July 31, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
A big thank you to Lucie that yesterday was able to confirm what we suspected in that the female seen on camera at MEC is Midnght from the downtown Brampton nest site.
A few days ago we were watching vigorous activity in the nest box with the adults in and out regularly and doing more than simple fall bonding. The nest scrapes were being seriously excavated along with lots of bowing that looked more like courtship than housecleaning. Over the past few days we were able to confirm that there is indeed a new bird at the MEC site and that bonding of this new pairing was in high swing. Thanks to our web camera watchers we were able to confirm band colors as black over red on the left leg and purple USFW on the right of this new female. During Lucie’s visit to the site yesterday she was able to 100% clearly see through her scope the 9 on top with a 90% certainty of an 8 beside it and 100% confirm an E on the bottom. This is consistent with Midnight, hatched in 2011 in Ohio, whose band is black 98 over red E.
Midnight was identified in Ontario as a subadult in 2012 when I found her hanging around in downtown Brampton with Milton, then resident male at the Brampton Courthouse. Nothing came of that nesting season but by 2013 she was ready to give nesting a try. The spring started late for her in downtown Brampton as her mate Milton was ousted by a younger Canadian male named Striker from the Yellow Pages nest site, also hatched in 2011. The eggs laid were Milton’s but the new male attending to her had changed. Her attempt to nest on the George St. condo failed to hatch any young. By August, Midnight had come south down Hwy. 10 to the Brittania Road area chasing out a subadult female named Alfrieda (now nesting at Lakeridge Hospital in Oshawa) and spent over a month courting Ossie, a subadult male hatched at the William Osler Hospital in 2012. By the winter of 2013, Midnight was back further north and Ossie was no longer around the Revenue Canada building.
This spring, Midnight was once again in downtown Brampton with Striker and they were working on hatching young on the top of the George St condo. Territorial battles with other females, intense rainfall events, lack of substrate and drainage and lingering cold most likely all played a role in her second nest failure in two years. When we heard that a black over red banded female was now in the MEC box and on camera, we immediately thought of her.
Up to this point, this territory has been held by Rogue who successfully hatched and raised one male chick this year. Where Rogue is at this time no one really knows but we will certainly be watching for her. Only time will tell who will be the breeding adult female next year at MEC as there is still a long way to go before we get there. We will be out over the long weekend to check in on Midnight and Renegade as well as head north to look for Striker and Rogue. We will keep you up to date on all the latest news regarding this site so keep checking back.
Photos / web cam captures to follow.
Posted on July 31, 2014 11:07 am
July 29, 2014 - Oshawa - Oshawa Activity
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 29th - 2014
Hi All,
I just saw all 3 of our peregrines in flight, Salveo was chasing one parent and the second parent was dive bombing her as they all flew around the hospital area. Salveo was doing a lot of screeching and also was very capable at landing on the roof ledge and taking off a number of times. What a thrill! Saw one of the parent do a very close fly by of a louvered area to try to flush out some pigeons.
Posted on July 31, 2014 3:53 am
July 29, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Over the past two days there has been renewed activity in the MEC nest box that has been quite evident by the craters that the adults are now digging. This intensity of activity is not usual for this time of year; house cleaning and rebonding for sure but this is something more serious. Watchers of the camera at MEC were able to capture today several images of a banded female in the box currently bonding with the resident unbanded male. The female on camera is donning a purple USFW band on her right leg and a black over red recovery band on her left. She is definitely of American origins and we will be out at the site over the next few days working to try and get a positive identification from her bands.
While this news is somewhat sad after Rogue’s triumphant return to the wild from rehab, it is not unusual for the MEC nest site. Over the past 6 years there has been so many FEMALE turnovers that it is hard to keep track. Here’s what we know;
2009 breeding season begins with resident female Tessie who hatched three but at banding found dead next to the nest box. Chicks are removed for their safety and fostered at the William Osler Hospital nest site. New female banded black over red with a silver USFW maintains the territory.
2010 nesting season begins with new resident female banded black rotated 8 over red rotated 8 named Infinity hatched at Statler Towers in Buffalo. She hatches four young.
2011 nesting season begins with the same resident female Infinity but failed to hatch eggs. Territorial battles between Infinity and an unbanded female witnessed. Infinity holds the site into the late fall to early winter.
2012 nesting season begins with new resident female now unbanded and named Rogue who hatches three young. She is injured in a territorial battle during fledge period with another female banded black over green and is sent to rehab. The new female maintains the territory for the rest of the year.
