July 03, 2015 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
After so many days of watching Sandy sit on the ledge and then take flight without me, and not really seeing her flying, I was treated to a wonderful sight this evening.
I arrived at University and Richmond Street shortly before 5p.m. and discovered Sandy sitting on a lower roof level in the area of the hotel. I repositioned and she was gone.
I walked along east along Adelaide Street and as I approached York St, I noticed a group of pigeons on the roof of the Starbuck’s. I took notice because they were grouped together, which I thought was somewhat odd. I took a closer look with my binoculars and OMG. Yes, there was a pigeon, but it was dinner and Rhea Mae was prepping it for Sandy! As Rhea Mae plucked and poked, Sandy watched with intensity. Rhea Mae then starting eating it and Sandy was pleading for her to feed her. Rhea Mae continued eating, teasing Sandy with every mouth full. Sandy then starting grabbing Rhea Mae’s tail feathers and poking her beak into Rhea Mae’s backside. Very Funny to see. Sandy then footed Rhea Mae and tried to grab the prey. Rhea Mae gave in and started feeding Sandy. Minutes later Rhea Mae flew off and Sandy continued to eat.
Enter another unsuspecting pigeon who tried to land and take part in feast along with a Gull. In flies Tiago and ran the two of them off. Sandy continued eating and Tiago moved closer and grabbed the prey. Sandy was not happy and started screaming at Tiago. Tiago finished off the meal and Sandy sat quietly and watched. After the meal Tiago and Sandy flew north and were last seen flying circles over the Opera House.
What a sight, and after so many days of not seeing much activity from any of them, it was a delight. I’m sorry I didn’t have a camera with me, I would have had wonderful and memorable pictures.
Posted on July 3, 2015 8:27 pm
July 02, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Got over for a spot check tonight–only Morgan & Jenna seen. Found Morgan on the “N” of Sony. Appeared to have some food with her! After some time, she took off around the building. After watching a empty couple of buildings for abit, I decided to go find her–I had a hunch where she might have gone. Checked around the building-couldn’t see her. Drove up the street and spied a peregrine over by 411 bldg. Flew onto ICICI sign-Morgan! Then she was off again–over to the 411 bldg again. She landed on very top…where her sister used to sit(and go to bed)-looking for her I think, then flew off and around the building before returning to ICICI roof where Mom was waiting with some food. Jenna headed over to the Sony sign. No sign of Horton & Chester–off doing guy things I guess. And then it was time for me to go.
Posted on July 2, 2015 11:10 pm
July 02, 2015 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Omega made 4 more flights today the first 3 were good but short flights keeping her altitude the forth was fantastic with a nice soar gaining lots of altitude as she landed on the nest building at nest ledge level. She is now on the ledge to the farthest south end of the west side.
Little Typhoon on the other hand has not taken any flights yet but he does seem to be flapping and running the ledge more now so hopefully it will be before the end of the week.
Omega and Typhoon were fed today with Typhoon again getting the lions share.
Posted on July 2, 2015 9:57 pm
July 02, 2015 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Sandy must be a morning bird, as most of her activity is early in the day. This afternoon and late evening, Sandy stayed on the same near by roof top and I did not see her flying with Rhea Mae or Tiago. Rhea Mae was cruising the neighbourhood, looking a little ragged in the tail and wing feathers. Tiago appeared for a short evening flight around the Shangri-La Hotel and then he returned to the nest ledge to oversee Sandy. At 8pm, Sandy went to her usual overnight spot, Tiago was on the nest ledge, and Rhea Mae was last seen heading down University Ave. to King Street and disappeared. See you tomorrow Sandy.
Posted on July 2, 2015 9:38 pm
July 02, 2015 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Harry Crawford Reports:
This morning, Sandy could be found on four buildings: the opera house stage roof, 133 Richmond W, the Google building and the one just to the west of it. It was hard to get sight lines in some of the places she landed. Her flights looked very good but I wasn’t able to see her landings. Alex took over the watch at lunchtime.
Posted on July 2, 2015 2:22 pm
July 01, 2015 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Tracy started the watch this morning at 7:30 and fond Omega and Typhoon was where we had left them last evening. She saw the adults bring in food 3 times before I got there at 11:00 and all of it went to Typhoon none for Omega.
When I got there Tracy was talking to 2 lads from Solar window washing who had come to take down the swing stage and had been forced off the roof by the adult female Haven. Wide eyed and just a little flustered they explained that they had no idea she had chicks yet and would just have to leave the stage there until Haven decided she would allow them back LOL!
I was just getting settled in for my shift and Tracy was telling me that Omega was very agitated about not getting any food and had has been flapping and running the back and forth on the ledge looking like she was ready to go and boom she was off.
She flew directly south to the new condo building on Duplex at the south end of Canada Square and landed safe and sound on the ledge just below the roof at about 15 or 16 floors up great flight!
For the rest of the morning she explored her new playground on the condo roof and was visited by Mom and Dad several times. At 4:00 PM Mom flew in again with Dad right behind her still no food so Omega took off again with Mom and Dad right on her tail heading directly for the nest building and home. She was loosing altitude and ended up landing on the black building between The nest and TVO.
Just before 7:00 PM Haven brought in a large food package and landed right beside Omega and she rushed up to grab it from mom and was cuffed by moms wing so she sat back and watched Haven prep the food with anticipation. I figured she was finally going to get a meal as I watched mom pluck the food for another 5 minutes but to my surprize she took off leaving Omega unfed and very upset. The food went again directly to Typhoon in the nest.
Omega ran back and forth the roof top flapping and yelling and then took flight heading again for then nest and food but again she was too low. She bumped the windows fluttering down the glass so I was up and ready to run to her rescue but she recovered and flew across Eglinton Ave. towards Rio Can. Once again she was too low and bumped the glass on Rio Can and started to flutter down she recovered and thankfully flew back down Duplex and landed back on the black building.
