June 22nd- 2015
Wow! We were very surprised yesterday to find what looked more like two eyasses in the nest box! They also seem quite young in comparison to our western NY Peregrines which have all fledged by now.
We will check back on these little ones and keep you posted!
Sage
June 20th - 2015
Hi All,
I was on my own checking out Hearn today, so just one pair of eyes unfortunately.
In the first picture, all the red arrows are where I saw Peter, and the blue arrows are the unbanded female (I assume Angela as she was named). I had my scope, so yes, Peter and yes, unbanded female.
I got there at 5:30pm and saw only Peter. When he flew to the roof that looks broken (3rd pic), I saw he had a stash on the ledge just above. He was making a lot of clucking sounds while eating, but I couldn’t see any other bird. Then he flew around to the extreme left arrow and sat there for a long time.
Angela did not appear until 7:30pm. I don’t know where she came from. I heard the calling and looked up. They flew to the (centre photo), each landing on a separate ledge, and lots more clucking and chittering sounds. I saw Peter at this spot the last time we were here, and thought that’s where they might be nesting. They were there for about 15 minutes and then flew to the right, Peter on the corner and Angela on a vertical post. They were there until I left around 8:15pm
I’m not sure what is going on in the building .. I saw lasers and heard lots of music .. and it was quite loud, so hard to hear any peregrine calls over that. The sounds I heard were during the silent interludes.
Cheers,
Lucie
Mark and I went out to check on the boys and all was quite. We spotted Mom on the Thales building but had to do a walk around to find the boys. The little fellows were up high on the east side of 240 just getting up from an afternoon nap with Sky on the next window ledge. We got a few pictures before they flew off to find Mom and dinner I assume.
I took MC and Glenda to see the peregrines at harlequin today. Two hours of amazing flight and excitement.
Arrived at 9:30 to no sign of peregrines. Did a walk about and I heard them coming via screams to the east. Looked up to see them chasing each other. Went to the check on them to have the third juvenile fly in as well. One on the white box on roof Harper, one on top ledge Berkley and one on the top window ledge Kline. Suddenly Harper took off and flew around building landing in same spot. Next Berkley stretch his wing and off around building. Kline didn’t move. The screaming started and I was looking for quest when she took a fast turn around the pink building and the chase began. At first it was Quest and Harper. The chase was fast with quest doing turns a pilot could only dream of. Harper was upside down and gliding around building very tight. Then Berkley and finally Kline joined in. Quest took off for the Thales building and there sitting on ledge was Skye. Harper made it to Thales tried to knock off Skye gave up and went around corner, Berkley landed on Thales roof and finally Kline took off and went around Thales building. For five minutes no peregrines. Then Skye came back with a package so the chase was on again. Quest took th package from Skye and then Harper wins the package but he sure had to work for it. He finally landed on the window ledge of building while Berkley and Kline played chase with high speed chased and well the most amazing thrill watching them. They were very high up and in the sky. They finally came back to rest.
So all birds are back on building. I was breathless watching them. Knew we had a few minutes so I took a walk around the building. I found two peregrine impact with powder on harlequin building. Photos attached. So while they are flying well they have made impact with window enough speed to leave their image on window.
The final session was Skye arriving with another package to which Quest stole immediately from him. Quest left and so did Harper who flew to another window ledge. When quest left both Berkley and Kline followed her. Berkley came back with a package this time. They never just fly they are magic in the air. Exciting fast and so entertaining. It was not stop action till 1130. At that time I left with quest on the side building preening herself, another peregrine juv eating on corner ( could not see band) and the other two not to be seen.
What a day.
My friends were so excited
Never seen so much action in a few hours
Used to be the magic hour was evening but at harlequin it is morning.
No photo of Kline but he was flying well today. He is the only one that did not receive a package while I was there.
Ann
Yesterday at William Osler was a complete shift in behaviour for the family as the parents prepare their young ones for fledge. When I arrived all 4 kids were napping away when suddenly in came Chessie. She was on a very distinct mission; harass them until they fly. This was not a singular effort either as Hurricane joined in the effort as well. The chicks were all on the east side split two and two on either side of the H sign. Hurricane took the left pair while Chessie focused on the right. Their efforts were relentless and spectacular in the same breath. Both parents engaged in aerial flights that included barrel rolls, loops, flip overs, tower slaloms and Hurricanes famous pull ups against the wall and jetting straight vertical past the chicks. Back flips off of the ledge capped off the display as well as both adults in tandem at one point displaying their incredible skills. I can’t say it enough, the flights by Hurricane and Chessie here are just pure art… …and the chicks sat admiring the art instead of taking part. Their little fuzzy heads followed the path of their parents and in way of applause they just screamed and screamed. By the end of the display both parents were a little winded and flew up to the tower for a well deserved break as their efforts had gone on for over half an hour.
From noon to 5pm not a single drop of food entered the ledge. Parental displays and too many touch and gos to count continued throughout the evening and the chicks weren’t allowed much rest. Lots of running and flapping exercises filled the evening until supper arrived at 730pm. Then dinner at 737pm. Then snack at 801pm. They were all now so full they could hardly utter a sound. They were one large pancake by 815pm and so I closed it down for the evening to go and help Bruce at Islington and Bloor.
