January 19, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Mark Nash Reports:
January 19th - 2015
We have just had communication from Tony at Bentall Kennedy that they have decommissioned the Sun Life nest box and the pressure is really on now for us to secure a new location for a nest box for Castor and his mate.
While we know that the they will find another location easily enough all on their own, (they always do),, we also know that peregrines don’t often demonstrate the greatest judgement in selecting their nest site in the “urban-jungle”,, and given that this is already pretty late in the season for peregrines that have not migrated and stayed around together all winter on the same territory, we know that they have long since selected their nest site and were pretty set on returning to the Sun Life nest box given their recent activity in and around the Sun Life building.
With the fact that the nest box is no longer an option or available to them, (and being so late in the season), this doesn’t leave Castor and his mate allot of time to find and select and a brand new nest site,, (one that may not be as accommodating or safe for both the birds, and for a fledge watch team to deal with downed fledglings).
God forbid that they should end up nesting in the middle of another downtown core where the traffic and busy congested streets make for a very difficult environment for young fledglings to survive! Or worse, end up nesting on a residential apartment or condo, where the results of a peregrine family and human families trying to live in such close of proximity, (as we have already had to deal with in in three other occasions), has historically turned out to be a absolute nightmare for all!!!
Fingers crossed that we are successful in securing a new home for the peregrines!
Stay tuned………
Posted on March 30, 2015 9:00 pm
January 09, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Mark Nash Reports:
January 9th - 2015
We all just may get lucky finding a new home for Castor and his new (un-banded / unidentified mate). My investigation began with taking a close look at the CTV communications tower just up the street from the Sun Life building on King street. If you remember, Castor and his then mate, Statler, were successful in nesting and producing offspring in a microwave drum on the lower platform of the CTV communications tower in 2013. The CTV station folks were very accommodating, and very welcoming to both the CPF and the peregrines. Given that Castor and his new un-banded mate are still very actively using the CTV communications tower both as a hunting and roosting platform, this is a given as to a familiar place for the peregrines, one that is obviously still in their “chosen territory”, and one that they are no strangers too, and both still utilizing off and on.
Another quick call to Rudy Kruppa in Kitchener to see if he could get an opportunity to get down to the take some photos and take another close look at the CTV communications tower and microwave drums to see if either of the drums could be retrofitted to accommodate and offer the birds a new home to nest in this season!
Sadly, Rudy’s visit and photographs yielded news that I hadn’t expected, (actually forgotten), in that the old microwave drums had in fact removed last year in 2014 as they were no longer being used and an obvious liability of having them remain on the communication tower!! Crap!!! Another dead end!
That being said, after another close look at the photos of the CTV communications tower and the two steel platforms, did although offer some renewed hope.
Yet another call to Rudy the following day to ask if he would call the Station manager and our good friends at the CTV studio’s in Kitchener to inquire if they would entertain conversation with us with regards to putting up a small nest box in the tower, on one of the two metal platforms? And if so, could he set up a face to face meeting so we could talk to them further about the possibility and feasibility of installing a new nest box on the lower platform in their tower.
Stay tuned………………….
Stay tuned……………..
Posted on March 30, 2015 7:26 pm
March 30, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
CPF Postmaster Reports:
December 15th - 2014
Hello All
Well, today we have received some not so good news from Tony at Bentall Kennedy, the building management group at the KW Sun Life Centre in Kitchener Waterloo. Sadly, there is much needed roof repairs and window replacement work that needs to be attended to next year , early in 2015, and as such, the new Sun Life nest box will have to be decommissioned early in the new year so that the roof area can be prepped and made ready for the repairs and much needed maintenance.
Given the extensive roof repair work that needs to be completed in addition to the window replacements needed on the nest box elevation (and with the time frames the time it will take to complete the roof work and window replacement work), it will unfortunately overlap into the 2015 peregrine nesting season!
And we all know how the peregrines will react to human activity in “their space”, especially at this time of the breeding season. Suddenly, the roof top of the Sun Life tower could be a very dangerous environment for any and all humans to be working!
As such, we will be searching for a new location to set up the nest box for Castor and his new mate, one that will allow Sun life to complete the roof repairs and the window replacements without being attacked and harassed by the nesting peregrines, and allow the peregrines to have a undisturbed egg laying and family rearing time frame.
Stay tuned……
Posted on March 30, 2015 6:46 pm
March 29, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
I was at the Bridge this morning between 9:20 and 10:15 and when is arrived, Voltaire was perched on a crossbeam above the pipe under the bridge. I could not see anyone in the nest. About 10 minutes later, she flew to the nest tray and the male flew out to the pipe where her perched and preened until I left. Once Voltaire returned to the nest, she must have hunkered down because I could not see any part of her from that time on. Looks like we have eggs. Others from our team have observed nesting behaviour over the past two weeks so we are hopefully on track this year.
I was not able to clearly see the legs on the male so couldn’t confirm that it was the new, unbanded male but am assuming it was him.
I’ve been thinking about appropriate names for this new male and “Victor” came to mind. I’ll be checking in with the Windsor team to see what they think, but it seems rather fitting!
Posted on March 29, 2015 10:45 am
March 28, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Thanks to Denis Dupuis for sharing his photos from this past week of Voltaire and the new resident male at the Ambassador Bridge nest site.
Denis sent the following report of his observations there yesterday:
I was there today and from the activity I watched. about 1:30 till 2:45. I assume they may be sitting on some eggs. I watched an exchange of birds in the nest box. One bird flew in and stood on the edge of the box another stepped up and flew away. The first bird I assume stepped into the box.(this I am not sure of as I was watching the aerial antics of the bird that flew away and when I glanced back to the box the first bird had disappeared).
