June 09, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
June 9th 2015
Arrived this morning to find Bob on site already and he had all three chicks in site. Kline was on the same level as yesterday but had ledge walked to the farthest east end on the building and his brothers were still on the nest ledge. Not long after Berkley having seen him get fed twice that morning with no leftovers for him or Harper decided to ledge walk himself and slowly made his way east along the ledge
to sit directly above Kline.
From pretty much the time I arrived little Harper wined and yelled at his parents demanding his due share of food but got none Quest has started weening.
Everyone else stayed put until just after 4:00 when Harper decided to take off for his first flight and wouldn’t you know it we were watching the other 2 and mom who just took off on a hunt so we missed him leave.
He flew in a circle from west around the Harlequin building we know this because he did not fly in front of us. He must have then hooked to the east across the back of the building and tried t to make one more turn to head back home because he ended up on the east side of the building on a lower window ledge just above the shipping doors. Again we had not seen him leave but noticed he was gone just about a minute later. We logged onto the web camera on our cell phones and saw no one home Yikes!! Where did he get to. Bob headed across the street to have a look on the west side of the nest building thinking he too was ledge walking, went the other way and around the corner. Just as Bob got to the other side of the street the grounds keeping contractors came up to us to say they just saw one of the Falcons bump into the building concrete walls and land on a window ledge on the east side of the Harlequin building. He must have tried to make one more turn and just ran out of altitude and gas. The contractor said he just bumped into the wall and slid down to land on that ledge.
With so many watching out the window or on the web cam people started texting me within minutes. Where is Harper? He is not on the ledge is he ok? I told everyone where he was and that he was ok but only about 15 feet from the ground and his next flight may bring him to the ground so I am on it. Well by 5:00 PM I had 2 move volunteers, 5:30 2 more and by 6:00 3 more Thank you all so much!!!
Bob and I stayed watching him while other volunteers went out front to keep an eye on the other 2 boys.
Our fear was that he would end up spending the night there and perhaps take another flight before we could get there in the morning so plans for a rescue from his new position started. The security guard warned me that the garbage truck would be arriving at 8:00 PM pulling in to load up from the shipping doors just below him . We thought this may scare him off and if he comes down we could then grab him up for the rescue. Well the truck came and went no luck he just sat and watched it just about 5 feet below him.
There were some plumbing contractors taking a break at this time and joined us to have a look at the bird so we asked them for a hand. We told them there was a ladder we could use in the shipping area but it was not tall enough to reach the bird but if he could use his measuring tape extended out he could perhaps coax him off the ledge to fly again and either gain more height of come to ground in the back parking that was now empty and quiet so we could rescue him.
Well that worked great he flew across the back parking all the way to a multi level parking garage about 1000 yards gaining about 2 floors of height. Unfortunately he went right into the 3 floor parking area so off we went to try again to catch him up. Kathy and Bob were well ahead of me and I decided to remain in the back parking at ground level in case he flew out before they got to him so I could see were he went. Kathy did get to him but he is obviously made of Teflon. She walked right up to him and had her rescue towel ready but he gave her the slip and flew out and headed back to the Harlequin building landing on an even lower window ledge then he was on in the first place grrrrrr!
So it was back to get the ladder and bring it around to his new ledge. I called Mark Nash and asked him to bring me a net I was not going to miss this time!
Mark arrived and seeing that I was a little tuckered out took the net and made the attempt, did I say attempt 
Gallant try but the slippery one escaped again and flew long and strong all the way to Bayview Glen School landing on the 3rd floor.
Safe now we watched him for another half hour until it got dark and left him sleeping for the night.
Both of his brothers still on the nest building all fine and safe.
Stay tuned for chapter 3 tomorrow.
More pictures to come.
Posted on June 10, 2015 12:12 am
June 09, 2015 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I started the watch yesterday at 6am as two girls, Ieva and Adrianna, were released to the roof of MEC 3 the night before and I wanted to be there just in case of an early morning flight or slip off in the torrential rain. When I arrived, Hawkeye was still up on MEC 1 where she was released a few days earlier running the roof line and singing in the rain. We’re not surprised that it is taking her a while to get going as her first “flight” was a hip check knock off by Adrianna and wasn’t intentional at all. While all three girls hatched on the same day and are of equal age, they certainly aren’t of equal confidence. Every day that Hawkeye spends up on the top of MEC 1 she is learning, exercising and experiencing the wind, balance, flapping and all that she needs to get going. Her next flight should be just awesome.
