Canadian Peregrine Foundation

!!! Technical problems but we’re working on.

May 05, 2013 - Mississauga - Executive Centre

CPF Postmaster Reports:

May 5th - 2013
Sad to say, we’re experiencing some technical problems out at the MEC nest site. While the web cam is still producing a great live colour image on the on site monitor, we can’t seem get the images out to the web and the CPF web site.
We’re working on finding a solution and hope to be back on line very soon.
So far, we have seen the first of four eggs hatching and looking forward to seeing more!
Stay tuned…….

Changing of the guard.

May 05, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

May 5th - 2013
Changing of the guard as we say.
Thanks Nona for the web cam shot!

!!! Meal time!

May 04, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

May 4th - 2013
Thanks to Nona for capturing some web cam shots of Quest and Kendal involved in a food exchange at the nest ledge.

Nona writes:
Kendal brings a package for Quest @ 10.34AM 5/4/2013
Still four un-hatched eggs in the nest box.
stay tuned…….

!!!

May 05, 2013 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Dennis Patrick Reports:

1PM - 90% sure eggs have hatched. Seen Voltaire go into nest with packet. Observed by Paul Patoine.

All is well, both Quest and Kendal are attending to incubation duties.

May 02, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

May 2nd - 2013
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I saw a hand off between Quest and Kendall yesterday morning, May 2 on the webcam. Kendall was on the eggs (to my surprise) when Quest returned recognizable by the transmitter on her back.
Kendal left and Quest settled in. I got a brief view of the eggs, all 4 eggs were still there.
No picture unfortunately.
Sincerely,
Diane

Mississauga North Territory Holds a Falcon Once More!

May 04, 2013 - International, National and Local News

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Thanks to the awesome spotting of Rob, one of our amazing volunteers, we know that we indeed have a falcon back at the Mississauga North location after a lengthy void in the area.  For the past week, Rob has been seeing a falcon on the west side of 5800 Hurontario St. as well as the Well Fargo sign on Standish Court.  He’s been able to get some great photos of this bird confirming her presence and so Bruce and I went out last evening to see if we could find her.  We started off at 5800 Hurontario and scanned all buildings in the area with no luck.  We parked and walked up Avebury Rd towards the Wells Fargo building, stopping and scanning along the way.  When we were almost at Standish Court, Bruce looked up and scanned the two massive cranes that were currently resting for the weekend and found a falcon roosting on top of one of them.  This bird could easily be seen with the naked eye and we both agreed that this was a female.  The scope view confirmed that this female was a juvenile/ subadult. 

It has become quite clear through the investigations and field work of all of our volunteers this season (you are all amazing by the way!)  that a couple of young birds that hatched last year may not have migrated south over the winter.  They opted to stay in Ontario and now are creating havoc as the resident adults at each of these sites visited treat them as less threatening than a challenging adult intruder but by the same token don’t want them around.  In most cases, they are being escorted out only to boomerang back an hour later.  At two sites now they have been addressed with much more serious intent on the part of the resident adults and these young ones stand to get hurt if they don’t cut it out. 

Bruce and I decided to make camp and hang in to find out if this one was banded.  So far we have photographic evidence of one of the juv / subadult birds that has been witnessed disrupting at nest sites and she is banded with a USFW on her left leg bearing red tape.  Time to find out who this girl was.  Is it her?  We set up the scopes and I have to tell you, this bird could easily have passed for a small Red Tail given how dark she is.  She is barred right up to her chin and really heavily streaked.  As she sat on the crane, she was roosting on her left leg and occasionally stretched out her right one which we both confirmed carries a silver USFW.  Now on to the left leg.  Do you think she would show us the jewelry????  No!!!  Each time it looked as though she was going to reveal, she faked us out.  She stayed on top of the crane until almost dusk when she took off on a mission to the west.  We could see her stooping and attacking something but it was off in the distance and blocked partial by buildings.  A few minutes later, she flew past us to the southeast and out of view behind the Purolator building.  I headed over for a look and there she was on 5800 Hurontario St. asleep for the night.

Well, great catch Rob and excellent work by Bruce to spot her!  We will stay on this as best as we can to try and get an ID on the bird.  This will certainly help track her activities should she continue to stick her beak in other birds business!  Considering that she now sits in between two active territories, we want to stay on top of this situation as it develops.

Pictures soon to follow.