Just after 8:00 PM she jumped down of the edge onto the roof and by 9:00 she had not come back up so I guess she had had enough for the day and went to bed and so did I.
Happy Canada Day
Marion and Tracy
Posted on July 2, 2015 8:47 am
July 01, 2015 - Oshawa - Lakeridge Hospital
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 1st - 2015
Hello All,
Here’s my observations from today’s visit at the Oshawa LakeRidge hospital.
We arrived at the hospital around 4:30 and all was quiet. It wasn’t long before we spotted mom perched near the nest ledge. The gray concrete was her backdrop so she was hard to spot. We looked around for Atlas wondering if he was still there, but then he popped out of the nest box. Dad flew in and there was some activity with Atlas exercising his wings and looking like he wanted to take off. But then we saw feathers flying and realized there was food for him and he was busy chowing down (pic 1).
Both parents took off and went to perch on the south side of hospital. It wasn’t long before Simcoe flew southward. We got a good shot of him (pic 2). The yellow band is still on his leg and we could see the 63 over X on his black band.
Atlas was quite content (pic 3). Alfrieda joined him and together they just chilled out until we left at around 7:15 (pic 4).
I must say this nest site is quite lovely and I could only imagine the beautiful view with the golf course and park to look at. I’m sure they don’t appreciate that, but I wouldn’t mind putting my chair up there and enjoying the scenery. We had to leave at 7:15, but after the meal Atlas had, hopefully he didn’t feel like going anywhere.
Cheers,
Lucie
Posted on July 2, 2015 2:19 am
July 25, 2015 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 27th - 2015
Hi all,
I have continued the monitoring of the three peregrine fledglings, Wellington (red), Lucifer (blue) and Stella (silver). Stella removed her yellow tape before fledging, but it is easy to identify by her larger size, compared to her two smaller brothers.
I have seen two of them, Lucifer and Stella right up to yesterday June 25. I have not seen Wellington since June 23.
They are in hot pursuit of the pigeons but have not been successful yet in catching one on their own. They still rely on food being brought by the two adults, either by air to air food transfers or food drops. That helps them get use to carrying and flying with food.
I have attached some images that were captured this past week as examples of a food transfer from the adult female and a food drop from the adult male. The food drops are the most exciting because the juvenile must successfully try to catch the falling food item.
In the food transfer from the adult female, Cirrus, you will see the juvenile, Lucifer, closing in on her and ready to grab the food. Then Cirrus keeps an eye on the juvenile while he makes off with the food and hopefully does not drop it.
On the food drop image the adult male, MacKenzie, dropped the food for the juvenile, who catches it.
Exciting moments!
regards,
Barry Cherriere
Posted on July 2, 2015 1:23 am
June 30, 2015 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
June 30th - 2015
I apologize for the late posting, but my day ended at 3am, (with yet another unplanned 20 hour day before I could actually get home). Just as I arrived back in Toronto and walked through the door, another call came in that had me rushing back out the door to yet another peregrine site in Pickering, doing a ground search for another downed fledgling in the darkness and fog until 2:30am in the morning. While successful in our efforts, having found the young fledgling before the raccoons and other night predators did, and returning it safely to the nest ledge and its parents, I have to admit, the 20 hour days were much easier to handle when I was 30 years of age. Now at 58, some of these long days are getting much harder to handle! Finally home by 3am, I just didn’t have it in me to get on the computer to do anything, let alone to start hours of editing of all of the camera footage and photos to make them ready for posting!
In any case, back to the Beachville peregrines,,, Some of the mystery unfolds!
With a third site visit having been completed today at the Beachville quarries in an effort to positively confirm what is actually going on with their resident peregrines, we no longer have to speculate. This time with the help of a 135 foot man lift and with Andrew at the controls, who was kind enough to give us some of his time this afternoon to operate the giant 135 foot man lift, I can confirm without any doubt that the Beachville resident peregrines are in fact incubating eggs!
With the additional help of a little modern technology, the new colour Garmin wireless camera, we can confirm after reviewing some the recorded camera footage that the resident adult female is in fact involved in full time incubation with at least two eggs,,, and another two very pale sun bleached eggs on a separate section of the ledge having been abandoned altogether.
A huge thank you also goes out to Lucie who has been travelling from Toronto to the Beachville site collecting and recording observations of the pairs activities, and we can confirm via her observations that the resident adult male is dawning a Solid black leg band identification, and that it is still Joe, a 2010 produced peregrine from the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel nest site.
His new female mate is banded with a Black over Green leg band, and we are currently checking the band numbers to get an identification and history on her. Last year, as you might recall, Joe’s female companion was a 2011 Scarborough Yellow Pages produced female peregrine named Rihannon - Black banded 53 over X, but it would appear that she has now been replaced by this new Black over Green banded female. Good solid investigating Lucie!!!
This might explain the two older abandoned eggs?
Stay tuned for a more detailed report, some photos and some of the camera footage once I have organized, colour corrected and edited the camera footage……
On another note, I was lucky enough to snap a few photos myself after my man lift, of a Turkey Vulture who literally dropped in and landed on a hydro pole 10 feet directly in front of me while Lucie and I were watching the peregrines from the side of the roadway. Ok, not National Geographic photo stuff, but quite a close-up rather intimate personal visit with the Turkey Vulture!
This event happened seconds after me explaining to Lucie that I had NEVER been able to photograph a Turkey Vulture up close (nor ever seen one on the side of the road actually standing),, and that my usual experience seeing them had always been at great distances, always soaring high in the sky, but never ever close up)!
Well, did I get a surprise today!! Hello!
Posted on July 2, 2015 12:25 am