The other two girls were right where I left them the night before on MEC 3 sitting in the rain and looking like a pair of wet, miserable gargoyles. With the rain being so heavy the parents had nothing to hunt and share as all the prey species were under cover staying dry. It was about 8am when we got the first break in the rain and the adults were off like a shot to Square One to do some shopping. I was confident they would come back with food as I could now hear all of the little birds getting active. After about 20 minutes Adrianna, sitting on the southeast corner of MEC 3 started flapping wildly. She was screaming and flapping and then suddenly in the air! She had no idea she had just flown, all she knew was mom was coming with food and she was going to get it at all costs! Both adults flew over to her and steered her back onto the roof of MEC 3 with an almost perfect landing. She got into an all out brawl with Midnight over the prey as she wanted it for herself and Midnight was intent on beak feeding her. Mom won the tug of war and forced Adrianna to calm down and eat. This gave Ieva the opportunity to run over and join the two of them and try for a tidbit herself. She got some but had to really shoulder her way in to get it.
By this time Hawkeye had dropped down onto the roof of MEC 1 and the rain had picked up again. Margaret arrived just after 9am and the day for the most part was wet and uneventful. Things really got active again around 2pm when the next break in the rain came. Grace arrived to relieve Margaret and both Ieva and Adrianna were now becoming active. The adults went out hunting and Adrianna decided she’d had enough of waiting around. She ran all the way down towards MEC 1 and when she got to the closest vantage point, she took off. She headed straight for MEC 1 and banked around the north side. We were on our feet and ran over to try and see where she ended up and when I walked around to the north side, here was Adrianna on the roof with Hawkeye who was screaming at her sister; Adrianna made it like a champ! She walked over to Hawkeye, said a brief hello, and then ran down the retaining wall away from her screaming sibling. Midnight arrived about 10 minutes later with food on MEC 2 and was alarm calling. She missed Adrianna’s flight and told all chicks to freeze until she could figure out how Adrianna got where she was. The food went over to Adrianna and Hawkeye who met mom on the northeast corner and once again Adrianna began brawling with Midnight over the prey. Once again mom won and beak fed both chicks while Ieva watched on MEC 3. Renegade flew in with prey that he gave to Ieva and then left for another perch in the complex. Ieva watched her siblings get beak fed while she sat hanging onto this chunk of meat. Dissatisfied with the method of delivery, Ieva dropped the entire chunk into the window well and decided that she wanted what her sisters were getting. She ran and flapped up the courage to take the leap. By this time Winston had arrived and we were ready. She flew towards MEC 1 with a full parental escort but fell short of the retaining wall and did the bat for a minute. She let go and headed back to MEC 3 where she brushed a window but recovered incredibly well. She went back towards MEC 1 but had lost too much height and now came fluttering down to the front lobby. We ran over and Grace and I assisted Winston in his first rescue. Winston was awesome and with great execution, grabbed up Ieva and into a carrier she went. I stuck around to help with the release back up on MEC 3 and all went incredibly well. Ieva is now almost as aggressive as Adrianna lashing out once out of the carrier and tried to climb my arm. Nice. She also learned from previous experience that tearing a towel apart with her beak was so much fun and we have one more hole filled towel in our collection!
Thank you so much to Margaret, Katherine, Grace and Winston for all of your help today. What an awesome day and such a great team effort. Today should be interesting and Grace will be ready for the girls this morning!!!
Posted on June 9, 2015 8:42 am
June 08, 2015 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Mark Nash Reports:
Monday June 8th - 2015
A quick summary of some of the days events, and hoping to recant it correctly as I only have bits and pieces given that I have been in the Kingston and Trenton area for the past two days delivering the Canadian Peregrine Foundations project School visit. A big thank you to Barry and his wife Linda for spotting the first Burlington fledgling and calling for support as Lucifer - (banded Black B over 11 with Blue tape) as he was named was discovered on the south side of the canal standing on the concrete pier during the bouts of the pouring rain, and for Bill and Sue for being able to get there in time to do the rescue and retrieval.
Another big thank you to the guys at the bridge for keeping little Lucifer safe and sound (and for getting me to the north roof tower to eventually do his release), until I could get there this evening to do an examination and release. I must admit, this was one of my longest days so far this season with having already completed three presentations at two separate schools in Trenton Ontario today, then rushing back to Toronto to drop off little Nova to the CPF raptor centre in Vaughan, and onto Burlington to deal with little Lucifer 
With almost 400 kms and an 18 hour day logged for me today, it must be peregrine season alright! The best news, with the combined efforts of all, little Lucifer was successfully rescued and released back to his parents under the cover of darkness to the upper roof area of the north tower - (the nest tower). Despite the cover of darkness that allowed me to successfully release him - (and prevented him from bolting into a panic flight and off the roof), there was enough light to have both parents in flight overhead and quite aware of our presence on the upper roof area.
Thank goodness for hard hats and the protection of the roof hatch door that provided us with just enough protection to do the tower release and get away in safety, as both adults were quite aggressive in their efforts to convince us to get out of their air space!!
Little Lucifer was successfully released back to his parents care without incident. For me, back to Toronto and finally home after two very long days on the road and although its after midnight, finally a sit down home cooked supper!
