May 15, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Paul and I stopped by the bridge this evening and Paul had the scope to assist in viewing the nest. Voltaire was moving around more and facing west instead of east tonight. Paul thinks he saw her bobbing her head in a way that looked like she might be feeding a chick. No baby heads spotted but she isn’t lying down facing east as she has been for the last few weeks. I think we may have at least one chick now.
I would think with the rapid growth of chicks, if there is one hatched now (or more), we should be seeing heads and hearing cries very soon.
Will keep you posted as more news develops.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Posted on May 15, 2014 6:49 pm
May 15, 2014 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
On May 9, Wendy observed activity around the nest box at 8:30 and 10:30. At 10:45 she observed 3 grines flying down from the building and all flew south together. At 1:00 p.m., one grine swooped around the building. On May 10, Tony also saw 3 grines flying together at about 1:00 p.m. On the watch for about 1 ½ hours, he didn’t seen anyone return to the nest box.
On May 12, Wendy reported a lot of activity in the morning. Between 9:45 and 10:45 a single grine was observed flying and leaving the nest area 6 times. She did see one arrive with food on one occasion. Later on, Tony observed “Caster came to the nest box at 12:30 p.m. He was squawking as he was getting there. I couldn’t see if he was carrying anything but as he got close, I heard some sounds that I haven’t heard before and it sounded to me like multiple voices chirping (not the usual squawking). He stayed in there for 2 minutes before leaving. I could see him rustling around a bit while he was in there and then left.“
In the evening, Rudy was on the watch at 7:15 and observed: “… a grine flew in and landed on one of the concrete parapets. No food was brought in. It appeared to be the female. After 10 or 15 minutes Caster came out of the box and they did a few acrobatics but I did not see any food traded. The female then went into the box and Caster sat for about 20 minutes before flying off towards downtown Waterloo. He was gone for about a 1/2 hour and returned with a package that was probably a dove. He sat the parapet on the King St. side and proceeded to clean the quarry. It rained feathers for almost 20 minutes. Once cleaned, Caster flew to the parapet on the right side of the box. The female came out and they vocalized a bit before he flew off to the Park St. side. She sat inspecting the package before flying into the box with it. Caster flew back to the King St. side a few minutes later and was still there when I left at 8:45 as it was getting dark and the rain was starting. It looks as though we probably have a hatch!”
On May 14 at 7:45 p.m., Tony and Rudy confirmed that all 4 eggs have hatched!!!! Tony was able to take a few pictures to reveal the little pile of falcons in amongst many flicker feathers and others in the nest box. Mark reviewed the pictures and commented, “One has just opened its eyes (barely) and is the youngest. The oldest looks approximately 4 to 5 days old max. That being said, the opportune banding date based on the oldest age is Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 6.“
Congratulations Falcons! Let the games begin!!! If anyone is interested in joining the fledge watch, please contact Tony at: tonybergauer@gmail.com. The fledge watch will start on about Friday, June 13. A lucky day for our little falcons!!!!
Photos courtesy of Tony Bergauer.
Posted on May 15, 2014 2:57 pm
May 15, 2014 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Our poor tiercel Jack just loves to feed his kids however O’Connor rarely will allow him to. This morning she had left for a few minutes and I guess he saw his chance to get in there with a little something. She must have been watching because as he came back, she zipped right in for the block.
He tried bribing her by beak feeding her but she wasn’t budging. I managed to capture 2 photos of that tender moment.
Posted on May 15, 2014 12:29 pm
May 15, 2014 - Toronto - King Street
Kathy Reports:
Mom is feeding the little one and I was able to get a clear screen capture of him or her :)
Posted on May 15, 2014 6:17 am
May 14, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
May 14th - 2014 - PM fledge watch report:
In short, (gatta be back on site tomorrow a 5am),
Mason was released back to his parents this evening after spending some quiet time recharging after his window washing bump, bash, smash then crash to the ground flight at 6:15 am this morning. Successfully rescued by Tracy, - no serious injuries, just allot of bruised pride and discouraged and out of steam!
Before I had even left the roof top, Bruce was calling me on the 2-way radio to announce - “HE’S OFF AGAIN”, this just as it started to pour rain! Very heavy rain flooded the streets and rooftop as I hurried to get down through the roof hatch to stay dry.
Mason bolted from the roof top around the north side of the MEC #1 Roof top than hooked around south for a direct flight to the one of the upper elevations of the odd shaped condos the next street south of Robert Spec Parkway, and landed rather well despite a gusty tail wind pushing him along and pelting large rain drops hitting him from above and sideways from the winds.
