July 24, 2012 - Stoney Creek
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Bill and I spent an hour or so at the Stoney Creek site this morning. After about an hour of just hanging around and seeing nothing, we finally decided to pack up. It would be the very first time in all our visits that we have not found the adults around. We thought we better go down the road where we could get a site line into the drum. Lo and behold there sat Dad (we think), sitting right on the receiver arm in the back of the drum. The other adult was not visible.
Posted on July 24, 2012 3:37 pm
July 22, 2012 - Toronto - Hearn Power Station
Bruce Massey Reports:
The last stop on my east end sweep of nest site checks on Sunday brought me down to the Hearn Generating Station for a check on Peter and his three young ones. As you may recall, this site is now a single parent family with the loss of the unbanded resident adult female to an injury. We have been watching Peter closely and he has been a super dad. He has kept up with the feeding schedule and has successfully brought all three of his young, Tiny, Dolly and Dark One, to fledge stage. He is an awesome male and no wonder given that he is the son of Surge who was hatched at the Etobicoke Sun Life centre and has been a successful father himself for many years now!!
As I approached the site, I found one peregrine on the plant directly east of Hearn eating and Peter on top of the roof of the nest building. I scanned the gridwork and rooftop for other peregrines and when I panned back to the plant to the east, in the scope with the light just right I was able to positively identify the peregrine on that roof as an adult female. It would seem that with his territory void of a resident female, that Peter has been able to attract a new girl to his site. I was unable to determine if she is banded as she took off fairly quickly and disappeared behind the eastern power plant. Shortly afterwards, a juvenile female came in from the east and flew over towards Hearn but instead landed on the eastern plant as well. As I left the site, I could confirm the presence of two adult peregrines and one juvenile female. I will be back to visit the site again to check on the status of the adults and try to confirm the new female’s identity.
Posted on July 24, 2012 9:24 am
July 22, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills
Bruce Massey Reports:
After visiting with Ben and Len at the Don Valley ICICI nest site, I popped in to 220 Duncan Mill Road to check up on Quest, Kendal and their three young ones. When I arrived, I didn’t have any birds in my immediate sights so I started a walk around of the buildings. My arrival was certainly right at “breakfast hunt” time and so I was anticipating an airshow but it was rather quiet. A rare moment for this site as the juveniles have been all over the nest building and neighboring area. As I came around the west side of the nest building, I found one of the juveniles relaxing and digesting breakfast. I could see by her red tape that this was Amora and she was quite happily preening the day away back at home base. The flight training for these three has certainly intensified and moved further afield as their aerial skills have become quite good. Even so, as Amora might say today, there is still no place like home and the juveniles will continue to use the building as their base of operations!
Posted on July 24, 2012 9:10 am
July 22, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Bruce Massey Reports:
I stopped in Sunday morning at the new Don Mills nest site to check up on the progress of Ben and Len. One adult was perched on the west side of the Forester building, another adult was on the southwest corner of the nest building and not one juvenile was in sight. I wandered up to Eglinton to check the TSM building and other rooftops in the area but still no sign of Ben and Len. I made my way back down to the nest building and could hear juveniles food begging. Lo and behold, up pops both Ben and Len on the DeBeers building on the ledge on top of the windows. This ledge is the exact same height and layout as the nest ledge and is the spot where both boys decided to lay down for a nap. They didn’t move from their spot but rather stayed put and begged the parents to come to them! As you can imagine, at this stage with both flying very well, the parents were unamused.
Posted on July 24, 2012 9:02 am
July 22, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Today was a site check day rather than a full time watch at William Osler given the heat and the ability that the juveniles are now showing. Yesterday I was treated to a great show of skill by both Tobi and Ossie and felt very confident, after I watched the two leave the footprint of the building, that they are safe at this point.
Winston was by the site in the early evening and was able to witness some incredible flights between the two youngsters and managed to capture some amazing pictures. Here are his observations;
Today I visited EGH between 3-4:30pm and was delighted to see the two juveniles having a blast. It looks like they’ve taken their game of tag to the air and they really put on a show. For birds that have been flying for less than a week they seem to be quick learners. The two have no trouble gaining altitude or landing. Still not as sure footed as their parents but I am especially surprised at the control of their landings. Aside from Tobi grabbing the side of the hospital just above the H sign, she still stuck the landing by the way, no real evidence that these guys are as new to this as they are. I stayed until 4:30 when the two parents had left for over 15 minutes and both chicks were fast asleep. Less than 15 minutes after that, the skies opened up. I assume the rain was enough to wake up Ossie who was sleeping on the power lines and force him to find cover but I was gone by then.
Thanks Winston for the great pictures and observations.
I arrived just after Winston left and we literally just missed one another. I found Tobi on the nest ledge and Ossie on the retaining wall of the roof on the east side. They stayed very relaxed and quiet for the most part until Chessie made an appearance in a tower to the south. That got the two juveniles to their feet and screaming like the wind. Chessie came in to the hospital area without food and started a chase in the air with her kids that was nothing short of spectacular. The three would together go whipping around the hospital and then out over the valley to the west, talon touching, diving and flipping. They came back a few minutes later and were all three soaring over the nest building only to go back into the dive and roll routine. They must have stayed in the air a full 5 or more minutes in this display of aerial finesse before the two youngsters finally settled down .
