Sunday June 29th - 2014
A quickly update from Ann B. who texted me at 9:30am this morning, all three fledglings were present and accounted for at the Duncan Mill nest site.
It was another hot day and I think the heat had got to Haven as much as it was getting to us on the ground. Haven flew from behind one of the condo’s and landed on the south ledge of Canada Square. She had food and was busy eating when one of the babies hopped up from the *porch* below and began sneaking food. Haven was not in a sharing mood and grabbed the food and flew to the *porch* below the nest where she continued eating. The baby, of course, squawked his protest.
Haven was not happy with her brood this morning and managed to get one layabout motivated and flying. The two of them flew around Rio-Can and the baby bumped a window, recovered almost instantly and then flew to the balcony railing of the apartment building, four floors from the top. Haven then rousted a second layabout who flew a short flight. Haven flew onto the ledge three south of the concrete wall and the baby followed! So Haven flew but the baby stayed.
Following this Malik got in on the act and flew a few short sorties with the two youngsters before they flew to the Canada Square roof and sat! One of the juvies flew a long flight along Eglinton east and back over Canada Square and down to 2180 Yonge where he perched on that
antenna.
Haven in the meantime had perched on Rio-Can but not for long. She spotted a pigeon on 2190 Yonge, dropped of her perch and went after it. The pigeon panicked and flew out to Yonge Str. at the same time that Malik launched his attack and chased both Haven and the pigeon around the corner. The pigeon escaped!
Marion did a walkabout in the midday heat, covering everything at Canada Square, the bus bays, the parking lot, the buildings far and wide as seen from the parking lot and came up empty handed. No juvie number three, Chinook!
During this period, two juvies ganged up on Malik and flew around the condos. One juvie tired and landed for a rest. Malik and the other *disappeared*. The youngster on the antenna flew down to Haven who squawked crossly at him and eventually Haven flew off. She was just getting no peace from her juvies today and she was a bit short with them.
Whilst I was in the mall cooling off a bit and fetching something to eat Marion spotted a flock of birds way down south of us. Then she saw something interesting. There was a separate little dot gaining on them! Eventually the *dot* turned around and returned and to Marion’s surprise it was one of the juvies!! He may have been hunting one of the birds or attempting to join them to play. At only 46 days old this was a surprise move. This was probably Linden.
Later on we heard an alarm call and spotted a beautiful turkey vulture flying high above Canada Square, southwards. Malik I think, realised there was no danger from this bird so left it alone but warned a few more times.
Still later one of the juvies flew to the north end of 2180 Yonge and was joined by a brother. One of them was squawking madly. It appeared that there was a *chat* between the two and then the one flew. It was joined by another juvenile, in the air, and they talon touched and flew around the condos, over Canada Square, around Rio-Can and *squawky* was still on the north end of 2180 Yonge. Now wait a minute – two juvies flying and one sitting that makes three!
You should have seen the incredulity on Marion’s face when she said something like *those two are juvies and we have a juvie on 2180, that makes three?????* Marion looked and counted again, yep three! I was not prepared for this and so had a look, asked a question or two, saw the flying juvies and saw the sitting juvie!! We had three juveniles for sure. We had no need to check the tape colour to find out who was there because all three were there.
After several days of searching, on Marion’s part, several nights of concern, wondering where this little chappie might be he just popped up again! My theory about a black hole or devil’s triangle in the city is beginning to look better and better. Marion is more down to earth and has suggested that this was two and a half days of *bait and switch* where we have consistently seen two juveniles but have not been able to identify them because we could not see the colour their bands. So there could easily have been the same two flying but when we saw two babies on the roof it may have been one of the flyers plus the third baby.
We were both so relieved to find all three babies! Now, I have to admit that Chinook is beginning to look like a really lazy little bird!! He has not done much flying that we have seen. He does have a loud and persistent voice, though! We are thankful for small mercies as he is up high and flew from the top of one building to the top of another close by and maintained his height! How he managed to get up so high we don’t know. There is much speculation about it including my black hole theory where little peregrines are *swallowed whole* and kicked out a few days later!
The two older juveniles fly well and are learning the talon touching technique. In spite of their progress they are still no match yet for the adults who simply fly rings around them. When one of the adults wants to get away they simply change into second gear and streak off leaving the juvenile flying *in their dust*. Of the two we think that Linden is the advanced little flyer. He has been from the first time he flew.
I shall be out checking on the juvies but not spending the amount of time we both have spent daily for the last nine days. Three have fledged and three are maintaining their height, albeit two better than the third.
Marion headed off to the Yellow Pages watch to help Mark today after identifying three flyers here and will continue to help there. Thanks Marion for all your help and all your walking, especially in the heat!
Lyn
A note thanks from Marion
A big thank you to the Police at Eglinton and Duplex station for allowing us to come in and use the station as a cooling center and use the rest room and to the officer who always ask about the birds and offer what ever help they can as they come in or at the end of their shift see you nest year 
Also A very big thank you to Lyn for always being there for the birds and for me. Lyn has become as familiar or perhaps more so to the locals as the falcons and she always takes the time to talk to anyone who asks about the birds, hands over her binoculars to them to have a look and fills them in on how the birds are doing. I could not have done this site alone over the years .