While it took close to a half and hour both parents finally spotted him and attended to watch over him. Mom actually flew in and visited him with some food, (perhaps for another reward for taking another flight).
Over the next couple of hours, both parents went on several hunts with the adult male scoring a great kill after an intense chase and a fantastic stoop, resulting in one less pigeon. Bruce announced over the radio, “he’s coming your way” and sure enough, seconds later, the adult male flew in from the west with a large pigeon held tight in his clutches being pulled down to the ground were they both crashed onto the concrete ground in the rear parking lot of MEC # 4 where I was positioned.
At that very moment seconds after crashing to the ground, one of MEC security guards drove into the parking lot after seeing the birds fall to the ground believing that one of the peregrines was in danger. Sadly, the adult male peregrine
abandoned his fresh kill and flew off.
By darkness, Mason was still on the same elevation of the condo where he had earlier landed, very wet and roosting quietly, and Dad was roosting above him on a higher elevation keeping a very close eye on him. With the rain continuing, and almost total darkness, we closed the fledge watch for the evening and departed for home.
See you all tomorrow………
Posted on May 15, 2014 12:44 am
May 15, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Mark Nash Reports:
May 15th - 2014
I was finally able to get back to the Amexon nest site at Don Mills and Eglinton this afternoon to do a quick check. While we aware that their had been a hatch, we needed to know just how many (and in particular, how old are the hatchlings) to see if we can coordinate and arrange a banding time with MNR?
With a lucky few minutes as the rain stopped, I was able to snap a few photos of mom along with her three newest family members. Three new bright white hatchlings were observed all huddled together after just being fed.
The three young hatchlings appear to be between 10 and 13 days old and they all look very healthy indeed. Obviously the forth egg didn’t hatch and has long since been eaten by one of the resident adults.
Congratulations to the Amexon management group!! Your foster parents again this season, this time with three hatchlings!!
Stay tuned with more news as it becomes available……
Posted on May 15, 2014 12:37 am
May 14, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Thanks to Northam Realty Advisors and Neil Armstrong for the care they show in hosting this nest.
I arrived just before noon and the first thing I saw were eggshells! I knew we had a hatchling. Haven was very restless on the scrape but I finally did see a beautiful white fluffy hatchling. Haven had spread herself over three eggs and the hatchling.
Every few minutes Haven checked underneath her and also shuffled feathers and position and thirty five minutes after I arrived she pulled a half eggshell out from under her body. Three *halves* now on view???? Possibly a second hatchling. Twenty minutes after that the fourth *half * eggshell appeared and then I knew we had two little ones.
I saw a tiny little rear end appear from under Haven’s chin and the baby proved its little system was working just fine! A short while later the new hatchling tumbled out from under Haven and landed in front of her. This baby was still damp and the down was all stuck to its body so I could see the pink skin. Haven eyed it and then ever so gently used her beak to nudge it back underneath her. It is amazing to see that huge, lethal, tearing weapon used in such an incredibly delicate way!
Later on Stormin flew in with a food parcel. There was much chupping and chatter with his arrival and Haven wasted no time in diving at him and grabbing the food! She flew off with it and Stormin was left standing there empty-beaked. I could clearly see the two little ones. The older one, which as Marion suggested, must have hatched yesterday after I left, was all fluffy and white and managing to stand just a tad better than the sibling. The new one, just an hour or so old, was struggling to keep its balance using its tiny little wings to help. Stormin approached the hatchlings and I am sure he had no idea what to make of them especially the new one. He came really close and peered at them. Haven then flew in again with the same food parcel. Stormin moved away and then eventually flew as Haven prepared to feed the one. She chupped and talked all the time and BOTH babies opened their mouths wide!! Remember the second one was just over an hour old but that instinct or response to the calls was there, hardwired.
Haven fed only the first one hatched and, at that, not a whole lot. Again that *lethal* beak was put into action in a most delicate way. Tearing a piece of food off the parcel and then ever so gently giving it to the baby. She did that a number of times. Tiny scraps of food were ingested by the youngster. Then Haven decided that was enough and she moved to the far end of the ledge where Stormin had stashed a starling before my arrival. Haven flew off with the remains of Stormin’s food parcel. Stormin returned, briefly, before Haven reappeared. It was whilst he was there that I heard the first hatchling *peeping*. I could also see the beak open and the body moving. Amazing at just one day old and all those actions have already kicked in! Haven placed herself over the two hatchlings and the two eggs and settled down over them. That is another thing: those large feet with huge grasping pointy talons moved over and around babies and eggs alike without doing any harm whatsoever!