This watch has been a treat to be a part of and there are so many people to thank for its success. A huge thank you to the staff at the William Osler Hospital for being an incredible host building to this family, the folks at Paladin Security for all their assistance and all of the people who visited with us daily to ask about their peregrine family. I would also like to personally thank the OMNR Stewardship Rangers for braving the heat and coming out with us and a very special thank you to Bruce Massey, Marion Nash and Kathy Smith who’s great friendship and support made this success possible!! Way to go Chessie and Hurricane!!
I will be stopping in and doing site checks throughout the next few weeks so watch for more stories and photos on the progress in training of Tobi and Ossie.
Posted on July 23, 2012 11:22 am
July 23, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
Thanks to Samantha for this exciting news.
Took a few minutes before heading up to the office this.morning at the ICICI building and got to witness mama falcon dangling her kill in mid air while Ben (blue band?) swooped down under her and successfully grabbed it while she dropped it. Our babies are growing up! What an amazing sight!
Posted on July 23, 2012 11:03 am
July 21, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I arrived on site just before 6pm to relieve Bruce of his last full time Fledge Watch shift of the season. As you can see by his posting, he had lots of action today with both juveniles flying really well. I found Ossie napping on the northern “H” sign and Tobi eating on the nest ledge. I couldn’t readily see the adults but I could hear Chessie calling softly in the tower. As Bruce pulled away from the site, I settled in for some great flights that he had been telling me about and warned me that I would find impressive. No one moved. Tobi was flat out on the nest ledge snoring, Ossie was sitting on the north side preening and the adults were in the tower chatting about next year.
Bruce and I both agree that with what we have been seeing here from Tobi and Ossie, that the full time Fledge Watch will be scaled back as of tomorrow. I will be in and on site tomorrow for a less intense version of the Fledge Watch and I will be back to check up on the family throughout the week as I will be starting my west end nest site rounds on Monday.
Posted on July 23, 2012 9:54 am
July 21, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Bruce Massey Reports:
Today it was my turn to open the William Osler Fledge Watch and hold the fort until the afternoon. I arrived at 6:30am and found Tobi on the south “H” sign and could hear, but not see, Ossie in the tower. Tobi left the sign and made for the north facing side of the nest ledge, missed the landing and ended up in the tower. After 10 minutes, Ossie flew to the retaining wall of the roof and landed neatly on the southwest corner. By 7am, Hurricane was coming in with food and had Chessie on his tail. This time it was Ossie who was the recipient of the morning feed while Hurricane flew up to the north corner of the nest building and Chessie flew up to the tower. At this point, Tobi made several flights around the hospital and looked like she wanted to go to the south “H” sign but finally settled down in the tower.
Once Ossie had finished eating, the two juveniles were actively flying back and forth between the tower and the nest building and landing very well. Ossie flew out to the northeast and out over the residential area taking longer flights than he has up until now. I went into the hospital for a brief moment and when I came out I checked the tower… …no one there. I could distinctly hear distant vocalizations and so I scanned north and found a bird in a tower to the north about 1/3 of the way up to Finch Ave. I walked up to the tower and found, much to my surprise, found both juveniles preening madly in the distant tower. I can confirm now that both of the young have explored beyond the footprint of the nest building. It wasn’t long before Hurricane flew up and joined the juveniles to the north and they all enjoyed a family moment together. At around 8:45am, Chessie flew over to the nest building with food and Ossie came off of his perch to take part in the feeding. Now fueled on pigeon power, Ossie was making short, quick flights from the tower to the roof and back to the northern tower, finally settling on the tower across from the nest ledge. Tobi finally decided to leave the tower to the north and head back to the nest building and on the way was stooped by her older brother!! This started a game of tag that lasted a good five minutes before both juveniles retired to their separate perches; Tobi to the hospital hydro tower and Ossie one tower north.
The next feeding was brought in by Hurricane at 11:15am and this time he brought it in to Tobi in the tower, at first with a touch and go and then straight over for the exchange. She took the food from Dad and flew with it over to the nest ledge. This was a good flight and landing considering that she had a bit of drag and weight and one foot was occupied. At around noon, Chessie was alarm calling and was off in defense of her site. I could see the intruder very high and it was another falcon about the same size as Chessie, another female perhaps. Just after1pm, Ossie and Hurricane did a “flight school” tandem flying demonstration that was rather impressive. Later on in the afternoon, I was treated to a kiting demo by Tobi over top of the hospital in a good, strong sustained wind. She handled the wind very well and landed safely. At first I thought this was Ossie but once she had landed I was able to confirm the red tape over her USFW band. Just after 5pm, Hurricane was in with another package and it looks like Tobi was the recipient this time. She ate her meal on the nest ledge while Ossie, after flying to the tower to beg for food unsuccessfully off of Hurricane, flew to the north “H” sign for a nap.
