July 13, 2012 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
After leaving Stoney Creek, Bill and I headed to the Lift Bridge. We found Mackenzie sitting on the front face of the Hamilton Tower. Cirrus was no where to be seen. We searched all of her ususal spots, but no luck. We sat down in the shade and a short time later, both birds flew to the old nest ledge on the Burlington Tower and disappeared down inside. There is still no sign of the kids. We were happy to see Mom and Dad so we headed home to the air conditioning.
Posted on July 13, 2012 3:06 pm
July 13, 2012 - Stoney Creek
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Bill and I spent some time in Stoney Creek this morning. Both birds were visible in the communications tower. They were not making a sound. It was difficult to get a good look at their crops, but with the number of white pigeon feathers on the ground and a fresh foot in the parking lot, I would assume that a meal had recently taken place. It appeared that they were both just sitting in the shade enjoying the quiet. These two birds are very rarely apart. When you see one you usually see the other.
Posted on July 13, 2012 3:01 pm
July 13, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
I have heard or seen the kids around most mornings, very early when I come in but otherwise it’s been very quiet around here - falcon wise. I was just saying earlier today that with this new heat alert that we’d likely see even less of the falcons out flying around.
To my surprise, Mom and all three of the juveniles are outside flying around right now, playing tag and screaming their little heads off! Can I just say..wow the girls are big. One of them is as big as or a bit larger than O’Connor. I suspect that may be Windward!
What a delight to see them all safe and having fun!
Posted on July 13, 2012 2:45 pm
July 12, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Bruce Massey Reports:
I arrived at the site at 2pm and was updated by Kathy as to the mornings adventures. I found Len in the same place on the north side of the ICICI building and Ben was out of my sight on the DeBeers ledge. Just after 3pm, Len came off of the nest building and flew straight across Eglinton to the TSM building where he made a safe landing on the roof. The parents were ecstatic and the adult female brought food over to Len for his accomplishment. By 4pm the resident male had flown over and made a few passes at Len but that is where he was determined to stay for now.
Ben now took to the air and flew over to an apartment building near the Science Centre with both parents in tow. He landed on a balcony and popped down in; a bad spot for a peregrine!! I spent the next hour and a bit working on a rescue off of the balcony and as I was waiting for access, Ben popped up on the balcony rail!! He took off and flew to the top of the nest building and was well out of balcony danger for now. Ben then flew over to the TSM building and joined his brother Len there. The two juvenile boys celebrated a huge reunion with much vocalization, head flipping, beak tapping and playing. Very touching indeed. Both resident adults now joined the boys on TSM and brought food with them. It looked as though the parents intended to feed the two up so that they would stay right where they were for now with multiple food packages going over to the juveniles. At one point, a flock of swallows had targeted Len for dive bombing and the resident female flew in and drew them off. She flew around the TSM building with a full swallow escort but she didn’t seem to mind as they were now leaving Len alone. I was joined by Randy, Ann and Donna for the evening and we all were fortunate to witness this wonderful family moment.
I will be back out tomorrow for the afternoon shift and I look forward to seeing how Len’s flights are progressing!
Posted on July 13, 2012 9:23 am
July 12, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
When I arrived the sun was just coming up and I could see Len on the roof of the ICICI building and Ben on top of the chimney where he spent the better part of the day yesterday. Once the adults had seen Len, they became quite vocal and excited at seeing him and were looking to feed him right away. Len, in his excitement, slipped off of the roof edge and flew around the nest building coming to rest on the 5th floor window ledge. The adult female met him there and gave him a tidbit of food to start the day. Len made a second flight that took him out and around the building and he ended up on the north side of the nest building but this time he was 4 floors higher!! A great accomplishment for little Len!!
Ben was not to be outdone or left out and took to the air. He flew several tester flights across the roof of the apartment building that he spent the night on before taking off and ending up on the roof of another apartment directly west. Not content to stay there and wanting to go where the food was, Ben once again took off and flew around the DeBeers building and made up to the top!! Great flight for this little one. He then made another flight around DeBeers and disappeared out of my sight. I went looking for him and knew that he was close as the adults were in the area and looking quite relaxed. After several hours of searching, I found him on a ledge of the DeBeers building that is of the same height and type as the nest he came from!! Wow!! Ben seems to be getting it together!! Len was still on the ICICI building when I left for the afternoon having a nap and digesting all of the food that the adults had been packing into him. I look forward to seeing Len becoming an aerial artist just like his brother!!
Posted on July 13, 2012 9:05 am
July 12, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Mark Nash Reports:
July 12th - 2012
Today, unlike the previous six days on the fledge watch, we were finally rewarded with a treat and the first real significant event since the banding of the hatchling.
To summerize the days events, and clearly the highlight of the day was made of of three single events. At approx. 6:45am ths morning, the young male hatchling has finally showed himself! He has finally developed enough confidence to come forward to the leading edge of the roof for the first time. For almost an hour, he watched in amazement the new world that has been hidden from him by the retaining wall that surrounds of upper roof area. Up until today, his entire world has only been in 2D. This morning, (and for the first time in his life thus far) his would is no being observed in 3D.
