Canadian Peregrine Foundation

Chessie at Viscount Rd

February 05, 2013 - International, National and Local News

Tracy Simpson Reports:

I took a moment yesterday to swing past both the William Osler Hospital nest site and the Hilton Garden Inn hoping to catch sight of a peregrine.  At the hospital, there were none to be seen and so I headed straight for the Garden Inn.  When I arrived I did my usual check of the alt Hotel and Caroga Drive hotels but not a bird to be found.  As I made a second pass, I found an adult female on an antenna at the Hostopia building that is bordered by Viscount Rd on the east and Airport Rd on the west.  This building is one of three where the resident adults are periodically seen and today this female was all over it.  I pulled in for some pictures and a confirmation of who this bird was and it was indeed Chessie.  There was no sign of Claire, the resident female up until recently, and there was no resistance to Chessie’s presence in the territory.  Casper was not in sight but Chessie was nonetheless sticking tight to the Hostopia building.  Again today, her head was swivelling madly about as she checked the airport, then the Hilton Garden Inn, the airport, Garden Inn…  This went on for quite some time and then like a shot, she was off and flying on a mission towards the 427 highway.  I drove around with the hopes of seeing her and as I travelled along Fasken Drive and was about to go under the highway to the other side, a raptor approached from the south.  The bird landed on the light standard by the bridge and I quickly pulled over.  A juvenile RT hawk.  I was snapping a few pictures when a feathered bullet whipped past the hawk and scared the feathers right off of it.  While I managed to photograph the hawks reaction, Chessie was moving through way too fast to be in focus!  She didn’t make any serious attack on the bird but it moved along anyways.  Chessie then flew back to the Hostopia building and remained on the corner as I left.  She made some good and strong flights today and looked excellent in the air even though she was not relaxed at all.  I did not see Casper but I will continue to monitor things at these sites as spring approaches.

Site Checks at William Osler

February 03, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler

Bruce Massey Reports:

I stopped in at the William Osler Hospital site to see if I could locate either Chessie or Casper in the area.  When I arrived I found a peregrine on the southeast corner and after checking with my scope, confirmed that it was Casper.  I left and headed down to the Hilton Garden Inn to look for activity but had no luck.  I returned back to the hospital and found that Casper had now moved to the tower but was still in the territory.  No sign of Chessie at either site.

Sunbathing at Toronto Sheraton

February 03, 2013 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

It would seem that King Street wasn’t the only site enjoying the morning sun.  I checked the camera and Rhea Mae was also enjoying the warmth on the ledge and taking some time to preen.

Good Morning Sunshine at King Street

February 03, 2013 - Toronto - King Street

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Yesterday I checked the web cameras in the morning as the sun was shining quite nicely to start the day.  If found Windwhistler preening away and working on his “hairdo”.  As spring is approaching fast, he needs to make sure he looks good for Erin!!  Nice to see him enjoying the sunshine.

Hilton Garden Inn; An Unusual Update

February 02, 2013 - International, National and Local News

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Bruce and I made our way next down to the Hilton Garden Inn as this site is inextricably tied to the William Osler Hospital as Casper, the resident male identified here last year, has been seen regularly seen at the Hospital with Chessie as of late.

Upon arrival, I searched all of the usual spots that Casper and Claire, the resident female, hang out on.  Nothing.  I was driving east on Caroga Drive for another pass around the area and found Casper sitting on a light standard at the end of the road.  I pulled over and snapped several pictures while Bruce got a scope view of him.  This was clearly Casper.  He has a solid black recovery band marked 35 over Y that Bruce was able to confirm.  He sat roosting on the light standard for a while and then out of nowhere comes a kestrel that attempts to knock Casper right in the head.  Unamused by this, Casper takes off in hot pursuit across the 427 towards the east.  He returns in a few minutes and flies up to his favorite roost spot on the Hilton Garden Inn. 

Bruce and I alter our positions for a better look at Casper.  Up to this point there is no sign of Claire.  Not unusual as she tends to use the Hilton more so in the evening.  A quick scan of the area and we found the female on the same light standard that Casper had just left.  Bruce and I again reposition and I begin to take pictures.  In reviewing the images, I can clearly see a bright red blood stain on the undertail feathers of this female near her left leg.  This was Chessie.  The stain on her undertail feathers confirms without a doubt that this bird was at William Osler half an hour before we located her here.  It was quite cold and blustery and for the most part her bands were covered but she did reveal her silver USFW band.  Claire is banded black over green with a PURPLE USFW band.  This was not Claire but Chessie.  Chessie sat for quite some time on the light and then as I dove into my car for a warm up of the fingers ( this always happens to me ) she was off like a shot towards the Holiday Inn across the 427 and we could see her stooping something twice before turning back and flying to our side of the highway.  She flew over towards the other Hilton hotel, stooped again and then went low out of sight.  Casper didn’t move off of the Garden Inn and remained roosting in his corner.  I drove around the neighborhood and found Chessie on a TV style antenna of a one story commercial business that was at best 20 feet off of the ground.  She stayed on that antenna until it was too dark to take any more pictures and I left her sitting there looking very uncomfortable and uneasy.  I was able to get a shot of her band that confirms that this is indeed Chessie with a black over green 49 / AD.  At no time did she approach or land on the Hilton Garden Inn but did keep Casper in her sights.

So, to sum up.  Hurricane is not at the William Osler Hospital.  Casper is.  Now Claire is not at the Hilton Garden Inn.  Chessie is.  It would appear that two adults from two separate sites have relinquished control of their territories and the two that remain in the area, Casper and Chessie, are working to sort out where they want to be.   Bruce and I will be staying on this.  Where are Claire and Hurricane?  Where will this potential new pairing end up?  More questions than answers I’m afraid.

Site Check at William Osler Hospital

February 02, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Bruce Massey and I spent some time this weekend checking in on things at the William Osler Hospital.  As you know, Hurricane has not been seen since Dec. 22 when he was last confirmed on site and the male now hanging around here is Casper from the Hilton Garden Inn territory.

When I arrived, I found Chessie in the east tower on the very top in the middle of the tower.  I checked in with security and then out to the parking lot for a look and some pictures.  She had a very full crop that she was working on digesting and usually in “squish the food” mode, the birds are more relaxed.  Not Chessie today.  Her head was swivelling madly behind her to the east and then it she would swivel back around to look southwest.  This went on for several minutes and as Bruce arrived we remarked how uneasy she looked.  Boom!!  She was off like a shot to the east on a very serious mission and disappeared from sight.  It wasn’t 5 minutes and she had returned to the eastern end of the tower and was roosting.  I snapped some pictures of her and as I was reviewing them, I could clearly see that there was a patch of bright red blood staining her undertail feathers, perhaps from a rather messy meal.  No sign of any male at the William Osler site and so Bruce and I left Chessie preening in the hydro tower and made our way down to the Hilton Garden Inn.  Little did I know that the staining on Chessie in the photo would play a very important role in what we experienced and came to understand next.  The story continues in the post that follows for the Hilton Garden Inn.