Wednesday May 28th - 2014
A great afternoon in Etobicoke as the 4 young hatchlings were successfully banded, named and returned back to their parents!
Stay tuned for more details and lots of photos…..
Wednesday May 28th - 2014
A good morning indeed at the Duncan Mills nest site as four very healthy peregrine chicks were successfully banded, named and returned safely back to Quest and Sky this morning.
More details and lots of photos to come,, stay tuned….
On Sunday Bruce, Toivo, Maria, Grace and I gathered together in Market Square to confirm whether we in fact had a hatch at George Street. When I arrived there wasn’t a great deal of activity but the male did come in from the north and land on the nest ledge. There he sat for quite some time preening and napping when suddenly he took off with purpose. This appeared to be a hunt. He suddenly appeared back at the ledge about 10 minutes later but didn’t stay very long. He was off and came low right over to the BDC building and landed on the sign just above the square. We were able to get the scope on him and confirm his identity as Striker, banded Black 97 over Y, from the Yellow Pages nest site in 2011. He didn’t stay long and was off on a hunt again this time staying away for quite some time. When he finally did come in he brought a small parcel of food which we all hoped was going to go into the ledge for hatchlings. Midnight appeared, took the food and flew over to the Canacord building where she consumed the piece. While there we were able to confirm her Black 98 over Red E recovery band assuring us that she was still the lady in charge. After eating, Midnight flew off to the east out of view while Striker remained in the nest ledge.
We were all so hoping to be able to confirm a hatch on Sunday but after 5 or 6 hours we can safely say that there wasn’t a young one yet, at least as of Sunday. If there is to be a hatch it is very close and the signs that the Brampton team are reading fall right in step with a hatch to come. Hopefully we will be celebrating young ones soon and we will keep you informed.
Thank you so much to Toivo, Grace and Maria for your continued monitoring of the nesting activity of Striker and Midnight. Your efforts on their behalf are amazing!!
A big thank you to Margaret, Winston and Grace for continuing to check in on our little man at MEC.
On Sunday, Winston reports;
I arrived at MEC and no Mason in sight. I texted Tracy and then immediately found him on MEC 3 on the east side opposite to where we watch MEC 1. Both parents were on the nest ledge and Mason was out of their sights. Flights looked unlikely as he was looking very disinterested at the moment. After a while Mason hadn’t changed locations and was belly down having a great nap. I probably missed a flight before I got here. Neither parent has moved either and so I called it a night.
On Monday, Margaret reports;
I checked in with security, collected all my stuff and couldn’t see any peregrines. Automatically started to worry and started a search. I finally found Rogue on the west side of MEC 3 and then Renegade was there looking very calm and collected so I took that as a good sign. Now to find that trouble maker! I scanned all the window ledges and the retaining walls in sight with no luck. I headed back to MEC 4 to collect all my things so that I could set up at MEC 1 and keep an eye on the adults hoping Mason would appear. When I got back to MEC 1 I saw Renegade had moved over there as well. It was after I got settled that I saw tail feathers hanging over the edge of the Desjardins square on the west side where Mom still was. Okay, I was happy!! Everyone was fine. I could just sit back and relax… …wrong!! All of a sudden I guess Mason got a pang and just launched himself screaming from the square. The wind caught him and it was if he tested the winds, feeling them under his wings, and decided his course leading him to land on MEC 1 retaining wall. Not exactly what he had in mind. He took off again and this time the winds took him around and around MEC 1 and 3 until he landed on the southeast window ledge of MEC 1 still screaming. Flight number three got him where he wanted… …on the nest box roof where he got himself down to Renegade so he could get in his face about how it was lunchtime. They seemed to explore the ledge together but I don’t think there was any eating going on. Renegade left and Mason joined Rogue on 3 but not for long. He was off again for about three more flights. I was exhausted from running around when he finally settled under the square for a little nap. I stayed about 2 hours and saw some good flights. One of them had to be a couple of minutes long. His landings were good and one was great I thought onto the window ledge. It was great to see that he didn’t seem to panic with the winds but sorted himself out and just landed somewhere else.
On Tuesday, from Grace;
I checked in at MEC and caught sight of Mason mid-air circling above before landing on the nest ledge. He was aiming for the retaining wall and then back flapped down. Great flight and landing!
So it looks as though our little man Mason is making much better choices and is getting used to life in the air. Thank you so much to Winston, Margaret and Grace for these excellent updates!!
After a week or so of Trillium “kinda” taking care of the one egg she has, she has produced another, #8 for the record. She appears to be in hard incubation since the egg was laid (sometime between May 24th 8:00am & May 26th 7:00am). Let’s see what happens this time.
On Friday we officially scaled back the watch at the MEC nest site to spot checks as it seems that Mason has finally gotten it all together. On Friday he was doing short flights between MEC 1 and 3 but nothing really spectacular as he was still trying to get his courage back up for big stuff. Spot checks throughout the weekend by myself, Bruce and Winston had him trying new things and getting braver by the day. Bruce and I watched him on Saturday take a flight off of the retaining wall of MEC 3 and fly right onto the window well of 2. Not the prettiest of landings yet but still he is staying high, making very calculated flights and accomplishing them well. This week Margaret will be doing some spot checking as well so we will keep you updated on his progress.
This watch could not have been successfully accomplished without the help of so many people working together to make it all possible. Thank you to our nest site hosts, Colliers International, for all of their support especially Sante Esposito for his great assistance. Garda Security at the MEC site was outstanding in supporting Mason through his rescues, his temporary housing and helping us to take good care of him.
Last but not least, the team. What a team you are! My cam specialist Katherine, we so needed your eyes manning the cam! My watchers Margaret, Grace, Bruce, Winston, Shannon, Mark and Mary for being there throughout Mason’s adventures. You are the absolute best! Mason is now safely in the hands of his parents who will train him for his future role as a wild peregrine and it was this team effort (and three rescues) that made it all happen. Thank you everyone!!
On May 18th, the 6th egg of the year was consumed. However, on May 20th another egg was laid & is currently being incubated.
I don’t think there is anything that would make O’Connor’s day more than a duck dinner or knowing that her offspring have gone on to do well for themselves. Well, her offspring from 2010, named Athena, who was hatched at the William Osler Hospital is thriving out in Stoney Creek!!
Initially Athena was discovered with a local male named Craig from the MEC site who also hatched in 2010. They chose to nest in a communications drum just off of Fruitland Road in Stoney Creek but were unsuccessful in hatching young in 2012. In 2013, the pair wandered and this year they were discovered incubating eggs in a nook in the wall of a quarry just north of their previous location. After our site visit to the quarry yesterday we can confirm that they have at least two chicks that look to be about 5 days old!!
Congratulations O’Connor!! I know nothing would make you happier!!
Great news from Stoney Creek! Athena, hatched here at the William Osler Hospital site in 2010, has successfully hatched at least two chicks. She is offspring of Hurricane and his former mate O’Connor before she moved to Etobicoke Sun Life. Congratulations William Osler Hospital and Hurricane, your legacy continues!!
A visit to Stoney Creek yesterday revealed that Athena has successfully hatched at least two chicks!! Athena was hatched at the William Osler Hospital site in 2010 to O’Connor and Hurricane (son of Windwhistler and Wind). And so the legend continues Windwhistler!!