July 05, 2014 - Toronto - King Street
Tracy Simpson Reports:
As our oldest couple in southern Ontario, when I was down on the watch I wanted to take a moment during the lull to take a few pictures of them. I was fortunate enough to have the pair together in the St. James spire and I was able to really see the enormity of Erin. Her size is so impressive and with Windwhistler there to compare her to, she really stands out as an impressive female.
While the shot isn’t the best given the height of the spire but I wanted to share now that I have a moment to go through some of my photos.
Posted on July 5, 2014 9:51 am
July 04, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Maureen reports:
Today I spent just two hours at the bridge. Shi Bi was high on the ledge, seemingly content. She was joined briefly by Maya and Sojourner; Lancaster landed higher up the bridge, denying a great photo op with all four in a row. Three of the four flying very well, in and out of the bridge. Mom and dad flew by but did not stick around.
Seeing how three of four are not in danger, and Shi Bi is able to fly and was on a high ledge, I made the executive decision to not stick around today. Yesterday Shi Bi did not leave that ledge, it was sort of boring watching and waiting and nothing happening. From the evening reports I am pretty confident Shi Bi can fly and land up high, certainly the other three are not having any issues.
Lancaster continues to be a good big brother, sitting with Shi Bi on the ledge and trying to entice her to fly off with him.
The CBC radio reporter dropped by briefly, just to take pictures, and I think got decent shots of all four on the east side of the bridge. The kids were compliant today. Kerri was with me today, she also got some good picks, we left just before noon.
Now the fun starts, as we can watch for pleasure, without too much worry!
maureen
And from Marliese:
I had just about the same experience in my morning stint. I took over from Cathy at 8 . Although she and Mike reported lots of flying and feeding around 7 , it was the other 3 that did the flying. Shibi was getting a suntan so I did not have much worry on my solo watch. Kerri arrived at 9:30. so I was happy to leave a bit early to get to my 10 appt. I did not leave the sign because I made the same executive decision as you that there would be little activity and little worry to come back for this afternoon. I may drop in tonight and touch base with Marilyn.
It’s Marilyn’s call when we put closure to the scheduled observations. I will be out of town for a week as of monday morning. I plan to drop in sat and sun morning for about an hour and perhaps sunday night. I will take down the calendar signs and notes. ‘
I will contact Cathy to collect her sign.
Perhaps Marilyn could contact Dan at the Bridge to let him know we are shutting down and he could get his staff to collect the pilons. Don’t know if we were supposed to put them away every night. I guess there is no hurry to return the stop signs. I have not seen the women drivers of the truck for several days.
I am so relieved that Shi Bi seems to have gained confidence in her flying and landings. Let’s hope that is the end of our panic for her.
Marliese
I came by after dinner and got to see some fun chases by Maya, Sojourner, and Lancaster. Shi Bi was being lazy and hanging out on a high ledge although she did do some great flights around.
Since all 4 are flying well and seem to be mastering their landings, I would suggest that the need for vigilant watch shifts is behind us for this year. Hurray!!
Heart-felt thanks to all of our dedicated watch team. We’ve gladly added some new members to the team this year and are very grateful for their commitment of time and energy keeping the kids safe!
Now we can sit back and enjoy the antics of flight school.
By the way, I printed up some nifty “Falcon Watch Volunteer” signs for our cars. I have a stack in my car so I’ll be glad to pass along so you don’t get hassled when you’re at the bridge this summer.
Thanks again and keep your eyes toward the skies!
Marilyn
Posted on July 4, 2014 9:04 pm
July 04, 2014 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Thanks to Tracy who alerted to me to the fact that both Sunni and Skyla were at home on the nest ledge this afternoon. I managed to grab this capture of the two of them. I’ve been hearing them more than I’m seeing them when I’ve been out checking. Both seem to be doing well!
Posted on July 4, 2014 4:47 pm
July 04, 2014 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 3rd - 2014
Thanks to Doreen for sending in some good web cam shots of the Toronto Sheraton that has RM spending some quiet time back at home on nest ledge. The fledglings are all out terrorizing their new world and the both adults are now able to take a few moments throughout the day catching up on some well deserved sleep and relax time!!
Although the family rearing process is far from being over, its now dads turn. Over the next 30 plus days, the adult male (Tiago in this case) will be doing most of the flight and hunt training with the fledglings, leaving RM some time to her self to catch up on some most needed sleep and de-stress time.
