June 25, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DAY ONE FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON : And Sam fledged!! Before I got there lol. Arrived to find no one in sight. Oh oh. Bruce had arrived just before me and said hadn’t seen anyone. So he did a walk about and I kept an eye on the nest ledge and checked nearby rooftops and ledges. As Bruce was coming back, we both saw dad land on the CPPlan sign. Good! Seconds later I saw Sam pop up about midway down the building on a ledge beneath Dad!! Yayyyy, fledged and didn’t lose too much height. So we set up in the shade(another hot one) and watched him walk the ledge. Mom & Dad tried so hard to get him off that ledge. Bruce left around noon. I watched as the sun came around and slowly he was out of shade. But he stayed. Parents landed beside him, above him, flew repeatedly by him, encouraging him to get off that hot ledge. To no avail. Mom finally brought him food around 3pm. He tore into it lol. But still stayed. Sally and Bruce joined me around 430. I left shortly after to feed my pets. Of course a half hour after I left, he took a second flight, missed 150 and came back and landed one floor down from where he left! He got fed a few more times, beak fed by mom this time. And that’s where we left him at close. Hopefully he gets another flight in tomorrow before the bad weather arrives (rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast). But all in all, a good day!!
Posted on June 25, 2022 11:44 pm
June 22, 2022 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Lucie Kirchknopf reports:
Bruce saw all 4 on Wednesday morning flying high and well and said if they stayed that way, we could scale back to spot checks. He had to leave to go downtown and rescue a juvie that came to ground. Erika and I were there in the evening and when we left around 9:00 pm, we had 3 on the nest ledge and 1 on the roof.
Today was hot and humid and we were anticipating possible wicked thunderstorms. Since that didn’t happen, I didn’t come by until 8:00 pm. Well .. I didn’t have to look very hard as all 4 were on the nest ledge. Left to right: The girls, FREEDOM (blue), STARLIGHT (yellow), BIP (white), and their brother BULLET (red).
I left at 9:00 pm as mom was bringing in food, so I imagine they stayed put for the night.
Cheers, Lucie
Posted on June 25, 2022 7:42 am
June 13, 2022 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Lucie Kirchknopf reports:
Well, after her release 2 days ago, I have to say that BIP (white) was definitely the star of the show today and deserves to have all the photos! Aside from her amazing flying skills, she has successfully landed back on a ledge and, once again, displaced an adult to land on a letter!
FREEDOM (blue) finally fledged and ended up on the second condo where we didn’t see her for most of the day. It got to the point where I wondered if she was even there, but she finally appeared in the early evening as we breathed a sigh of relief that she was around! At the end of the evening, she surprised us all by flying onto the ledge where her siblings were and stayed there for the night.
As for STARLIGHT (yellow) and BULLET (red), they win the couch potato award and don’t deserve any honourable mention today lol, other than just looking cute.
By 9:00 pm, all was very quiet as the three siblings ended up together. My camera battery died before I could get that adorable photo. BIP stayed on the condo beam where I imagine she remained for the night.
I am totally blown away by the skills of these juvies .. landing on letters and flying onto the ledge and this just after a few flights! Looking forward to seeing more great flights from all of them.
Cheers, Lucie
Posted on June 24, 2022 3:13 pm
June 24, 2022 - Toronto - Rogers Centre
Harry Crawford Reports:
I arrived at Rogers before 10 this morning and shortly spotted a male juvie who flew over to the east ledge towards the north end. A while later a larger bird joined him. I thought it was his mother. I moved closer and saw that it was his sister. Paul and I were down Wednesday morning and saw the girl but also later thought we saw a smaller one but were not sure. Hence today’s trip. We saw mother and daughter take up the outside of the south elevator shaft facing Rogers. Mom was a flew levels below the girl. I’ll try to upload a few photos that Paul took. Notice the American band on mom’s leg. We didn’t get an opportunity to see if the other leg was banded.
Posted on June 24, 2022 2:51 pm
June 23, 2022 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
The morning search for Jewel continued. Volunteers alerted all the local groups they could think of in the birding community, the humane society and rescue organizations. The dedicated fledgewatch team went over and above the call of duty scouring the city for signs of Jewel. A few leads turned out to be a mangy fox (a slightly different species) and a juvenile red tailed hawk, and still no Jewel. Corona is holding her own and has had some beautiful flights and learning how to chase some volunteer pigeons.