Canada Square Still Incubates Amidst the Action

May 04, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

This afternoon I took a trip down to Canada Square to check up on Haven and Stormin’s progress towards a hatch.  When I arrived I met up with Lyn at the observation post on Duplex and we chatted about the pair for a bit before I headed upstairs for a look.  Lyn witnessed the pair taking a Turkey vulture to task earlier on as they were both not in the mood for messing about with their first egg close to a hatch.  I met up with Cameron from Northam Realty Advisors and up we went to view the nest ledge.  When we arrived, Stormin was on the eggs and was right in the middle of a readjustment.  He had two eggs that I could clearly see beneath him and one directly in front.  He reached forward and using his beak he attempted to roll the third egg back underneath himself.  As he rolled the egg towards him he released just as it was about to slide up over his toe and the egg rolled back forward.  He tried a second time and again, it rolled away on him.  If you could have just seen the look on his face!  Every time that the egg rolled away instead of underneath, he narrow his eyes and stared at it for a good few seconds before trying again.  You could almost hear the “darn!!” that he was thinking each time.  On the fourth try, the egg successfully rolled over his toe and was now securely tucked away with its other “yet to hatch” siblings.

Back outside I joined Lyn again back at the watch post where we sat chatting and waiting for Haven to return.  When Haven did return on the scene it was not for a simple changeover but in full on defence of her site!  We could hear the vocalization of an adult above the roar of the traffic and looked up to see a bird soaring around the Rio Can building.  I looked quickly to the ledge and there was Haven and boy was she mad.  The intruder turned and made a direct flight to the west with another falcon hot on her tail, this smaller bird being Stormin who came out of nowhere to take on the third bird.  Haven followed within seconds and all three birds were now off to the west and out of our view.  We waited for the return of one of the resident adults and began reviewing the pictures.  We had a third bird alright but I have yet to figure out if this is the pesky juvenile / subadult that has been sighted around the lower province.  It would appear that a few of our juveniles from last year did not migrate and are wandering the countryside being little bugs!  Unfortunately this has had some serious consequences at some of the nest sites where this has been reported.  Canada Square and Haven is one place and one girl that an inexperienced bird does not want to mess with.

With all of the excitement, Stormin must have slipped back in on the eggs and Haven was now on high alert in the area.  She flew to Rio Can and roosted on one of the window uprights and then was back over on the ledge just below the nest ledge where she located a small bit of food that she kind of played with.  Although anxious, both Haven and Stormin settled back in to their regular attentive parenting as we were gathering up to call it a day. 

Thanks Lyn for your excellent observations and watchful eyes on Stormin and Haven.  I will be back on Monday to the site to check for a hatch so check back soon for news of it.  Pictures will be following shortly.

Looks Like a Hatch at Etobicoke Sun Life Yesterday May 3rd

May 04, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

A great big thank you and “good job!!” goes out to Kathy for her notice of the change in Jack’s behavior a few days ago and the change in O’Connor’s yesterday.  I travelled out to Eobicoke and went to a higher elevation for a look at whether I could see evidence of a hatch and although I couldn’t see shell fragments or little ones, I am 99.99999% sure a baby came yesterday.  O’Connor was semi standing in the tray and looking sooooooo uncomfortable.  The feathers down her spine were each standing on end and she was in brood mode.  She was not willing to share what she hid beneath her and Jack was definately keeping an eye on me.  He did several silent stealth fly-bys and 4 pigoens decided that it was wise to hide behind me cause I would make a good sheild.  I did manage to get a not so great shot of him as he tried for a sneak up.  (Thanks O’Connor for the heads up that he was coming, I owe you one.)  I will be back to watch for first food in and more hatches here in Etobicoke.  Congratulations Sun Life, I think you’ve got your first hatch!!!!!!!!!!!

MEC Hatching RIGHT NOW!!

May 04, 2013 - Mississauga - Executive Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

I opened up the web camera this morning as I knew that Sante and Cass were soooooo due for a hatch.  What a great morning wake up to have the adult stand and move for a moment revealing the four eggs.  I could see something different in the egg at the top of the screen in that it looked to have a pip in it!!  Since then the adult has been standing between the eggs and the camera but definately STANDING.  Babies are coming!!!  Right now!!!!

Pretty quiet at the Robin Hood site

May 03, 2013 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill

Doug Garbutt Reports:

I was able to get to the ADM “satellite” nest (aka Robin Hood) & there was no activity. However, the nest is hard to get a site line on. Perhaps Trillium was on eggs & Buffalo Bill was back at ADM with the Sub adult. I’ll keep an eye on them.