Fingers crossed that his next flight has him staying off of the ground (and out of the water) and out of danger!
Posted on June 9, 2015 1:33 am
June 08, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
June 8th - 2015
Murray, Deb, Sally and Cathy took over the evening watch and all was quite. It appears that they were all tuckered out after the days activities. Murray and Cathy ended the evening portion of the fledge watch with all juveniles in site and down for the night.
I will be out on the watch most of the day tomorrow here is hoping all goes well.
Marion
Posted on June 8, 2015 9:08 pm
June 08, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
June 8, 2015
Received call from Tracy that only 2 falcon babies were seen on ledge.
Received call from Sally at Halequin that one was on ledge below.
Arrived at watch at 11am with Donna Hayes. Kline was on the level below and was showing confidence at going around the ledge wall. A few times he slipped and almost did not make it pass wall but by the end of the day he was jumping and running pass the wall. Kline also was flying at the ledge wall.
Both Harper and Berkley were noisy and doing a lot of flapping on the nest ledge. Harper was very interested in watching Kline go by - to the point he was almost falling off.
Quest was totally awesome - Donna and I watched her take off from nest box and fly across the road to the north west corner and almost attack a dog on the ground. She circled dog with talons down. From that point on we on edge every time a dog walked past.
Quest was back and forth to nest ledge but by the middle of the day appr. 3pm she started to sit on top of harlequin wall and call. Kline really wanted to go. Head bobbing, wings flapping but did not.
Quest then flew in to the nest with food for Harper. She then went back up to the top of harlequin again to try and entice Kline.
During all this time Skye was on Kendals old spot.
Exciting, scary and amazing.
photos to come.
Evening watch was taken over by Murray, Deb, Sally and Cathy
Ann Brokelman
We need volunteers to help with the fledge watch for this site. If you are a current volunteer and can spend some time please call the office and let us know when you can come if you want to become a volunteer watcher for this site please call 416-481-1233 and leave your name and number and I will get back to you.
Marion
Posted on June 8, 2015 9:03 pm
June 07, 2015 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I arrived this morning at just after 6am as Ieva was spending the night in a tree near MEC 3. I wanted to be there as early as I could in the hopes that with a bit of food teasing by the parents that she would be encouraged to take her next flight. When I pulled in behind MEC 3, I could see and hear Hawkeye up on the northeast corner of MEC 1. Adrianna was nowhere in sight and I wasn’t sure which tree Ieva had spent the night in so I began the walk. I started at MEC 3, circling the building and checking for little big brown grounded birds. Being sleepy and dopey (no coffee yet), I walked right past Ieva without even seeing her and therefore wasn’t sure that she was still treed. I continued on to MEC 1 and did my perimeter walk and still nothing. On to building 2 after which I decided to head back to 1 first and what should I see coming up the driveway but a peregrine youngster sitting on the base of a free standing gate staring at the creek. Adrianna!! I ran into a couple of the amazing guys from Garda Security and they said that she had been seen just a minute ago walking past the front door of 1. Brat. I tried to sneak the towel up and over the railing and steer her back over towards the building for a rescue but she had other plans. She flew straight through the dangling towel, up the creek and then banked towards Hurontario. I ran around the back and up the street looking for signs of Adrianna and I didn’t have to look far. Across the field on the north side of the building, almost at the creek, sat Midnight in the top of a dead tree alarm calling like mad. Thanks mom for the heads up! I bushwhacked over to her location and started my search. All the little birds were having a fit right where I was standing and then suddenly moved off east towards the creek. I followed. I broke through the brush and on the other side of the creek Adrianna was trying to gain purchase in a tree on the far side and it looked like she was going to lose her bid to stay off of the ground. I made a quick decision… …oh, man… …and down INTO the creek I went. I waded across (ankle deep) to the Adrianna tree and she suddenly stopped her descent and latched onto a branch about 20 feet up. Ugh! I watched as she settled in and once stable I slopped over to MEC 3 for another look at the Ieva tree. Yup! There she was! Watching me running around in my wet shoes looking for her. Great, I have all three girls. My conundrum now was how to watch all three at the same time. Reinforcements weren’t due to arrive for several hours. I decided to set up watching Ieva as it also allowed me to keep an eye on Hawkeye. The small neighborhood birds had found Adrianna and I could hear the ruckus from where I sat. Until Margaret arrived I continued to spot check Adrianna and otherwise stayed close to Ieva and Hawkeye.
When Margaret arrived I set her up on Ieva and I went to watch Adrianna. Bruce got there shortly after Margaret so I set her on Adrianna and Bruce on Ieva while I went for a much needed change of shoes. The day for the most part was spent with the two girls in their respective trees dealing with branches in the way and adjusting to their new locations. Shortly after I left Adrianna took her next flight heading straight home and landed on the MEC 1 overhang. She flew off of the overhang and ended up in some shrubbery where Bruce made the rescue. In the meantime Hawkeye was getting fed and getting it all!
