June 22, 2016 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Before I got to the watch today Toronto Police 53 Division called to let me know that one of the falcons was down. I asked them to try a rescue and that I was on my way. By the time Mark and I had arrived the fledgling had evaded their attempt to capture her and was now in their back parking lot. Mark was able to easily net her and found that she was just fine so we put her in the rescue carrier for a trip back to the balcony just below the nest ledge where her parents can continue her care and give another chance and the altitude she needs to fly. Thanks to our great friends at 53 division Symphony lives another day and has a second chance.
Message from 53 Division
Attached are some photos from today’s rescue. We were all very happy that we had a small helping hand in making sure that Symphony was safe and returned to her nest. I also have a short video (about 1 min, 11 seconds long), of the rescue however I’m not able to email it as it is too long. I will try to send it to your Foundation’s FB page.
Kim Hollett #86812
53 Division
Toronto Police Service
After Symphony’s rescue we had a chance to scope the nest ledge and only saw Louise no Quasar. Mark went in search of Quasar while I kept an eye on Louise but not long after he left I saw Dad swoop down and land just above the mall entrance across Eglinton very low, too low for an adult so I suspected our Quasar might be there somewhere. Less than 2 minutes later she pooped up out of a depression on the ledge right beside her dad and took flight west on Eglinton very low and dad chased after her, I radioed Mark and took off after the pair up Eglinton where I saw them hook back to the east heading back to Canada Square and home and with a little help from the wind and her dad who flew under her and bumped her up from below 3 times she made it right back to the porch beside Louise and a safe landing what a great dad!
Posted on June 22, 2016 11:45 pm
June 22, 2016 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Toronto Sheraton Chick checking out one of the failed eggs.
Growing quickly little one.
Posted on June 22, 2016 9:38 am
June 21, 2016 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Tracy started the watch this morning and as soon as Haven brought in food to the chicks on the porch Louise decided to join her sisters determined not to miss breakfast. Symphony has been flapping a lot and spending time very close to the ledge so I expect she may be the first to go.
The chicks were fed at least 3 times today so they sure have the energy to be ready for that first flight.
Although the girls are getting more active on the ledge they are still quite happy to have a nice nap in the afternoons so it makes for a rather boring couple hours for the watchers but this time we had a little excitement and Mark, Tracy, Bruce and I got to watch Haven and Malik go after a Turkey Vulture who made the mistake of cruising into their air space and got it proverbial but kicked and then escorted out of their territory. Mom and Dad 1 Turkey Vulture 0 
At 9:00 PM Haven dropped onto the porch and fed the chicks and perched on the column above to put them to bed for the night so Mark and I packed it up to resume tomorrow.
Posted on June 21, 2016 11:58 pm
June 19, 2016 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
At 10:10 a.m., Heather was on the watch and the juveniles were flying everywhere! They are flying really well now, getting good heights, soaring and swooping around together with lots of acrobatics. By 10:20, they all settled down except for one juvenile who flew back and forth, from the CTV tower, to the hospital and to the Kings Tower. At 10:45, the entire family were in sight – the juveniles on the CTV tower and the adults on the Kings Tower antenna. At 10:55, a juvenile flew to Kings Tower and circled a few times. One of the adults joined it and they flew over to the hospital together. The juvenile landed on the antenna while a parent circled above, and then flew back to Kings Tower where the second adult was perched on the antenna above. At 11:05, the adult flew back over Kings Tower, the juvenile took flight to follow and ended up back at CTV. They vocalized to each other off and on. At 11:18 it’s getting hot out and one juvenile laid down on the edge of the top platform with its wing hanging over the edge, tired from all the flying! Two others were preening and the fourth was laying down too. At 11:30, all juveniles were at the top of CTV tower – three on the top platform and one just above perched on the railing.
Mike and Elaine were on the watch at 4:00 p.m. and at first only located one juvenile on the upper platform of the CTV tower. At 4:15 they discovered a dead gull on the top of the hospital parking garage. One of the adults was sighted on the Sun Life tower at 4:25. Ten minutes later, a food package was dropped off at the upper platform of the CTV tower. All four juveniles were on that level. At 6:05, Tenor flew to the hospital tower. Five minutes later, another juvenile flew from the CTV tower and engaged Tenor in some aerial acrobatics. The remaining two took flight and all four were in the air, flying from tower to tower and building to building! At 6:20, only three of the juveniles were accounted for. One had flown over the hospital parking garage. Mike went to check it out and found the missing juvenile eating the dead gull on the top floor of parking garage! At 6:30, Susie arrived to join Mike and Elaine on the top floor of the garage to observe three of the juveniles taking turns eating the gull only 40 feet away!! The first juvenile ate more than half of the gull, then regurgitated some of the meal before flying back to the CTV. Ziegler was seen feeding one of her siblings!
