August 15, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
So interesting scenario just occured. While inside we heard a juvenile screaming it’s head off and someone said to me ‘hey there are two falcons outside and one has food’. So I ran to the window and sure enough a juvie with food in her talons was screaming her head off with Jack behind her. I saw O’Connor patrolling the rooftops in protecto mode - ensuring no one dares to come out while one of her kids is nearby.
I ran outside but of course by then I couldn’t see much of anything. I know said ‘juvie’ is on the rooftop as I could see feathers cascading down. Jack is on his favorite perch on the sign and O’Connor is still patrolling the skies.
What I find interesting is that usually by this time of year the kids have dispersed or are spending long periods away from the site and only coming in for quick visits and given I’ve only seen 1 female around the past two weeks this is likely so with our other two kids.
I wonder if this is Olympia? She was last to fledge and seemed to be more of a ‘mama’s girl and not as adventurous as her siblings. Both Jack and O’Connor certainly seem to be paying her alot of attention right now and are in fact protecting her. Did she catch the food herself or did Jack bring it in for her? I’d hope she caught it herself as she hasn’t been around much at all that I’ve seen save for a few sightings and suddenly both parents are acting like she’s still being trained.
Very interesting but encouraging that they are still paying her this much attention.
Posted on August 15, 2012 11:23 am
August 15, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
7:30 am and we have one large female juvenile on top of the ADP sign preening and O’Connor on the adjacent tower watching her. Interestingly mom isn’t trying to hide anymore…no doubt a sign that the kids are now successfully hunting for themselves and not harassing her for food….yet :)
I haven’t seen Jack around lately, timing I guess, so it’s nice to see one of the girls keeping mom company.
Posted on August 15, 2012 7:35 am
August 12, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Bruce Massey Reports:
I dropped in at the Don Valley ICICI nest site today to see how Ben and Len were coming along in their flight training skills. At first when I arrived I could only spot the unbanded resident adults on the nest building but the two boys were not to be found. Shortly after I discovered the adults, in from the west comes a juvenile screaming its head off and it flew right at the parents. I don’t know whether it was Ben or Len as I couldn’t see tape colour but the bird was flying with good control and confidence.
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:44 am
August 12, 2012 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Bruce Massey Reports:
I stopped by the Yellow Pages nest site today to check up on Linn, Rueben and their juveniles. When I arrived I found only one juvenile, I couldn’t see tape colour so I am not sure who it was, and one adult on the nest building. I watched them for a bit but there was no sign of any other peregrines at the time. I will continue to keep an eye out for the family as the juveniles training continues.
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:43 am
August 12, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Lots of people are out this weekend watching the meteor shower as it is one of the neatest events we get to see in the fall. Today at William Osler, Tobi and Ossie were the greatest show on earth!!! When I arrived, I found a frazzled Chessie sitting on the eastern “H” and could not see, but oh boy could I hear, two distinct juvenile voices wailing away. I found the two of them on the southern side of the building sitting two pillars apart and screaming for food in unison; their trademark. After about 5 minutes of this, Tobi was done waiting and flew around the corner and stooped Chessie knocking her clear off of her perch. Chessie flew around to the north and circled the building with Tobi right on her tail. As they came around to the south side, Ossie joined the chase and now both juveniles were chasing Mom in circles around the nest building. After about 4 revolutions, Chessie broke off and headed north and the two kids landed on the north ledge of the building. Tobi had ants in her pants and couldn’t sit still for more than a few minutes as she would fly off and pull maneovers that I would swear only a more seasoned adult could pull. She would turn into the wind, hover off of the ledge for a second or two, swoop around the building just inches away from the face of it and then stall and land on a roof antenna. Ossie then took off and landed on the northern “H” sign and was content to play with “gack” that he found up there. Tobi took off of the antenna, flew around the building to the south and came in overtop of the building into a short stoop on her brother. Twice she circled the building and swooped up to land right on top of Ossie which of course made him scream. He didn’t like this game cause he wasn’t winning. She took off of the sign with Ossie in hot pursuit and as she tried to land on the northeast corner of the roof, Ossie came in fast behind her and tried to grab her by the tail. She didn’t like THIS game cause SHE wasn’t winning. And so this incredible daredevil stun / comedy show went on for another 20 minutes that had me laughing pretty hard for quite a while afterwards. I left the two to their antics with the promise of my return to video tape this mayhem because words do not do justice to the display I witnessed today. It was the greatest show on earth.