Posted on July 23, 2012 9:53 am
July 21, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Mark Nash Reports:
July 21st - 2012
Day 16 of the fledge watch!
5:20am start , all set up and jr. located on the same elevation he was observed last evening at dark when we closed off the fledge watch, 5the floor elevation, Caroline street side. By 6:45am, Statler finally came down and landed in a tree very close to jr’s position to both check up on him and offer some parental advice. Allot of vocalization was involved between both mom and jr. over the next 20 minutes while they screamed at one another. Needless to say, the small local avian population were also screaming and alarm calling throughout this same time frame and not at all amused with their new visitors. Clearly, (at least through their perspective), the neighbourhood has just become allot more complicated.
Statler eventually left jr. in this spot obviously unable to convince him to “get flying”, and once again, he was left on his own to deal with his new found “friends”. For the next several hours, the smaller birds continued to stoop and dive bomb jr. You couldn’t help but feel bad for him, as his new found avian friends obviously don’t play well with others! He did run across the leading edge of the various ledges on the John street side on several occasions in an effort to avoid and get away from his “new rather hostile friends”!
Throughout the balance of the day, both parents refused to feed jr., and although they were observed throughout the day checking up on him at much higher elevations, it appeared that they were not going to feed him any more until he made efforts to get some higher altitude.
By 8:30pm, and after yet another very long boring 15 hour day (watching paint dry) we had resided ourselves to yet another lost day By 8:30pm, and after yet another very long boring 15 hour day (watching paint dry) we had just about given hope that jr. would be spending another night at a low elevation still unable to get back to the upper roof top .
8:35pm and everything changed - VERY QUICKLY! The 2-way radios lit up with frantic calls from the various watches still holding their positions around the S.L building. HE’S OFF, FLYING AROUND TO PARK STREET, GAIN SOME ALTITUDE, BRUSHED OFF YET ANOTHER WINDOW, AROUND YOUR SIDE!!
Yes, jr; finally took flight, around to the Union Street side, King street side, reverses his direction, now back to Union Street, around to Park Street, reverses direction, back to Union Street, back to King street then out north. Oh my god, he’s running out of steam and way out.
Just when we though he was going to fly out of our sight north, he reversed direction yet again, hooked around back towards the Sun Life building tower and gained altitude as he flew back towards us.
HE LANDED ON THE UPPER ROOF ELEVATION AND FINALLY BACK HOME!!!
:-)
By 9:10pm. Statler has observed flying in with food and fed jr.!! Cheers and screams echoed from the parking lot as it was a very emotional moment for all!!
So he’s back home, finally! The best part of the entire event is just about to start!!
Photos to follow.
Stay tuned………….
Posted on July 22, 2012 4:35 pm
July 20, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Mark Nash Reports:
July 20th - 2012
5:30am, all set up and jr. on the smoke stack, 5the floor elevation, Union street side. By 6:45am, Statler has had enough of him being on the smoke stack and over the next 45 minutes made close to a dozen very low fly-byes to coax him off the smoke stack. By 7:30am, Caster finally brought him in food and was successful in coaxing him off the stack onto the lower roof top below. For more than 20 minutes off and on, jr jumped on and screamed both at his father and the dead carcass in an effort to get some of it into his mouth. Tired of all of the screaming, Dad finally flew off leaving the two (the freshly killed carcass and jr) to work it out.
For the next several hours, little jr. continued to jump on, pick at, scream at and beat up the carcass unable to figure out how it gets from where it is, into his mouth! Quite funny indeed!!
Throughout the balance of the day, Statler and Caster brought him in at least two other kills, both of which jr was unable to figure out how to actually eat them. In addition to staying on this same roof elevation all day, he jr spent most of the entire day laying down sleeping!! When he jr wasn’t sleeping, he was screaming at his parents to come in and feed him!!
By 8:20pm, mom finally gave in and landed beside jr and beak fed him - (beak to beak), or spoon fed him as say. Quite a tender moment!
Moments after Statler fed jr., he finally took flight in an effort to follow her, but once again unable to gain any meaningful altitude, he flew around to the King Street side of the S.L tower and veered sharply into the u tower windows. This time we could hear the “whomp” sound of his collision with the window over on the Union Street parking lot where we were set up. Jr. fell downward - “Snowflaked” as we now say, down the glass face of the S.L. tower more than six floors to the lower fifth floor roof elevation out of our view.
Scrambling once again to seek an elevated spot in an attempt to locate him, while others repositioned themselves on King Street and John Street in an effort to get a view of him..
With Tony and Terry’s support, Lisa and I attended the 5th floor roof elevation to check on jr’s status.
Fearing the worst, I can ‘t tell you how surprised I was to see him actually alive, (let alone standing upright and appearing unharmed)! After more than 7 direct face plants with the windows over the past week since he has been flying, this collision was the worst we have seen thus far. It was hard!! This little guy must have a “concrete head”!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apparently no worse for ware, Eventually, he flew up and perched on and elevated concrete parapet above the S.L rear entrance (Caroline street) and thts were we left him at dark.
Photos to follow…….
Stay tuned.
Posted on July 22, 2012 4:23 pm