Sheldon and I arrived shortly after 8:00 p.m. to join Susie on the watch. At one point, there were falcons flying everywhere and one falcon flew off really low towards Waterloo and we lost sight of it around the lower office buildings. We were going to go off on the hunt for it just in case it went down, however all kids and one adult were accounted for about 20 minutes later. Two were on the top platform, one was beside the nest box and the fourth was on the girders on the north side under the nest box platform. Sheldon and I went to the garage roof to inspect the gull carcass and a few minutes later one of the adults quickly moved in to escort us away from their dinner! At 9:00 p.m. it quieted down, one of the kids was laying down on the ledge of the nest box under the light of the moon. All were safe and accounted for at various levels as we left the watch.
Photos courtesy of Heather Buerkle
Posted on June 21, 2016 12:12 am
June 18, 2016 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
It was a noisy morning at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday when Janice was on the watch. Two of the juveniles were on the top of the CTV tower and one was on the antenna at Kings Tower with a parent looking on. Lots of vocalizations were coming from the top of the CTV tower. At 7:00, the juvenile on the Kings Tower antenna flew back to sit beside one of it’s siblings. At 7:25, the fourth juvenile was located on the Kings Tower roof on the Central Fresh Market side. It was quiet until 7:45 when another juvenile flew to Kings Tower. The one left behind called to the others. A few minutes later, the one on the far side of Kings Tower flew to join it’s sibling and they had a lot to say to each other. The adult still looked on from the antenna. At 7:55, it was non stop vocalizing from the two on the CTV tower. At 8:05 one of the juveniles on Kings Tower flew to the front of the building and the other perched lower down on the antenna. The two juveniles on the CTV tower didn’t move the entire time. It got quiet for a few minutes and then the wing flapping and vocalizing started up again.
At 9:00 a.m., two of the juveniles perched on the top scaffolding on the CTV tower and two were still on Kings Tower. A food drop came in at 9:15 and one juvenile flew back from Kings Tower to CTV to squabble with it’s siblings. Martha and I were on the watch at 10:15. Three juveniles were on the top platform on the west side and an adult was on the north railing on the nest box platform as two vultures sailed by.
At 10:20, one of the juveniles took off at lightening speed and flew all the way to the Sun Life building, where he met up with one of the adults with a pigeon in tow! There was a spectacular display of teasing and taunting from the adult to the juvenile as they flew back towards the hospital, twisting and turning through the air with the pigeon. They then moved overtop of the CTV rooftop and all four juveniles were in the air flying every which way while trying to get the pigeon! Unfortunately, the pigeon dropped to the rooftop and they all flew back to their respective perches. At 10:40, an osprey flew by and was immediately escorted out of the area by one of the adults. The adult landed on the hospital antenna while the kids vocalized loudly! Shortly after 11:00 one juvenile circled around the CTV tower but misjudged the landing and headed to Kings Towers, landed there and jumped down to the rooftop and out of sight. It quieted down after that with at least three on the top platform of the CTV tower. Rudy and Michael were watching in the afternoon. At 2:30 a pigeon was brought in to the top of the tower. A great blue heron flew overtop of the nest site really high up. At 8:45, there were a few nice flights over to the Kings Tower antenna, one over to the hospital antenna to join an adult and back. Three were on the top of the CTV platform at the end of the watch.
Photos courtesy of Heather Buerkle & Michael Hilborn
Posted on June 20, 2016 11:09 pm
June 20, 2016 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Symphony and Quasar have taken that first step and have jumped down from the nest to the front porch but Louise has yet to join them perhaps tomorrow. No flights but Symphony looks quite ready. Haven and Malik have been flying by often showing the little ones how its done. We saw only 2 feedings today so I think the weaning has started.
Posted on June 20, 2016 10:59 pm
June 20, 2016 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
Ann Brokelman checked in on the chicks yesterday and found Marta and Jet on the Thales Building and saw Jet take a stoop and land on one of the ledges with food from Quest. Also saw one of the other boys on same building and heard another screaming for food further away.
Thanks for the update Ann
Photos to come so stay tuned.