2013 nesting season begins with same resident female as the fall identified as Cass from Michigan who hatches two chicks successfully. She is found dead in July. Rogue is released from rehab in August and reclaims her territory.
2014 nesting season begins with resident female as Rogue after her release from rehab and identified by her silver USFW on her left leg. She successfully hatches a single male chick this year. She has just recently been displaced by a black over red banded female and her disposition is unknown.
The CPF has been monitoring the MEC site for over a decade now and from 2009 onward the control of the MEC airspace by resident females has been in dispute and the resident adult female changes regularly. During the past 6 nesting seasons there has been 4 different females ruling the box and as of now there is a fifth. This is probably the most hotly contested site in all of southern Ontario as this is such an incredible nesting site with all of the best aspects laying right in the path of an important north/south corridor in the west end of the GTA. We will be out over the next few days to the MEC site as often as we can to identify the new female and look for signs of Rogue still in the area. Given that Mason, this year’s offspring, was so early and has long since reached a good level of flight skill, it is likely that he was well out of the way during this recent exchange. Check back regularly for updates on the status of the MEC territory and the identity of this new female on camera. Camera captures will be posted shortly.
Posted on July 29, 2014 6:16 pm
July 29, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Over the past week or so I have stopped in briefly at the William Osler nest site to check up on the family and how they are progressing. The four juveniles have certainly grown fast in their experience with flying and are doing incredibly well. When I first was checking in on them shortly after the fledge watch ended, they were all flying like little hyper mosquitos around the hospital buzzing and screaming at each other from perch to perch. This past week they have all graduated to graceful little butterflies and were playing an interesting fame of musical antennas. Three were perched on top of the antennas on the northwest side of the hospital when the fourth would come in overtop. The juvenile in flight would then attempt to kite down on to the back of a sitting sibling and if successful in touching the roosting birds back, the sibling at rest would take off of the antenna and the kiting juvenile would then land. This game went on for over an hour and was participated in by all four youngsters. A game of skill that they were all excelling at. Great job Hurricane and Chessie!
Last week the naming contest for these four youngsters closed and by the end of the week we will be announcing the names of this years juveniles at the William Osler nest site so check back in soon!!
Posted on July 29, 2014 6:12 pm
July 27, 2014 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Bruce Massey Reports:
On Sunday I checked in at the Yellow Pages nest site in the hopes of finding some of the family members at home. I parked over by the Wynne Fitness and proceeded to head over towards the nest building when I could make out two birds on the upper ledges. I took a look with my scope and was able to see that two of the juveniles were up napping away together and the third juvenile was actually down in the ledge and all that I could see was its head confirming that this was not an adult. I quickly scanned for the parents but was unable to see them from my position. Still, a great site check with all three of the youngsters in view.
Posted on July 29, 2014 6:04 pm
July 27, 2014 - Oshawa - Oshawa Activity
Bruce Massey Reports:
On Sunday I travelled out to the Lakeridge Hospital site in Oshawa to check in on Salveo and her parents Alfrieda and Simcoe. After checking in with security I headed out to the west side of the hospital to take a look for the family and found all three at home. Salveo has made several flights since she fledged and today was sitting up on an elevation one step down from the nest ledge. Alfrieda and Simcoe were both around the southwest corner area keeping an eye on their young daughter and preening the day away. After about an hour or so Alfrieda took off on a hunt but did not return for a while so I called it a day with Salveo still on the ledge where I first located her and Simcoe on the southwest corner.
Posted on July 29, 2014 6:02 pm
July 27, 2014 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Mark Nash Reports:
Sunday July 27th - 2014
The Beachville territorial female has been identified! Its Rihannon from the Yellow Pages nest site!
Wow, Lucie and Richard are determined!!! Great works guys as all of your efforts have paid off!!
Lucie texted me Sunday with some great news, in that she and Richard attended the Beachville Quarry site again this weekend determined to get the identity of the territorial female that has hooked up with Joe - Black banded 48 over Y, the little 2010 Hamilton produced male who they earlier identified a week ago on one of their earlier visits. Well, their efforts have paid off, as they were able to identify the territorial female via its leg bands, - (Black 53 over X).
After checking the banding database, Black 53 over X turns up to be a peregrine named Rihannon, a female peregrine produced at the Scarborough Yellow Pages nest site in 2011. Her parents are Linn hatched 2007 from Rochester NY USA and Rueben, hatched in 2003 from Wisconsin USA.
