of stretching exercises and runs along the roof ledge Solar lifted off and flew to Rio-Can where she PERCHED ON ONE OF THOSE WINDOW UPRIGHTS. She did this with ease!!! I was so impressed. A couple of fellows from 53 Division were talking to me when this happened and I told them it was the first time I had seen this happen this year.
Haven flew from the east side of Canada Square, along Eglinton West and up Duplex and west again. This set up more squawking from Solar! A mere few minutes after this Haven returned with a pigeon in her talons and one of the fellows saw her food parcel and exclaimed *she has a pigeon and is going to transfer it in midair*!!! This is exactly what happened.
On seeing Haven return with food Solar launched herself and flew directly to Haven who by this time was over Yonge near the CIBC building. Solar, squawking madly, of course, made and missed one attempt but Haven knew she wasn’t ready and did not release the pigeon. On the second try Solar did grasp the pigeon and as Haven let go we saw Solar visibly drop a bit in height and her little wings flapped madly as she struggled to maintain height and move over the CIBC where she went to the roof. We all breathed a sigh of relief. I told the chaps that they were very lucky to have seen what they did!
Haven’s persistence and lessons are definitely paying off!
We saw three attempts on different pigeons lives, Simcoe’s in flight, Haven’s in flight and Solar’s on footJ
I saw Solar land on one of those window thingies and then finally the transfer of a pigeon to Solar.
A very good day and well timed on my part!
Lyn
Posted on July 6, 2012 8:06 am