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:42 am
August 12, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Off to Etobicoke Sun Life this afternoon for some pizza and peregrines! I arrived just after 5pm and decided to visit my favourite pizza chef and grab a slice for dinner (First and last meal of the day. Not smart but really yummy!). I could see that there was a peregrine on the westernmost tower of the Sun Life building and so I worked my way around to Lomond Dr just off of Aberfoyle. By the time I arrived back there the bird had left but it is clearly evident that they like the northwest Moneris sign, particularly the “M”. I swung back around to Eagle Rd and found O’Connor sitting on the nest tray all by herself. I wanted to fly up there and sit with her as she looked kinda lonesome but I don’t think she’d care for that. She finally has a clean and quiet house; she’s not sharing!! I left her there to preen and relax while the kids are out playing about. I will be back again to visit her and see who else is around and about!
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:40 am
August 12, 2012 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I stopped in at the Mississauga Executive Centre to try my luck at completing the identification of the new resident female. When I pulled in to MEC 1, I found her on the top of the nest box roosting and sleeping with her left leg showing. I grabbed the scope and set up but the light was poor by this time with cloud cover moving in. I could see the band and could see the lower section but it was just a shade out of my reach. I went over to MEC 3 and gained some altitude to see if this would help me in my quest. By this time the female had stepped back away from the edge of the box and was back in the shadows near the back wall. I set up, was honed in on her and then the jig was up. SPOTTED!! Her and I have this little dance going where I do my utmost to identify her and she does her best to keep it from me. Well, I had hoped that today she would give me the glance I was after but it wasn’t meant to be. She left the roof of the nest box and was lazily soaring above MEC 2 when she spotted a potential candidate for dinner and was off on a hunt. As soon as she took to the air above the building, Sante the resident male made an appearance on the Jevco sign and was sitting on the bottom loop of the “C” calling to his female. I will be back and back again until I am able to read the bottom letter of her band!! Wish me luck!!
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:39 am
August 12, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Today I stopped in at the Hilton Garden Inn nest site to check up on Claire, her mystery man and her young one. I first went to the alt Hotel where all three birds will roost throughout the day and found Claire on the eastern sign preening. I circled the building and found no other peregrines and so I left for the Hilton which we believe is the actual nest location. When I arrived, I found the juvenile on the south facing Hilton sign and I continued until I could see the northeast corner of the building. There is a ledge just below the roof level that both resident adults use very frequently as a roost spot. It was there that I found the resident male preening. He didn’t stay there long but instead ran down to the eastern edge and sat briefly before taking off. He took off flying due south on a very serious mission followed closely by his juvenile. I moved positions over to the alt hotel and sat watching Claire for a while. It wasn’t long before the adult male came in and landed on the east face of the hotel and was ee-chupping away. The two adults, one on the east side and one on the south, sat preening and relaxing until a wailing juvenile arrived and chased the male right off of his perch. He flew around the building, circled back and headed straight east out of sight. I left Claire and her young one to enjoy the afternoon at alt and the adult male to seek out a quiet place to the east.
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:38 am
August 11, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Bruce Massey Reports:
As I arrived, an adult flew in from southwest and flew to the north of the nest building while vocalizing. Five minute or so later, an adult flew to the DeBeers building followed by a juvenile. The adult headed southwest and toward the Foresters building. The juvenile then met up with the adult and continued over to the Foresters building where they continued to fly about. After continuing around the nest building and getting my truck and going over to Don Mills, I saw a PeFa being stooped by a smaller bird (Probably a AK) to the west of the Foresters building.
As I was driving East on Eglinton and was just about to go under the Don Valley Parkway, a PeFa flew in from the north. As I was driving, I really only got a very quick look and couldn’t tell if it was an adult or juvenile.
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:36 am
August 15, 2012 - Toronto - Don Mills
Bruce Massey Reports:
It would seem that today all of the men were home alone at their respective sites while the females were out and about with the kids. When I arrived at 220 Duncan Mill Road, I circled the nest building and a few others, but only Kendal was home today sitting out front of the landing platform of the nest box. Seems its gents day on duty at both William Osler and Duncan Mill Road!!
Posted on August 15, 2012 12:33 am