Thanks Lyn!
We could use some help next year so if anyone has an interest in helping out and spending some time on the watch with us please fill out a volunteer form on the web site and I will contact you next year before we start the watch.
Marion
June 28th - 2014
Hi guys. Well not a very exciting day in the end Lol. I am convinced Lorne did a flapping run, was momentarily airborne but remained in, close to the building. As he went around to the south side of that overhang he seemed to drop down behind the overhang ledge and remained somewhere on the overhang. After I did a walk around the back and scanned the lot, and buildings around, I resumed my spot on the west side.
I’ll be there Monday and will try to pop in on Tuesday also.
Sally
Saturday June 28th - 2014
Don is going into work for a bit tomorrow - (Sunday June 29th) and will check on the gang at Don mills. This morning (prior to yellow pages watch) the Duncan Mills juveniles were very noisy up on the Hqn building. I may be able to pop by Don mills again tomorrow to check in on them.
Bye for now!
Sally
Olivia was returned to the nest ledge Friday evening, and she is still there at dark on Saturday. I guess she needs a little more time. The other three, not seen all together are venturing further out of sight. This evening two of them were having a meal on a roof south of the Opera House. While Olivia sat on the ledge. Later one juvie was seen flying huge circles with Rhea Mae over Adelaide St. They were as high as the BMO tower which is 72 Stories, Very impressive! Tiago was seen cleaning prey on the letters of the Sheraton. I hope this food is meant for Olivia.
Hope she gathers some courage and flies tomorrow .
Thea is doing well and keeping height. She has been flying from roof to to roof top without problems. She even made it back to the nest ledge again this evening. Very odd sighting this evening. Windwhistler was sitting on the Press building on King St which is only 8 Stories high. He sat there until dark and flew off to the east side of 1 Toronto St. I’ve never seen an adult sit so low, while a juvenile is sitting on the nest ledge. Paul and I watched him, thinking we may have an incursion again. But nothing happened and no further activity was seen.
Thea is at home for the night.
Saturday June 28th - 2014
A huge thank you to Dave, Cathy, Sally, Alan, Winnie and Marion for coming out today to help with the Scarborough fledge watch as it really made it an enjoyable day (and MUCH EASIER) to keep track of the babies.
For the most parts, it was a slow day with the exception of our first to fledge that happened shortly after 6am this morning, when the first little peregrine - (Lorne) took his first flight. Not what you would call a spectacular flight as he couldn’t resist the urge to follow his mother - (Linn) as she did one of her many close fly-byes to check in on the trio in the nest ledge.
He struggled to hold his altitude as he flew west along the north side of the building across Milner out over the parking lot when both his mother (Linn) and his Dad, (Ruben) flew in beside him nudging him up as best they could. He was eventually herded by both his parents back around towards the nest building and eventually made a soft crash landing on the lover over hang just above the north entrance of the nest building. There his stayed for the rest of the day spending most of his time sleeping, with spurts of running around to the south, west, and north west canopy top where he finally bedded down as darkness fell at the end othe day.
The other two hatchlings were content to spend the entire day on the nest ledge, but not after causing me incredible grief in the early part of the day when I was alone, as there was only two of the three juveniles that were visible until after 2pm, when Dave finally spotted the third juvenile on the nest ledge. This only came after I spent most of the morning running laps around the building, while checking out every parking lot, street corner, and beating the bush to the east of the nest site building believing that the second juvenile had actually taken its first flight when I was distracted following Lorne around on the west side.
I had forgotten that this is a very tough nest site to do a fledge watch by yourself!
Throughout the day, Linn - (the mom), stopped in to the nest ledge and spent some extended time with the two hatchlings in some very tender family moments, while Ruben did many fly-overs around the various building elevations to keep track of everyone. They are very attentive parents that’s for sure!
Linn brought in food only twice all day, twice to the nest ledge at 3pm with a large pigeon and a second very small package to the nest ledge just after 6pm.
It was really funny, as the first food package (the large prepared pigeon) as dropped at the nest ledge by Linn for the two hatchlings and she flew off and roosted on the upper elevation just above them and watched for about 15 minutes. Both the two juveniles screamed at both her and prepared pigeon unable to figure out how to get it from the nest ledge floor into their mouths!! Babies!!
Linn finally broke down and flew back to the nest ledge and proceeded to beak feed the two juveniles with the pigeon. Sadly, the little fledgling named Lorne who took his first flight earlier in the am that ended up on the lower overhang above the sidewalk, was not rewarded with any food or his efforts and went without food all day.
It is funny (although not likely very funny for little Lorne), that mom at one point late in the evening, flew into the nest ledge, grabbed a small piece of food (basically taking out the garbage from the nest ledge as the parents often do), and flew around to a higher elevation just above where little Lorne was roosting, and proceeded to eat it in front of him! There was no attempt to offer him anything all day, and really not typical of the usual reward that many of the other adults do after one of the kids takes their first flights. Hmmmm, I can’t help but think that mom was not very happy with his efforts, or maybe the ultimate tease to coax him back up to a safer elevation.
