!!! Holcim Ogden Point Quarry - A new nest with three hatchlings!
July 03, 2015 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
July 2nd - 2015
While a late posting, a great happening never the less! Over the past few months, we have speaking to Barb from the Holcim Mississauga plant about an exciting situation in the making at their Ogden Point Quarries in Colborne Ontario, (between Cobourg and Trenton).
Back in early April of this year, the quarry staff started to see what they though was peregrine activity around the quarry and sent in the first photos looking for us to identify their new resident birds. *(See photo of the two adult peregrines in the tree).
Not too long after this first photo, it had become very apparent to the quarry staff that the two adult peregrines had set up house in a large cavity in the side of the stone wall within the quarry, one that had been used over the years by nesting ravens. (I guess its no surprise to figure out who won this battle) and eventually ended up nesting in the nest cavity)! Sorry ravens 
You know what they say, Location, Location, Location!
So as the story unfolds,,, you can probably figure out what has taken place. The next serious of reports and photos that Barb sent into us (reported to her and taken by the quarry employees over the three months that brings us up to July 2nd), clearly shows the net result of the peregrines activities.
While it would have been most unusual for our native North American peregrine sub-species to nest in trees and stick nests, we are clearly now seeing the result of the mixing and hybridization of our native peregrines with the addition of the many non-native peregrine sub-species that has been introduced into the gene pool over the past 40 years during the two national recovery programs in the USA and Canada, as it is clearly showing just how incredibly adaptable that the peregrine falcon can be!
While it is not that unusual for peregrines to capitalize on just such a great nest site, (being cliff dwellers / nesters), we obviously don’t have allot of high cliffs here in southern Ontario,,, (well until we started building and creating them) like all of the hi-rise office towers, and as with some of the quarries we now have. Man made or not, natural or not, they are cliffs never the less as far as the peregrines are concerned, and with cavities like this one out at the Holcim Ogden Point Quarry, both the ravens (and now the peregrines) have capitalize on an ideal nesting spot, one that offers some ideal nesting situation and an ideal surrounding habitat that both hosts and provides an abundance of avian food sources! 
So as the story continues to unfold, as documented by the most recent round of photos and observation reports relayed to us, it clearly shows that the two unbanded resident adult peregrines have been successful in producing three young, !!
Unfortunately, we were not able to band the two young fledglings this season, as the nest location within the quarry is not easily accessible, and by the time that we received the updated photos and observations reports of the adults behaviours, there were already hatchlings that were too old to safely access the nest to band them.
Hoping that the pair return next season and we can get access in time to band any offspring that is produced.
A huge thank you to all of the Holcim quarry staff, and for sharing this great story and fantastic photos!!
Congratulations Holcim Ogden Point Quarry staff!!! Looks like a great situation!!!
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