Posted on June 20, 2016 11:52 am
June 17, 2016 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
Just before 7:00 p.m., three of the juveniles were on the furthest corner of the Kings Tower roof with the fourth vocalizing from the upper platform of the CTV tower. Mystery does two successive flybys at 7:05. One of the juveniles headed back to Kings Tower at 7:10, fumbles the landing on the roof edge facing King Street, tumbles, striking the upper railing of the 2nd apartment from the top and lands on the balcony of the 3rd apartment from the top (to the right of the blue box & under the window air conditioner)!! The juvenile walked around the balcony and attempted to squeeze through the vertical rungs but decides to go under the lower railing, takes flight easily and successfully flies back to the CTV tower. Whew!
During this performance, number three flies back to the CTV Tower from the Kings Tower roof. At 7:30, Mystery returns with a bird from the direction of the hospital lands on the top of the microwave dish. Two juveniles were on the top of the dish and two on the top platform. It was crowded on top of the dish! One of the juveniles started to slide down the convex side of the dish, fell off, recovers and circles around to the back of the tower and lands on the upper platform. Mystery stayed with the remaining youngster on top of the dish and a flurry of feathers descends from the dish as the meal was prepared. At 7:45, Mystery leaves with what is left of the bird, circles and landed with it on the upper platform to the delight of the other 3 fledglings! At 7:55, Mystery flies to the hospital tower. After a couple of walkabouts, all four youngsters are accounted for on the upper platform silhouetted against the sun at 8:10 p.m. while Mystery keeps an eye on them from the hospital antenna.
Photos courtesy of Don Thomas & Heather Buerkle from June 14.
Posted on June 20, 2016 12:18 am
June 19, 2016 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
June 16th - 2016
A big thank you to Lucie for being able to get back down to the Beachville nest site this week. Her efforts paid off for some good photos of the family that were captured and observed.
Included are some of her pictures from her Thursday’s visit to Beachville. After looking very closely at Lucie’s photos of the hatchlings, it would appear that there maybe one male and one female, with the older more advanced hatchling on the right as evident of the more advanced juvenile flight feathers poking out through its white down.
Two babies, looking to be 26+ days old, ready to fledge within 2 weeks!
I arrived at 11:30am. I was hoping the rain would stop soon and it did thankfully. I was able to watch the resident adult female Virginia and the kids in the nest and got a pic when they were having a real family vocal moment.
It was pretty much quiet all day. Joe (the resident adult male) was around off and on all day, but away from the nest. When he and Virginia took a flight around the nest, it got the kids’ attention, so I was able to get a few good pictures.
I thought it was funny when a great blue heron flew quite close to the nest box. It was just the babies in it and as I watched through the scope, I saw their eyes following the heron.
Also, the beam from last visit is now gone. It was where the food prep area was.
During the afternoon, around 2:30, a Carmeuse employee came by to ask me a question, and while talking, I missed Virginia flying into the nest with a starling. When I look through my scope, I saw her plucking the bird in front of the kids! They were even trying pull the bird from her and I saw one of the chicks with a feather in its beak.
Around 5:30 I saw Joe come in and land on a nearby post. He remained there until around 7:00 when he and Virginia took off together. That’s when I packed up and departed for home.
Cheers,
Lucie
Posted on June 19, 2016 3:27 pm
June 18, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
All the young are flying and getting to ledges and girders quite well. Paul, Denis, Steve and I believe that Pulse spent much of the day on a ledge near the nest. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be ready for more flights. All of the others are getting good practice with chases and even a bit of “tag” with Voltaire.
It is looking like the need for vigilant watching is coming to an end. Of course, it is still possible that a fledgling will need assistance…we really can never predict. But at least now, they are staying off the ground and building skills and confidence with each day.
Thank you to the team for great watching and some very long days and nights! Your dedication and commitment to our Peregrines is amazing and a wonderful gift.
It is always nice to have new folks join in and personally, I have really enjoyed getting know Steve and Denis this year. Also, chatting with some of our photographer friends (thinking of Mel and Tim) has been great, and having them be willing to share some of their beautiful photos has been very generous of them.
They say that it takes a village to raise a child. Clearly from our history, it takes a community of caring, dedicated people to protect these young Peregrines so that they have a chance to go out and make it on their own.
Great work, everyone! The real fun begins now with “flight school.” I’m sure I’ll see you around the bridge.
We will plan a volunteer gathering soon to celebrate another successful year…Maybe pizza at the bridge.
Special thanks to Mel Diotte, Tim Jarrold, Steve Atkins, and Larry Ludwicki for sharing their great photos!
Posted on June 18, 2016 9:46 pm