We managed to get some decent photos during his short stint on the upper east roof elevation. At approx. 8:40am, his mom, Statler finally came in with food and they disappeared back into the roof and out of our view. He didn’t re-appear again until the evening, shortly before dark around 9pm.
Throughout the day, he was fed only twice as the adults are in the process of leaning him of the excessive baby fat and weight. This is in an effort to get him into a flying weight. Unlike the previous weeks where he was being fed six to ten times a day to deal with his incredible rate of growth and nutritional needs, the adults are now limiting his food in an effort to lean him of the excessive baby fat and coax him into flight.
Food is a wonderful motivator!
On four occasions, Turkey vultures ventured into the territory and were immediately dispatched by both adults. Now that the young hatchling is on the move and almost ready to take its first flights, you are going to see the adults become far more aggressive and anal about intruders and any perceived threats in their territory.
One two occasions, Statler made several full body contact hits as she stooped down from above on one of the Turkey vultures. On another occasion the resident adult male peregrine attacked one of the turkey vultures from below as Statler stooped on it from above. It was incredible to see both of the adults working in tandem.
During the heat of the day, it was for the most parts a typical fledge watch, truly uneventful, especially when its hot and humid. Peregrines for the most parts during the heat of day are hiding out in a shady spot to avoid the heat, and are generally only active in the morning until the sun get high. They are not active again until the late afternoon when the sun sets. The best hunting times are in the mornings and late afternoon and early evenings.
In true fashion, shortly after 8pm we experienced the typical “falcon follies”. Just when you think (or at least hoping) that everyone is bedding down for the evening and you can relax, the young hatchling was back up on the upper roof top ledges running around chasing his parents.
Both adults were out again on hunting forays this evening and although unsuccessful on two of the three hunts, Statler was successful on her third hunt and brought in a meal to the hatchling.
By 9:40pm, losing our light we finally packed and called it quits for the day and headed back to the hotel for the night.
Posted on July 13, 2012 9:00 am
July 11, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Now that I am back in town from my shifts at the Waterloo Sun Life nest site, I headed down after work to support Bruce and Kathy at the new Don Mills nest site. Bruce brought me up to speed informing me that the two adults were on the DeBeers building when he arrived at 2pm, one juvenile was on the apartment building chimney and one was in a rescue carrier. At 3pm, both adults made a vigorous attempt to get the chick, Ben, off of the top of the chimney with multiple stoops by the parents. He refused to budge.
When I arrived at about 6pm, the female flew over to Chimney Ben with a small package of food and sat directly above him on a ladder rail while he ate. An hour later, the male flew over to DeBeers with food and the female came out to meet him. This was immediately taken over to the juvenile and he was once again fed. The female took up her position above Ben on the rail and stayed there most of the evening. The two of them, mother and son, were incredibly vocal and could be heard as far away as our viewing spot in the back of the ICICI building!! At 8pm, the adult male flew into DeBeers with food that he then consumed for himself before he took off on another hunt to the northwest. He came back a few minutes later empty taloned and settled in on the ICICI building. As I packed up for the night and left the release of Len in Bruce’s capable hands, Ben was still on the chimney, the adult male was on the ICICI building and the adult female joined him there.
Bruce and Kathy will be out tomorrow with some other amazing volunteers to monitor Ben and Len as they learn the art of flying. Many thanks again go out to ICICI building management, staff and security and the awesome volunteers who have come together so quickly for this family. Thanks to Randy and his children, Ann, Bruce, Kathy and Kathy, and Irma!!
Posted on July 13, 2012 8:56 am
July 11, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
I arrive 5:50am and Randy (neighbourhood volunteer) was already there. He had spotted one baby on the 5th floor window ledge of the ICICI building and the other was nowhere to be seen. The female was south on the apartments screaming away so I patrolled the grounds around both complexes with no site of Ben ( blue tape ). While watching Len ( yellow tape ) Irma and her husband Dick had joined us. We look up and there’s the lil brat Ben on the chimney of apartments!!
By 8 am Ben on the chimney gets food and by 8:30 am, Len who had been hanging out on the 5th floor window comes down to the but not before circling both buildings. I take Len in to security and we place him in a rescue carrier and lock him in the security room. By the afternoon, the parents, both confirmed as unbanded adults, are now flying by Ben on the chimney with food. Ben was content to stay on the chimney and scream but refused to fly for it. No takers!!
Bruce arrives and shortly after the adults buzz Ben several times in a effort to get him off of the chimney. There was work being conducted on the roof area of the apartment building so I obtained the managers phone number just in case. Bruce went over and was able to catch a couple of workers coming down for a break and gave them the heads up or should I say “HEADS UP”; a little friendly warning in case baby come down to roof level and the parents came over to protect him.