Posted on March 28, 2015 2:28 pm
March 27, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
A report from Fremont, Ohio was sent in by Larry Ludwicki, letting us know that Gwenis (2013 hatchling) has settled in with her mate, Magic, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fremont. It would appear her early flight lessons around the Ambassador Church in Windsor may have given her a love of Catholic Church buildings!
A link to the article follows: http://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/local/2015/03/25/falcons-gwenis-magic-settle-st-joseph/70447696/
Posted on March 27, 2015 6:31 pm
March 27, 2015 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I stopped in at William Osler for a site check today and found the two adults roosting on the hospital. I was unable to confirm identities today but as of the last check Chessie was confirmed the female and Casper (her winter beau while Hurricane is on migration) was still the male. I went upstairs and checked the camera and there are no eggs as of yet. I will return soon to confirm ID’s and check for the first egg.
Posted on March 27, 2015 3:54 pm
March 27, 2015 - Mississauga - Holcim
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This morning at Holcim the resident adults are very busy working towards laying eggs this season. The female emerged from the nest ledge and flew into the plant area where she sat for quite some time looking as though she was deep in thought. Egg lethargy is very apparent. If she hasn’t laid her first yet it will be laid in the next few days. She has yet to come close enough for a reading of her bands but her lack of a USFW combined with her black over green recovery band is consistent with Caspian. In the past hour the pair have copulated twice and I could clearly see that the male has a solid black recovery band and a silver USFW. This is consistent with Storm. As I write this he has just delivered her breakfast!
I will try and confirm identities before I move on today but will certainly be back for more observations.
Posted on March 27, 2015 9:47 am
March 26, 2015 - Oshawa - Oshawa Activity
Mark Nash Reports:
March 26th - 2015
A quickly update on the Oshawa Lake Ridge Hospital peregrines. I was able to spend several hours today out in Oshawa after having delivered the new nest box that the CPF has built for them to provide a more hospitable nesting habitat for their resident peregrines. I was delighted to catch both peregrines in view, and I was lucky enough to have arrived on site with camera in hand when the “love-birds” were involved in courtship and mating activities with one another.
It would appear that the peregrines have decided to focus their attention on a lower roof top elevation as a possible location to lay their eggs this season, in comparison to the higher roof top elevation that they used last season. All of their attention during the three plus hours that I was on site, was focused entirely on this lower elevation.
Actually, after taking a close detailed look at this lower elevation, it appears to be a much better choice to nest, given that it has protection from both sides as well as a back wall that will protect them from any driving winds and rain. This particular spot emulates the typical “ledge” type nesting environment that peregrines look for when selecting a nest site. As we know only too well, peregrines typically don’t nest on the “top” of cliffs and prefer the safety and protection of a ledge on the side of the cliff. In this case, (and with most of the urban nesting peregrines), this particular elevation surrounded by walls on three sides is just that, a “big ledge” on the side of a man made cliff.
The other good news, is that I don’t see that this elevation is any more challenging to install the nest box on, although, it does remain to be seen when the time comes, as our initial plans was to install the new nest box on the other higher elevation roof top where they had nested and laid their egg last season.
While we have no visual confirmation of any eggs having been laid this season here at the Oshawa Health nest site, (and given the both birds were visible at the same time for over an hour, and copulation was observed during my visit), it is not likely that any eggs have been laid as yet given these events. (Also, in consideration of the cold unseasonal temps that we are still experiencing), if there were egg(s), the female would not have been off her incubation duties for this length of time if there was in fact any eggs,,,,,,
The colder temps usually have the females down in full time incubation regardless almost from the get-go regardless of the amount of eggs that they have produced.
It was obvious that neither of the resident peregrines were involved in any sort of incubation during the three hours of my observation period.
That being said, copulation has obviously begun, and egg(s) are very soon to follow!!!
I have attached some photos, (although not very good ones) as it was still spitting rain, somewhat misty and still quite breezy and cold! So there lies my excuse for such crappy photos! Hmmm, maybe I Just can’t admit to being a crappy photographer.
Stay tuned,,,, as there are more updates to follow………….
Posted on March 27, 2015 6:38 am
March 24, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
CPF Postmaster Reports:
March 24th - 2015
We must apologize for the lack of updates and recent news as we have had a very busy time in the field working at several nest sites that have demanded our immediate attention, as they are time sensitive time frames due to the up and coming breeding season. Peregrines as you know, wait for no-one!
As always, we are dealing with having never enough hours in the day,, or days in the week, weeks in the month or enough manpower and resources to deal everything on our plate, so all that we can ask of you, is that you to please bear with us as, as we are always stretched thin with limited resources even at the best of times.
There are MANY updates and lots of photos and recent events and happenings in Kitchener that will be posted this weekend when I can finally get back to the office and a computer with a reliable internet connection to focus on the postings and updates.
For a sneak-peak - click on this link to see a very surprized Castor and his mate as they see the new nest box for the very first time
- http://review.bellmedia.ca/view/1375081157
Peregrine mating - (Castor and his female mate on the CTV tower) photographed by Karen von Knobloch. Great shots Karen,, thank you MUCH for being there just a the right time and sharing these photos with us!!!! As a result of Karen’s photos, we were able to confirm via the close-ups of his leg band colours and band digits, that the banded adult male is still in fact Castor, and that his female mate is still an un-banded female. Her origin is still unknown.
Stay tuned…………….
Posted on March 27, 2015 12:54 am