Ieva took much longer to take the next brave step and fly out. By the time she was ready to go Winston had arrived and taken up position near her tree. She came down around 8pm after a short flight to the windows where she grabbed onto the frame and did the bat thing for a minute or so and then came down in a flower bed. Winston went for the rescue but she deeked him out and that gave Bruce the chance he needed to sneak up from behind and towel her.
Given that we already had Hawkeye on the retaining wall of MEC 1 and we didn’t want to cause a panic flight, we decided that the two girls would be going up on MEC 3. We placed each in their own corner on the roof catwalk ad were free and clear of the visible roof when Midnight began to alarm call. One of the girls had made their presence known and mom was over like a shot! Fortunately Winston and I were long gone before she got there. Midnight sat on the southwest corner of MEC 3 sounding the alarm and staring at both of her girls that had gone from treetop to rooftop right under her nose. By the time we left all had settled in and become quiet.
A big, huge, happy thank you to Margaret, Bruce and Winston for their help today. I couldn’t have done it without you. Tomorrow morning I will be down as early as I am able to to see what nonsense we get up to next! Two on the roof of MEC 3 and one on MEC 1. All three girls in view and out of the nest. Excellent job everyone!!
Posted on June 8, 2015 12:34 am
June 07, 2015 - Toronto - Rogers Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Spent some time in the cheap seats for today’s game, on a bench outside the stadium.
35,000 minus one, in attendance for today’s game against Houston. Jays WIN.
All three juveniles doing well. Adults flying food past the nest with little reaction from the young.
Two feedings during my visit with the last one at 2pm. All three were fed at this time. Not a lot of pre fledge flapping today. Lots of vocalization from one of the girls when food arrives to the nest area. Gulls can be very aggressive at this site, chasing the adults when food was being delivered.
A quiet day for the most part.
Posted on June 7, 2015 6:57 pm
June 04, 2015 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 4th - 2015
As we continue to work out a protocol and procedure for access to be able to rescue a downed fledgling, we desperately need your support for this fledge watch!
Again this year, we are still having to deal with overlapping bandings and ongoing fledge watches, and as you know, we’re always stressed at this time of year for both manpower and resources to cover all of the fledge watches.
Your assistance is most needed to help watch and keep an eye on the Burlington nest site, as its only a matter of time before the young peregrines start taking their first flights. Despite the access challenges, there are still plenty of spots outside of the restricted areas to watch and observe, and any eyes are better than no eyes at all!
In the interim, please come out and support your peregrines.
Posted on June 7, 2015 12:28 am
June 04, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 4th - 2015
Trying to catch up with some of the many e-mails that I have not been able to answer or address.
A great shot of the hatchlings captured via the Etobicoke Bloor & Islington CPF nest camera sent in to us by Lucie.
Thanks Lucie, nice shot!!
Posted on June 7, 2015 12:09 am
June 06, 2015 - Niagara Falls
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 3rd - 2015
A big thank you to Vicky and her efforts to get some additional information on the Niagara Falls peregrines. As you know, the only way to get any views of the nest in the Canadian side at the old Ontario Power generation plant is to view it from the USA side of the Niagara gorge. Vicky was able to get back down to the Niagara Gorge this week and was able to photograph the nest site.
It appears that the resident adult peregrines have returned back to the original nest cavity where we had installed the nest tray for them several years ago. It would also appear by all accounts via Vickys observations and photos, that the pair have been successful in producing at least one hatchling as evident via her photos.
Remembering that she is shooting from the USA side, along way across the gorge, typically under the worst conditions of distance and constant mist coming from the two falls! Great shots given all of the challenges!!!
Sadly, we are to understand that the Canadian Niagara Parks Commission will no longer allow access to the site to be able to band the hatchlings, claiming unsafe conditions on the old power station roof. Hmmm, I guess we’ll have to figure out a way to turn a peregrine banding event into a money making stunt?
Vicky writes:
Hi All,
We went to NF to check the nest site. Here is what I posted to my Peregrine page:
Niagara Falls Gorge
Assuming the adults are still Onyx and Diamond, (sadly no way to confirm given the distances involved), they chose to go back to the nest tray provided for them by the Canadian Peregrine Foundation a few years ago. When the parent left the box, it appeared there was just one hatchling in the tray. Zooming in on the photos with my computer, I did not see any eggs. It seems this year many sites are having fewer successful hatches despite a normal number of eggs. The weather in the northeast was bitter cold during incubation season and I expect this is the main problem with fewer hatches.
Vicki Kadow (Sage) & Roger Johnson
Posted on June 6, 2015 11:31 pm