Remember that the fledglings will still be completely dependant on the adults for food, protection and support for the next 30 to 60 days. We often forget that the fledglings (I guess I can call them juveniles, as they are the equivalent of teenagers now), still have no idea that they have actually been eating birds as their food sources have been prepared by their parents. Many of the avian food packages have not even had heads, and with many of the feathers already removed, and the juveniles have had no idea what they have actually been eating! Of course its birds and only birds, but the young peregrines have no idea that’s what they have been eating up until this point. They must be taught.
They must be taught how to stoop and dive, catch food packages, and encouraged to chase their parents for the food, shown what to hunt, how to hunt, how to catch it and how to kill it and prepare it. The fledglings still have a long way to go yet before they are actually able to catch food themselves!
For all of the photographers out there, this is the best opportunity for some incredible photos of the adults training the fledglings over the next 30 plus days!! This is the time to really enjoy your peregrines,, so get out there with your cameras and spend some time with them!
While the Toronto Sheraton is a difficult nest site given all of the traffic and hi-rises to get the great shots, there are many other urban nest sites that offer unobstructed air space around the nest sites that offer incredible opportunities to get some really great photos of the adults training the fledglings. Its all going to happen around the nest sites themselves. Remember, for the nest 30 to 60 days, this is still the safe place and HOME for the juveniles and although they may stray from the nest site during the day while they are investigating their new found world, they will be back each morning and evening to get food.
Hmmmm, (for those of you that have teenagers, does this ring a bell)??
Teenagers are always back home for food, laundry, extra money, keys to the family car,,, and the list goes on and on). Thank goodness the resident adults don’t have to do their laundry 
!!
Stay tuned…………..
Posted on July 4, 2014 10:20 am
July 03, 2014 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Marion Nash Reports:
When and I arrived this morning Tormey way low on the 2nd floor canopy over the front of the Yellow Pages building on the north side so I set up on the grass across the street to watch her. Dave came shortly after and set out to look for her brother and sister.
Dave found both a few minutes later and both were high and safe so we settled in to keep an eye on Tormey while she walked back and forth on the overhang flapping and looking like she was not too happy to be there.
In the afternoon Petra decided to take flight and she flew out and hooked back to the building but missed the landing and fluttered down the front of the windows and landed on the opposite 2nd floor overhand to the one her sister was on.
Tormey walked around to see her and the 2 looked across at each other while people came in and out of the front door oblivious to the drama the fledglings were feeling above Oh my how do we get back up there to Mom and Dad???
Dave moved to the North west to watch Petra and I stayed with Tormey and there we sat all afternoon.
At about 1:30 Mom and Dad took off and flew to the south parking area to escort 2 Turkey vultures out of their territory otherwise it was a quiet all afternoon.
Just after 5 PM a new volunteer watcher came to help and I gave Michael a crash corse falcon rescue 101 and set him up on the south west side just in case Petra flew off in that direction and that way Dave and he could watch her and Loran while I keep an eye on the ledge wandering Tormey who could not seem to decide if she preferred the north side of the overhang or the south.
While she was at the south end of the overhang a cuckoo landed just feet from her and scolded her and flew off only to return and do it again twice more, I see why being called cuckoo is not a compliment to ones intelligence.
I was just after 6:00 PM when I heard Michael say that one of the adults flew off to the west after something and asked Dave if he saw what it was. It had a long neck said Dave I think it was a swan.
I began to get quite cold and Dave decided to head home so Michael and I positioned ourselves in the best place we could to keep watch over the 2 girls and not more than 20 minutes after Dave left Tormey took flight from the south end of the lower ledge heading west to the Investors Group building and almost made it but was just a few feet short of the top. She grabbed hold to the top window frame and did the bat manoeuver holding on until mom flew over and batted her off and got her to fly. She hooked back to the Yellow Pages building and kept her altitude landing safely on the 12 floor ledge on the west side that a girl Tormey I thought now stay the heck up there whilst I deal with your sister.
I walked over to her sister Petra who looked down at me standing below her and I said ok kid fly and as if in response she flapped her wings and her feet left the ledge a fer inches and she settled bank sown so again I said good girl fly and she repeated the process. Michael who was watching this came on the radio and said I think she is teasing you so to which I replied I think your right so this time I shouted FLY and I am still laughing because she did. She took off and hooked around the building to the south with both me and Michael in hot pursuit around to the back parking.
Michael said I think I found her and I looked up to whare he pointed and there was a falcon with her back to up high at nest ledge level. Great we had her and «I was happy but after a better ;look that was mom so I backed up a little and had a closer look at the east side and found her walking along the ground on the east side of the building heading north towards the street.
I asked Michael to get circle around to the right of her and get in front of her while a sneak up behind her so he could approach from the front and me from the back so that she would not be flushed into the street. This worked out perfect and within minutes I had her wrapped in a towel and In the rescue carrier.