With this extreme shift in behaviour towards encouraging a fledge the parents have let me and the kids know that it’s time. The full time watch begins Monday in earnest!
Yesterday I started off the morning at 5am streetside watching wee Mel as he sat on the retaining wall next to Baylie’s patio at Kingsway on the Park. Right at 5 both Lucky and O’Conner flew into position around the ledge and the three homebodies were on their feet singing a dawn chorus. This got Mel rather excited and he started to walk the wall looking for the perfect launch point. Baylie was out on her patio having a morning cuppa and watching Mel when suddenly he decided to walk right up to Baylie standing watch!! They were almost nose to nose checking each other out. Mel made his way over to the west edge of the wall and by this time I had Roger with me. Mel took flight and landed on the roof of The Longest Yard. He ran roof to roof all the way to Lothian and finally stopped to rest. We were watching him closely as it appeared as if he had a slight droop to his left wing. He stretched it, preened it and flew well and the droop was only slight and infrequent. Something to watch. He took another flight out to the west, circled the Islington intersection and then realizing he didn’t have the height he made a brilliant choice to flutter down to the mezzanine skylight. Bruce arrived and I handed over the watch to him so that I could move up to William Osler.
The morning quietened down with Mel finally moving out to the Bloor St side of the mezzanine wall. Bruce saw him flutter down towards the stairs and he raced over to see where he went. Up the stairs went Bruce and he came face to face with Mel. He wanted no part of Bruce and took a flight down Bloor heading for the Bell building. He almost made it except for the sparrow that intervened at the last minute turning him to land right back on Baylie’s patio wall. Lather, rinse, repeat. This time Mel jumped down on Baylie’s patio and used that to get to the mezzanine and walk to Aberfoyle. Sheesh. He took another flight over the tennis courts and was now on the Falcon condos low and east. Again a flight low where he almost bounced off the top of a truck and he was back to the mezzanine.
All the while that this was going on Ferris decided to fledge unseen. While Bruce was being vigilant with Mel I was trying my best to watch my 4 at Osler and his 3 on the ledge using the webcam. Our best estimate puts the fledge around 3pm-ish. Bruce had Trish with him helping him out and off he went to find Ferris. He located him on the mezzanine wall between the west and center towers. There Ferris stayed and Bruce remained with him and keeping the nest ledge in view as well. At around 8pm Bruce called me for some help as he had not been able to check on Mel for fear of losing sight of Ferris or the nest. The Osler kids had just been fed twice by the parents and they were down for an early night so I headed back to Islington and Bloor to look for Mel. I scoured the Aberfoyle side of the building but was unable to see Mel on any of the leading edges. He was most likely down for the night. I met up with Bruce and waited until dusk to call it for the night.
Ferris and Mel are both low but both safe for the night. Monday (today) will most definitely be and adventure and Bruce will be down at dawn to ensure all play safe.
June 16th - 2015
Ok, this is getting a little much,, with three of the four Toronto Rogers Centre fledglings having been rescued in the past 48 hours.
Someone said, its actually raining peregrines, and they were right!
This short little clip shows the CPF’s Mark and Marion deep within the mechanical room of the Renaissance Toronto Hotel at the Toronto Rogers Centre successfully rescuing the little fledgling that was names “Pop-Fly”. See the CPF YouTube video at: https://youtu.be/MWmOR5b3hPE
Having been caught in the air duck on the upper roof, then falling down two floors within the hotel into a closed off mechanical room, it was lucky that he was actually spotted at all by one of the hotels engineers who just happened to hear an odd noise from behind one of the locked doors, and luckily he investigated! The engineer alerted Dave McCormick at the Rogers centre and he called CPF after investigating himself to confirm that it was a peregrine falcon.
So you can see by the video, there was simply no way out for this little guy to escape on his own and rescue came just in time!
It is worth noting that this is the exact same area of the hotel that we rescued another one of the Rogers centre’s fledglings last year!
At 6:30 Saturday morning, Janice started the watch along with Caster on the CTV antenna and Mystery on the hospital antenna. Two juveniles flew around the hospital, one more graceful than the other. At 6:45, two walked around the hospital roof ledge, vocalizing loudly while the parents watched. Two juveniles took flight around the hospital again. At 7:00, Caster and Mystery flew off. Shortly after, Mystery landed back on the hospital antenna while one juvenile relaxed on the highest hospital roof. Another flew over the hospital from a different level. Just before 7:30, one juvenile flew to the roof on the Park Street side and one was perched on the antenna. Just before 8:00, all four juveniles were on the hospital, two sunning themselves on the black rooftop below the antenna, one on the rooftop over the hospital’s main entrance as one did a fly by around their siblings. Mystery remained on the antenna supervising, while the kids started vocalizing loudly. At 8:00, Caster flew by the hospital with a breakfast package and took it to the CTV tower to clean. One of the juveniles joined Caster on the platform for breakfast but accidentally dropped half of it on to the lower platform railing. Caster is vocalizing loudly. The three on the hospital roof seemed to ignore him and remained where they were. When Janice left the watch at 8:30, Caster and one juvenile were on the CTV tower, breakfast remains were hanging over the railing and only one other juvenile was visible on the hospital roof.