Posted on June 23, 2022 10:52 pm
June 22, 2022 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
While Jewel’s release is scheduled for later on this afternoon, Corona continues to spread her wings and has had more and more successful flights and landings. She seems to have longer flights and is getting fed well. Corona even chased some pigeons and is taking her peregrine flight and hunting lessons seriously.
Jewel was released from King’s Tower just after 3:30, flew right away and with an adult heading towards downtown Kitchener. She headed for a crane on Walter Street. Volunteers immediately headed out after her and at first glance thought she was perched precariously on top of the crane. Later it was confirmed that it was a red tailed hawk that was having trouble staying on top of the crane, due to the wind, not the young peregrine. The volunteer team continued to search for Jewel while Corona continued to improve her skills around the nest box tower.
Kellie reported: “Corona had an eventful evening. One of her parents brought in a package and was prepping it high on the King’s Tower antenna. After some initial screaming, Corona launched off of the nestbox tower and made a beautiful ascent to the King’s Tower, landing across from her parent on the triangular part of the structure. Then she took another short flight and landed right where her parent was, got the food, and chowed down for several minutes.
Later, she took a few more fantastic flights between the nestbox tower, the hospital, and King’s Tower. She was cruising along over the hospital parkade and the church when a pigeon got a little too close and she actually chased it for a few seconds! It was so thrilling to see her twist and turn with the pigeon! There was likely no chance she would catch it, but it was so awesome to see her chase it. The pigeon probably didn’t have the same opinion.
Finally, her parents were coming and going frequently throughout the evening, but at one point, she was on the railing of the top level (white platform) as she stared down at her parent who was on the red platform. She walked along the railing for a bit, and then made a wonderfully controlled jump/drop almost directly below to the red platform. It might not seem significant, but it showed that she’s starting to learn how to be a bit more careful with her landings, and planning her route to where she wants to go. Well done, Corona!!”
Photos courtesy of Karen von Knobloch, Kellie Superina & Michelle Graham
Posted on June 23, 2022 10:43 pm
June 22, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
UPDATE DON MILLS /AMEXON : Our little Sam isn’t so little anymore! He’s looking really good, sitting up looking out on the great big world. Not much fluff left on him so he’s been working out lol. And he’s got a good set of lungs on him too! I’ve been trying to see him every day this week and going tomorrow to watch a bit more before the official start of the fledge watch on Saturday. Hope he flies strong and high! Stay tuned….
Posted on June 23, 2022 9:56 pm
June 22, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
SPOT CHECK DON MILLS : The fab four are doing great! Made it through all the windy weather and the extreme heat just fine. I try and check whenever I can.. I stopped last night and immediately saw 3 on upper ledge of 240, with Quest 3 sections over. ID’d Nitro, Yeager and Ace but had a feeling Zigzag was back in. After Yeager and Ace did some cute beaking and nipping, Ace went for a few flights. Looked back at the ledge - 3! Hello Zigzag. It was fun watching them interact. Then Ace flew back into the middle of the boys and they were back together. Nice to see them still hanging out. I’m starting fledge watch at Don Mills/Amexon so I might not see them for a while. Hopefully Mom keeps them around a bit longer!
Posted on June 23, 2022 9:52 pm
June 21, 2022 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
Another early start for Amy, she located Corona and one of the adults on the nest box tower, the other adult on the small drum tower. She reported: “We have lift off from Corona at 5:53. A successful trip from the nest site to below the antenna on Grand River Hospital. One adult is with her on top of the antenna. Flight number 2 at 5:58. She circled around the hospital with an adult escort and safely landed back on the hospital. This time she is on the antenna. Loads of vocalization.” At 7:35 Corona flew back to the hospital after taking a loop over the Pine Street medical building.
At 11:19, Corona was on the tower and the two adults were flying around. At 1:26, Karen reported: “Both adults are in the tower and Corona is on the top rails of the top level screaming at the moment. A few tours by the parents but Corona has been pretty static for a few hours.” A stifling hot day, less attention was given to Corona as the volunteers continued the search for Jewel, still no sign of her. It was decided that the building (824 King Street West) where Jewel was last seen should be searched. The team was busy trying to get ahold of the owner so that they could get access to the building.