I called Mark and we decided to hold her over in security and will release her on the roof tomorrow when there is more light.
I will try to get some pictures of her and the release and post them for you tomorrow!
Marion
Posted on July 4, 2014 9:43 am
July 03, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I was out yesterday evening for a bit and believe that I saw all three babies. I did see one baby on his own and then at some point later see the two together so I am assuming that meant I saw all three. There was a point when one of the babies was chasing a gull. The gull was unconcerned and, although it jinked and dived, there was no panic stricken scream from it. I also saw Haven and Malik at different times. Poor Haven looked as if she really was having a *fuzzy feather* day. Her feathers appeared to be all over the place but in the end she did get them under some control, especially when not sitting in the oncoming wind!
Today, Thursday, was a much quieter day from a peregrine stand point. I only saw Haven, Malik briefly and I believe just one juvie. I did not see the daredevil duo around, at least not together. They may have appeared alone at different intervals but I think not. Haven was sitting atop the tall condo across Yonge from Canada Square when Malik flew to Rio-Can and settled on the south east corner. Haven was there in a flash and attempted to take the food parcel from him. He grabbed it and flew to the south west corner with Haven hot on his tail. A juvie appeared out of nowhere and followed Haven who by this time had the food parcel. She and the juvie attempted a transfer and I thought I saw the food parcel fall free. I must have been mistaken because the next thing I saw was the juvie on the roof of Rio-Can and he was eating.
Haven flew over Canada Square and when I was not looking land on the third ledge south. The juvie flew to the south east corner of Rio-Can, Malik eventually flew in and sat on one of the window uprights and that is where I left them.
Lyn
Posted on July 4, 2014 12:25 am
July 03, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Hi Folks,
Maureen reports:
not a whole lot going on at the bridge today. Shi Bi stayed on the same ledge on the east side of the bridge all day - she actually sat quite still for a long time and only became active once the rain started. Then she walked about a bit and flapped her wings. Why couldn’t she sit still in the bad weather???? Luckily she didn’t fall or get blown off the ledge!
All four chicks were on that side of the bridge for the afternoon - Shi Bi by herself and the other three up a ledge. Freddie and Voltaire were visible as well.
Hopefully Shi Bi will take some good flights so we can relax. Lancaster tried to show her how to do it, also both parents did fly-bys. She wasn’t moving off that ledge.
They were fed this morning. Actually Freddie left a food package dangling from a girder under the bridge; it eventually fell to the ground. Two days in a row, Freddie lost /dropped food. Tsk.
Marleisse, Ted and I have put “Falcon Watch” signs in our cars; Marliesse made them. The security guy seems unwilling/ unable to know which cars are ours.
Fingers crossed Shi Bi gets airborne and stays airborne!! Everyone else is flying nicely.
maureen
For this evening, some great flights by all 4! Shi Bi took some great high flights, was chased by her brother and is landing up very high. She got to the top of the abutment and sat under the hand rails for a while. She looks great in the air!
Lancaster spent some time chasing parents and sisters. He’s a quick learner!
The fun has begun! Keep watching the sky!
Marilyn
Posted on July 3, 2014 8:57 pm
June 28, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Rob started off the morning shift at the William Osler nest site with an absolute bang. He was able to locate blue and yellow right away as blue was flying like a rock star and yellow was in the tower screaming about it at the top of her lungs. He scanned the usual places for signs of the other two and no one was to be found. He was approached by a police officer that was curious to know what he was looking at and they struck up a great conversation. Half way through the officer asked if the bird on the emergency drive overhang was one of the peregrines and suddenly Rob was face to face with little Big Red. She was now found! All through his conversation with the officer and search for the missing two, Rob had been texting me and I could barely contain my excitement for him. I wanted to head home right away and help but we still had the event to complete. It goes without saying that my mind was back at William Osler. The texts between us were flying as so were the birds he was watching. Red flew and headed over to the residential area and blue had disappeared to the west. Yellow was screaming in the tower and white was still nowhere to be seen. At some point red flew again and ended up in a tree and then off to the low medical centre roof. It was then that Rob also found white on the same roof and realized that he had been up on the emergency roof as well. Now Rob had all 4 young ones bee bopping around with only one of them having real experience. I texted all the watchers and sent out the help call to which they all responded. Winston arrived first to give Rob a hand with a head count. Bruce arrived from downtown and Bonnie was there as well helping to keep an eye on the 3 chicks in sight. Lucie came down to join the watch crew and Rob went home for a well deserved rest. Winston also left as he was returning that night leaving Bonnie, Bruce and Lucie with the crazy kids all flying about.