Lyn
Posted on May 14, 2014 10:58 pm
May 14, 2014 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:
Believe it or not, Trillium has laid another egg (Her 6th one of the year). This comes 2 weeks after the 5th egg was laid and for some reason destroyed. Our hopes are not high for this egg to hatch after what has happened so far but we have our fingers crossed & are still hoping the birds will have some success this year.
Posted on May 14, 2014 10:25 pm
May 14, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
I’m writing from the bridge where I’ve been watching for the past hour. It looks like Freddie was in the nest when I arrived but Voltaire flew in and took over so he left. He sat on the girders under the bridge and ate a bit and has been gone now for about 30 minutes.
I haven’t seen any evidence yet of any chicks and am still hoping to see Freddie return with a fresh kill. It might be evidence of chicks if he takes food to Voltaire and she begins feeding. There could be chicks that aren’t visible above the nest tray but it sure looks like she is lying on eggs.
Will keep you posted of any news. Should be any time now!
Cheers,
Marilyn
Posted on May 14, 2014 7:59 pm
May 14, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This morning I headed down to the MEC site to be there for Mason’s dawn adventures as this seems to be his most active time of the day. When I arrived, the sun was just beginning to come up and he was still perched where I left him last night on the southwest corner of MEC 3. He was vocal and bouncy from 5:30am right up until the adults began to tease with food. Oh dear, here we go…
At 6:15am, Mason made the decision to follow Rogue over to MEC 4 where he knew she had a stash of something over there. His take-off was tentative but once in the air he flew very well all the way to MEC 4 and stopped just short of the concrete backstop that he learned about yesterday. He received a full escort by both adults and landed on the top of the window column fairly well. He scrounged around for scraps but there were none to be had. This called for a nap. He slept for about 30 mins and was up bouncing around by 6:45am. Mason started with just flapping and exercising but quickly graduated to ledge hopping in his renewed search for food. On one of his ledge hops, just before 7am, he was off and in the air.
Once airborne he decided to try for the nest building and flew out towards MEC 1. At the last minute he veered off and attempted to go to MEC 2. Rogue flew with him and tried to steer him back to MEC 1 but by this time he had lost some altitude and flumped into the windows just below the nest ledge. He recovered immediately and tried to go to MEC 3. Flump… …more windows brushed up against. He recovered and tried for MEC 4. Yup, another flump into the windows and each time losing a bit more altitude. By this time he had been in the air for a good 2 minutes and he did a great little set wing soar back towards MEC 2. I was now down at the bus stop at the end of the MEC 1 driveway as I was sure he was coming down to a lower elevation. He turned and made one last attempt for MEC 4. I stood there and now could not help myself. I started talking quite loudly to him telling him to cut it out and pump his wings like mad. The two people at the bus stop thought I was utterly mad and talking to the clouds when all of a sudden… …flump! Right into the windows of MEC 4. This time he was quite exhausted and his confidence deflated. He fluttered down and landed on the sidewalk just outside the Paradise Cafe at MEC 4.
I raced across the street and found Mason sitting on his bottom on the sidewalk looking tuckered out and deflated. He surely intended this adventure in flight to be pretty cool and get him home in time for breakfast. I scooped him up, walked him over to MEC 1 and placed him in the rescue carrier. As I walked past the people at the bus stop they just managed a smile at the cloud talking lady that now had a hissy little bird in a towel.
After 10 minutes I checked on our young Mason and he was just fine. He hissed at me and demanded immediate release but that was not happening. After a rescue we always hold a bird for a period of time and examine them for potential injures before releasing them. Mason would have to wait for the afternoon shift with Mark to take another shot at making a good impression.
While this adventure in “window washing” sounds quite scary, this is the best thing that could have happened to him. Most of the young fledglings that do not get early experience with windows and learn that they are a solid object potentially can strike them later on when they are overconfident and flying much faster. Mason’s experience has taught him a very valuable lesson that will go a long way in helping him succeed at earning his wings. While stressful for us watchers, a slow flump against a window is a blessing compared to a full on strike. A great lesson learned today Mason!!
Grace took over for me monitoring Mason throughout the day and watching the behavior between the adults as they work out this new relationship. Bruce is there now with Mason and Mark and they are preparing for his release on the MEC 1 roof. Great job everyone and thanks to all for their support of the MEC family, in particular Colliers International for hosting the pair and Garda Security along with MEC staff for all their support.
Look for a follow up report of Mason’s release very soon!!
Posted on May 14, 2014 5:53 pm