I left the Watch with Ben on the chimney being watched by Bruce, Randy and the parents and Len safely tucked away in a rescue carrier. Bruce will do the release tonigh and hopefully Len will have learned to stay high!! A big thank you to security and building management of ICICI, the nest building, for helping out Len once again!!
Posted on July 12, 2012 9:34 am
July 10, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
I was called by Mark Nash and informed that two juvenile peregrine falcons were on the ground at the ICICI building in the Don Mills and Eglinton area and that a local resident was standing watch over the little ones. I quickly got into my car and called Bruce Massey so that we could coordinate and together help these two fledglings. Bruce and Randy had already worked together to gather up the chicks and they were now safe from traffic and it was time to work on where we go from here. Mark Nash put in a call to Mark Heaton of the OMNR about banding the two juveniles and arrangements were put in motion. I contacted Mr. Heaton and we agreed to meet at the CPF Raptor Centre once he was done with field work and band the two birds. I can’t say enough how important the banding of the juvenile peregrines is as a part of the continued recovery and monitoring of the species. It identifies these birds as a part of recovery program, protects them as they migrate south in the fall and supplies us with a wealth of information such as where they go, survival rates and migration routes.
I met Mark Heaton at the centre and we began the process of banding, sexing and ageing the juveniles and we are pleased to report that we have two healthy and hissy boys!! With the banding complete, the boys were then packed up and ready to go home to their parents. I met Bruce Massey at the site to prepare for the release. The building management at ICICI had been contacted and informed of the successful peregrine nest on their building and that their two fledglings required release on the roof. A few phone calls later and we were set to go!!
At dusk we headed up to the roof with the two now banded juveniles that have been named by a worker at the ICICI building Ben and Len. We noted that Ben is wearing yellow tape on his USFW band and Len is wearing blue tape; this tape being so important for Fledge Watchers identifying them from a distance. ( A full report on the banding information to come!! ) Bruce Massey, security, building maintenance and myself made our way to the roof under the cover of darkness for the release. At first the two boys were reluctant to exit the rescue boxes as they had no idea where they were. Once out, Ben and Len found a good roosting spot for the night and were content to be home. Bruce and I left the two rescue carriers with security and it was time to head home and share my days adventures with my family!
This is the first year that this nest has seen success that we know of. Reports of peregrines in the area have come in over the last few years but investigations in the field have always turned up empty. This was a wonderful day of coordinated efforts to save a species at risk and is what the CPF is all about! This wouldn’t have been the success story that is was were it not for Randy, a local resident and falcon enthusiast that initially saved these two boys from making a bad choice of running into traffic. The building management, maintenance and security at ICICI were so wonderful in helping to coordinate access and release on their roof with only a moments notice. We are so grateful to Mark Heaton of the OMNR for helping us in making sure that these youngsters were banded and officially recognized as a part of the Ontario Peregrine falcon recovery program and we can’t say enough thanks to Bruce Massey for his incredible efforts to help rescue, release and now watch over the juveniles.
Phew!! A hectic day with an incredibly happy ending!! Thank you everyone so very much!!
Posted on July 12, 2012 9:17 am
July 11, 2012 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 11th - 2012
A hot humid sunny bright day with everyone in good spirits, all filled with much anticipation of just seeing the little hatchling. With the same question on everyone’s mind: will today be the day that he takes his first flight? Sadly, it was not to be.
While Statler and her yet to be identified mate were still very much in attendance, and with only a few short flights around the building, they were far less active today than yesterday, (and that is hard to believe)! We observed only two very small food packages being brought in to the upper roof area throughout the entire day today.
Nadia Matos from CTV dropped in today as promised and spent some time with us to report on the fledge watch activities and the hatchlings progress.
As Murphy’s law would have it, and at 11:55 am, just minutes after we walked away from the our fledge watch command post on King Street to introduce Nadia to some of the other volunteer fledge watchers that were positioned at the Park and George Street watch post, the announcement blasted out loud and clear over the 2-way radios,,,, the hatchling has finally showed itself and has come up to the upper leading edge of the east roof elevation of the Sun life nest building!
Visible to only those in position on the east side of the building. Naturally, most of us missed this historical event!!!
Almost as quick as the hatchling appeared on the ledge, seconds later, the resident adult male flew in to the same ledge with a small food package, landed very briefly on the top of the same ledge and in a second, they both disappeared onto the rooftop and out of view.
With all three peregrines in view at the same time, - (for only a brief few seconds), we can confirm beyond any doubt that the hatchling is still very healthy and very mobile indeed.
Throughout the later afternoon, both resident adults took chase once again to the Turkey vultures that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
With both parents in hot pursuit, it is unlikely that they these turkey vultures will be returning any time tooo soon.
The balance of the day’s watch was much like many of the previous days watch in that was very activity.
One last entry. As we were packing up - (approx. 9:15pm), both adults made several flights together to the north and north west clearly on a hunting mission in tandam. Sadly, on both occasions, they each returned back to the upper north roof elevation empty handed.
Stay tuned……………..
Posted on July 12, 2012 1:51 am