For the most part, the flights were all fairly good and calculated. There was some window ledging, glass bumping and tree roosting but by the afternoon they were all landing on the rooftop, nest ledge and hydro tower. That evening the four fledglings were all fed in the tower and one by one they returned to the nest ledge to sleep. One brave little fledgling, blue most likely, decided to spend the night in the tower and the whole family settled in to bed triumphant that they all figured out the wing thing.
Thanks once again to the most amazing crew of watchers. Rob, Bonnie, Lucie, Bruce and Winston for all braving the heat and the madness that fledge watch always brings. Your help today made this such a success. You make it look so easy!! I look forward to spending the day with the family tomorrow and seeing hopefully some of the great flights that I have missed up to now! I can’t wait!!
Posted on July 3, 2014 3:36 pm
June 27, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Mark arrived to start the morning shift and found he was having trouble locating everyone for the morning head count. The adults were also out of view and so this painted a very frustrating picture. Blue was flying back and forth from the tower to the roof and back so Mark had blue in his sights for sure. As the morning really got going suddenly kids were starting to pop up. Yellow from behind a sign. White from the back of the ledge in the shade. Red from beside a pillar. They were all coming into view now and vocalizing for breakfast. Lots of energy and exercise for the morning but still no fledge other than blue.
Bonnie arrived at noon for the midday watch and all was beginning to quiet down. The chicks had all spent their energy up to this point and were content to flump down and seek the shade for a nap. Blue did some great flights for Bonnie but for the most part, it was a snooze fest.
Lucie arrived at around 5pm and the chicks were now all waking up and getting more active. It would seem that at William Osler, the highest activity level has always been in the evening and so Bonnie stayed with Lucie for a while and Winston arrived a little later on at around 6pm. It was just after Winston’s arrival that little Yellow decided that someone had to make the next leap and it might as well be her. She took off and flew over to the hydro tower and landed well enough. While this might look like an easy flight the fledglings actually have to turn and back flap to land and the beams are not terribly wide. Many a chick misses that landing the first time at it and therefore Lucie and Winston were glad to see that the down was as good as the up in this case. Rob joined them as well and they watched as red and white continued to scream their discontent from the ledge while yellow and blue were now aerialists. Yellow made another flight that evening that took her home to the nest ledge and she yacked about it all evening to her siblings. By nightfall, all four chicks were again reunited on the ledge where they slept for the night together.
A big thank you to Mark, Bonnie, Lucie, Rob and Winston for taking care of the William Osler family today while I was off and away at a CPF event in Renfrew. When I put out the call to everyone for help to cover the site the response was overwhelming and I can’t thank you all enough for your help. Two out and two to go, tomorrow should be a blast!!
Posted on July 3, 2014 3:30 pm
June 26, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This morning the weather was perfect in that much of the humidity was gone and there was a beautiful breeze at William Osler. An absolutely wonderful day for flights. The morning exercises were in full swing when I arrived and the two females were incredibly vocal and active. This lasted until around 11am when all of the chicks found shade to lay down in and nap for several hours. At just before 2pm, little blue was standing on the east ledge near the nest tray and began to flap. He was facing the northeast corner and with lots of vigour he suddenly was off of the ledge, skirted the face of the nest ledge heading north and then backflapped back down onto the corner of the ledge. Ok! That was a sorta kinda maybe flight but not what I would consider a real fledge. I sat back waiting to see if he had any other tricks up his sleeve. He ran down and around to the north side of the hospital and next thing I know it, he’s in the air and headed for the tower!! He maintained his altitude perfectly, didn’t panic and landed on the top of the tower like a pro. Great job little blue!! He howled and screamed as he attempted to run the girders towards Chessie who was sitting front and centre. I’m sure he was hoping for a reward for his great flight but that was not coming any time soon. Instead of food going up to the flyer, food went into the ledge!! Well!! He was furious and decided that he would then have to return home if he was to get in on any of the goods. He took off from the tower and was going way too fast to break properly. Instead of going straight into the ledge, he banked around to the south side of the hospital and threw himself onto the ledge. He ran all the way back to the east side to join in on the feeding and was amply rewarded for his efforts. Throughout the evening he made another half a dozen flights back and forth from the tower to the roof, from the roof to the tower and finally the tower to the ledge. By late evening he was starting to get a little attitude going and he buzzed his brother with white tape on the southeast corner hoping for a playmate. His plan didn’t work as white stayed put and so blue continued to make his own fun.
By the close of the watch, all four chicks were back on the ledge and sleeping together in one big pile on the southeast corner. Tomorrow the watchers will have their hands full as the remaining three unfledged chicks are more than ready to go.
Posted on July 3, 2014 3:27 pm