During their visits over the past month since the peregrines were reported, we have found no evidence of them having actually produced offspring this season as we would have seen fledgling juveniles still hanging around at this time in the season. As we know, the fledglings are solely dependant on their adults for food, training and support for 2 to 3 months after they fledge,, and there is no evidence of any fledglings.
That being said, our fingers are crossed that the pair will stay (or return if they migrate) and produce offspring next season………..
Posted on July 28, 2014 7:29 pm
July 27, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I was out on July 21 but it was slow so I was only out for an hour and a quarter. In all that time I saw a seaplane flying REALLY low over the apartment building at 411 and I am sure this set two peregrines to flight. They must have been as startled as I. Three minutes later I spotted a juvie on the ledge at the side of the windows on Rio-Can (RC) on the fourth floor. He spent the next hour and eleven minutes there. Initially he was occupied cleaning his talons but he was hardly able to reach them he had such a barrel shaped crop. He did a 180, did his business and made another 180 and that was the extent of his activities apart from occasionally opening or closing an eye. I managed to get colour on his band and identified him as Chinook.
Today July 26th was a little more promising. I was out from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm. It took me half an hour to get colour on one band and I was only able to get the colour on the second band when I was at the computer at home.
There was little activity at first. Some flights over the bus bays and then one juvie flew onto the third ledge south of the concrete wall on Canada Square. This was my first ID, yellow tape, Linden. Both Malik and Haven did fly-by’s. Haven’s was more of an escape to the north. Later on when Malik was circling the bus bays and Y/E intersection and the Canada Square roof, young Linden flew onto that roof. Chinook, later ID’d, flew to the antenna on top of 2180 Yonge.
I was talking to a few people and did not catch every movement so was a tad surprised when two juvies flew off RC. The two juvies spent some time flying over all the tall building especially the tall condo as there must have been lovely updrafts there. They really used the wind to their advantage by just cruising along and then turning and sweeping away at an exciting pace, with the breeze. Two of them have been flying for one month and four days now and they are doing splendidly. The later fledgling, although off to a slow and low start, is also flying really well.
I did have a giggle at two landings today. The first was when Linden flew onto the third ledge and did a *J-up* landing but then lost his balance and fell forward a bit and so flapped his wings. It was not an elegant landing. The second one was when the two juvies were flying around the top of the tall condo and one landed on a north east spire. The juvie chasing him flew up to do the same thing but was feet short of the top, fluttered awkwardly and then aborted the attempted landing. He flew out and back a bit higher and then managed to knock his brother off his perch. There were a few dives and chases and talon touches but not many.
Haven flew in from north of 411 Duplex Ave with Chinook in hot pursuit but all his effort was in squawking at her. She flew over the bus bays, over Y/E intersection, east a bit and then came back over Canada Square and landed very neatly on the nest ledge and disappeared to the back. Chinook was just coming back over Canada Square at this point and had no idea where Haven had gone. He was out over the bus bays when Haven burst out of the nest ledge and again flew north. In spite of their agility in the air these juvies are not as good as Haven or Malik, yet! Eventually Chinook came to rest on the antenna on top of Canada Square for a bit. However, by the time I had packed my bags there were two juvies on the south west corner of RC and that is where I left them, peering hopefully into the area for a meal.
Lyn
Posted on July 28, 2014 4:56 am
July 28, 2014 - Oshawa - Oshawa Activity
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 27th - 2014Hi All
I went yesterday afternoon, from 2:30 to 4pm
Alfrieda (Mother) was around the corner for the first 15 minutes. She left and I never saw either parents again.
Two ravens flew buy at 3:30pm and Salveo hollered at them and then puffed out her wings. The parents were not in view at the time.
Salveo did not fly, spent most of the time on the ledge grooming.
regards
Kevin
Posted on July 27, 2014 6:33 pm
July 28, 2014 - Oshawa - Oshawa Activity
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Friday July 25th - 2014
Bruce reports from Oshawa today that Salveo is so far staying out of trouble and still high on one of the Hospital roof elevations.
He was able to hook up with Kevin and they watch Salveo for a time who seemed quite comfortable and relaxed about her situation.
Bruce reports:
Confirmed sighting of Salveo, she on W side of Hospital on the ledge the 2 Ladders coming down from N/L.
BE Massey
Posted on July 25, 2014 5:28 pm