At 9:00, Kim and I were on the watch and could see the Caster and Mystery flying from the tower to the hospital and to the Sun Life rooftop and back again. Two juveniles were visible on the hospital rooftop. David was also on the watch along with some new watchers from Waterloo Region Nature. Mystery was perched on the hospital’s antenna with one of the kids. Mystery left and two of the juveniles took her place on the antenna. There were many flights to the hospital and back. Mystery went back to the CTV tower and then left again. One of the juveniles flew to the hospital roof. Ginnie was there and Reggie flew across to join her. Ginnie then left with Reggie following her. They went back to the corner of the hospital to finish some food that was left there earlier. Karen also joined the group at 10:45. Just before 12:00, Reggie did another flight to the hospital tower, Ginnie was still on one of the corners of the hospital and both Chroma and Redbud did flights to the top drum of the CTV tower.
At 7:30 that evening, Kellie was on the watch and all six birds were accounted for. The kids were flying back and forth between the hospital and the CTV tower for quite some time. Two siblings were playing ‘chase’ around the hospital. Only one juvenile never moved from the corner of the H hospital sign until one of it’s siblings looked like it was about to crash land into it and then it did put up its wings briefly but never did fly off. Caster was circling the Sun Life building, and Mystery was perched on the nest tower half way up. She flew off for a bit, then returned to one of the lower level railings. These juvenile falcons are all doing really well and have passed all their initial flight tests!
Kellie observed, that their landings are still very awkward. Their flights are now deliberate, but often they are going a little too fast to make a safe landing and have to circle back around to try landing again and again. Both adults make the Sun Life tower part of their regular perch and it is only a matter of time that the juveniles will follow them to the glass tower. The juveniles will need to experience what glass windows are and we’re hoping they will only brush the windows and not injure themselves in doing so. The fledge watch team will still be keeping an eye on the sky while they start to explore new areas and their range opens up.
On Sunday night, Karen arrived on the watch at 8:00 p.m. to some loud vocalizations from the kids on various parts of the CTV tower. Mystery also was making lots of noise and eventually took off into a very low swoop over the smaller buildings that line King Street. A couple of the kids followed over the low rooftops! Karen held her breath while they flew at that low level towards the Sun Life parking lot but then lost sight of them. Perhaps, Mystery is teaching them where the little birds are? At 8:30, one of the juveniles took off and seemed to pursue a couple of small birds inflight but missed and landed on the hospital roof. The setting sun made it difficult for Karen to identify the juveniles but they all returned to the tower eventually. One juvenile then flew again at a lower level between the two hydro wires across from the tower! Mystery and Caster were perched on the Sun Life tower. One of the juveniles was at the hospital but by the end of the watch just after 9:00, all four kids were back on the tower at the end of this longest day of the year!
Photos courtesy of Karen von Knobloch
Sheraton’s little female, Sandy, is still a little fluffy around the edges. I’m sure with the warm weather this week, that will come off quickly.
Fledge watch to begin by Friday June 25th. All are welcome to participate.
Volunteers will be in the area of Adelaide and York St., during this time. Just look for the folks with binoculars. If someone happens to come across a strange looking bird on the sidewalk, with bands on it’s ankles. Please contact CPF Head Office.
Yesterday after Bruce and Rob arrived at the Islington and Bloor nest site, I left the watch in their capable hands and headed up here to William Osler to check in on the family for a few hours. My initial task was to locate all of the chicks which is like trying to find a green smartie in the grass. Hurricane and Chessie always have such handsomely dark chicks that match the color of the louvres quite nicely. It didn’t take long to find them as Chessie flew in with a massive pigeon and they were on their feet cheering her on. She flew into the ledge and spent the next 40 minutes beak feeding each chick that only stopped howling their excitement long enough to swallow. Two chicks then galloped down to the south H sign and pancaked out for a few hours leaving the other two lots of room in the nest tray for napping. Hurricane and Chessie also took the next few hours to nap in the tower which had me in my vehicle dozing a bit myself. All 7 of us had a good wee sleep and by noon Hurricane took off west. About 20 minutes later he came flapping in like mad with… …oh no… …NOT ANOTHER PIGEON??!! Yup. Chessie took the pigeon lunch onto the ledge and beak fed again. More pancaking followed and one chick was in such a food stupor that it leaned against a pillar and fell asleep standing up and screaming. Back to the tower for the parents and let nap number two commence. The third pigeon arrived around 4pm and now one of the chicks was screaming and running AWAY from the feeding scramble totally disinterested but screaming anyways ’cause everybody else was. Goodness gracious. By 530pm we were all zonked out again and Bruce was calling with a low bird report. I left my cell number with security just in case one of these two tonners came down and I headed down to Islington and Bloor to back up Bruce. On my way back north I stopped in for a head count and all four chicks crops could easily be seen from the Moon as they had recently been fed yet again. Sunday I will be spending the day once again checking in on how close we are to the start of the full watch.