Cathy was able to get some of really good photos of Lorne given that he was so low to the ground, enjoy….
A big thank you to Paul from Petra who was able to get me to the upper floors to take a look to the various windows at elevation for what I though was a missing juvenile when I had only two of the three juveniles for most for most of the morning!! Quite stressful when your missing one for hours, always believing the worst has happened, and looking for squashed baby peregrine on the roadway!!
Stay tuned……….
By the time I arrived this morning Marion had checked all over for Chinook who was nowhere to be found! About a quarter hour after my arrival Marion and I were planning what to do if/when we found him and we discussed various scenarios requiring action and those not needing action.
I think there is a *devils triangle* equivalent somewhere in our peregrine territory!
A place where he disappears and when he makes a nuisance of himself he is *booted* back to Yonge/Eglinton area again. Whilst we were talking he just mysteriously appeared and the fire escape behind 2190 Yonge! Sitting as still as a church mouse. Apparently an alarm had been set off somewhere and people ended up outside so this may just have disturbed him and flushed him from his hiding spot!
We chose to watch him. Two hours later after some activity from the others, but after they had all settled down again, Chinook flew once more. I think he ought to be renamed *Wrong way*! He flew around the building heading towards the rest of the parking lot and disappeared from sight. Marion was up and running armed with a towel and walkie-talkie. No luck. He was not to be found!
We had plenty of activity from the others in short bursts after long rests. I must say that I agreed with the siesta times. There was a sporadic warm breeze which did nothing to cool us off.
Firstly Haven and a juvie played tag for short time and Haven so outclassed the youngster in skill and manoeuvres that he gave up fairly quickly. Five hours later (!!!) two juvies played tag and were better matched. I don’t know who chased whom but they had fun. They talon touched and turned to do so in the air and then the big moment when there was a talon grab (and let go) and naturally the accompanying squawks ! After some flying all over the home territory they came to roost on the Antenna atop Canada Square. They settled down and apart from a little wing bashing and *kissing* (beak to beak stuff) they rested.
Later on Malik went into a stoop over the bus bays and around the south end of Canada Square but came up empty. This did not deter one of the juveniles from launching into flight from somewhere south, squawking madly and landing on the antenna. Not too sure why he landed there! Malik flew again and there was another squawk and Linden who was stretching his wings on the antenna and *oops* was launched into unexpected flight by a breeze. He was a bit taken aback and almost forgot to flap but recovered his composure and nonchalantly flew around the bus bays, dived on his brother on the antenna and then effortlessly flew to the top of the south Condo and landed! He flew some more after that, around Rio-Can, high over Canada Square and up onto the west side of Rio-Can.
A little later Haven flew in with a food parcel which create a bit of mayhem. Malik flew to the third balcony south of the concrete wall, the juvie on the antenna flew down to the Canada Square roof but no-one flew to Haven on top of the wall above the nest ledge. There was more flying and tag, over the bus bays, by the two juveniles. The Malik joined in the chase and they flew back over the bus bays and past Haven who joined in. All four flew to the east side of the Heart and Stroke building and were gone for just a short period. Haven flew to the very top of the south Condo and one juvenile flew to the antenna on Canada Square. Malik and a second juvenile flew onto Rio-Can.
We are still missing a third juvie and assume that it is Chinook. From the exhibition put on earlier by the two we have assumed they are Equinox and Linden. Those two little birds have really bonded and they play well together.
Tomorrow, yet another search!
Lyn
Many Thanks to Bruce on Friday, as he held down the King St watch by himself . Thea was discovered on a low roof top this morning. She made a few more flights before disappearing giving Bruce a chance to walk the entire St. Lawrence Market area, three times over. Bruce finally found her again, and I suspect that she probably never left the direct area after all. Bruce was triumphant finding her on a roof top just east of the nest building. Just as she was spotted she was off again and setting down on the roof of King Edward Hotel. She didn’t stay there very long and another flight had her back to nest ledge level on the nest building. This is where we left her for the night. Erin and Windwhistler had in view at nightfall
Thousands of people from all over the world have come to Toronto to celebrate World Pride. Festivities are in full swing, along with the Jazz Festival at Nathan Phillips Square, just north of the Toronto Sheraton Hotel, making downtown Toronto very busy. Oliver came to the sidewalk on Thursday and was held overnight, because we suspected that Oliver may very well be an Olivia. It was confirmed today that he was indeed a female and the ID bands were changed to the appropriate female bands, which are larger. She was given a final check before being returned to the nest ledge, by Mark Nash. A healthy and full of peregrine life, her release was thankfully uneventful. She did some stretching of the wings, lots of flapping before settling down for the evening.
She was joined by her sibling, Buzz who always returns to the nest ledge for the night. At 8:30p.m., a camera check and found a food drop was done and Olivia was having a good meal, while Buzz was looking out from the ledge. Back home, a good meal and hopefully will have good flights from now on.
Have a good sleep Olivia.