As luck would have it a contractor working in the building let David and Rudy into the building to search for Jewel. It didn’t take them long to find the chimney clean-out. Opening the cast iron door with little but a screwdriver, a hammer and a concrete drill was another task. They were working for well over an hour. Rudy and David were almost giving up and went back outside to see if CTV would let them back on Kings Towers to get a view from above. Rudy was in his car about to leave, when Steve (the contractor) suddenly came out and triumphantly announced that he’d got the stuck door open and that he thought Jewel was in there! Rudy, David and Steve went back into the building and another chore was to remove all the chimney swift litter and bird remains from the bottom of the chimney. There was literally 2 feet of debris at the bottom of the 100 year old chimney! David stuck his phone in to see if she was in there and lo and behold Jewel was in the bottom of the chimney!!! They could hear her hissing at them. Rudy stuck his towel in and got her to grab onto the towel and pulled her out!!! To say that Rudy was over the moon was an understatement! Rudy did a preliminary exam and she appeared to be fine. Jewel is one lucky bird as Rudy also pulled out a complete skeleton of a banded bird and many other bird part that met a more deadly fate.
A special shout out to our hero, Steve who saved Jewel. It’s nothing short of a miracle that she was rescued! And of course to all of the volunteers who did not give up on finding Jewel!!!
Posted on June 22, 2022 1:53 am
June 20, 2022 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
The watch started early at 5:40, with Amy and Piper, diligently looking for Jewel & Corona.Corona was on the small drum tower, and Jewel was sighted on the tower in an awkward spot facing Pine Street. Corona took a flight from the small drum tower and flew towards Grand River hospital, landing awkwardly on a lower rooftop and went out of sight.
At 7:12, Tara reported that one parent was on the tower on top of the hospital one fledgling was above ‘H’. The other parent was on the CTV tower. Tara thought she could hear the second fledgling on the hospital but couldn’t see it. At 7:30 there was still no location on the second fledgling. Both parents flew off from their previous positions.
At 7:55, the little one was still above the H. One adult flew towards the Sun Life building. There is some flapping from the young one above the H and still some calling was heard but Amy was unable to tell where it was coming from. An adult showed up above the H and probably delivered a package as the fledgling was now out of sight now, perhaps having breakfast. The adult flew back to the top of the hospital antenna. Amy found the second fledgling on top of the Pine Street medical building! At 8:15, the fledgling flew from the Pine Street building to the top of the chimney where the chimney swifts live on the low rise building beside Kings Towers. Karen identified Corona above the H on Grand River Hospital. Jewel who was on the chimney disappeared.
As more watchers arrived, they checked rooftops from various vantage points but still no Jewel. At 10:00, Corona made the flight back from the hospital to the CTV tower, facing Mount Hope Cemetery. One adult was at the nest site, the other had been around too, still no sign of Jewel. Many more volunteers were on the watch, searching for Jewel and putting the word out in the neighbourhood and on social media of the missing peregrine. Kellie suggested that there was a possibility that she fell into the chimney as that is where she was last seen. After 1:00, Corona was back on the hospital and got fed while the volunteers continued searching for Jewel. At 1:50, Corona was now on a windowsill of the hospital.
At 3:00 there were a few people on the roof of the hospital, the parents were vocalizing their displeasure. David reported: “mid aft Corona did a bit of flying, was on a hospital window ledge for a bit, then ended up on a lower hosp roof above the emergency entrance. Both adults were ‘yelling’ at the person on the roof. I kept my eye on Corona, and she all of a sudden took off, did a small loop over Mary St, then a bigger climbing loop, then headed to the Sun Life tower! She made two unsuccessful attempts to land, around the 17th floor, the 2nd on the hospital side, briefly tumbled down one floor, then flew back towards the hospital. She disappeared behind the hospital, Park Street side at a decent height and then lost sight of her.” At 5:55, Corona reappeared and flew from the hospital back to the top of CTV tower, tumbling, failed to land and kept going. She flew up to the Kings Tower roof, and had a messy landing there but made it!
At 6:55, Karen reported that “Corona had a long flight back to the platform and seemed to want to go towards Sun Life but one of the parents interceded and seemed to force her back to the tower. She had a successful landing on the top level. Both parents out hunting.”
A long day for the fledgewatch team, Kellie reported at 10:28: “Still no sign of Jewel. Corona stayed invisibly on the top platform of the nestbox tower until almost the end, with occasional vocalizing. Papa came in with a package around 8:50 p.m. Mama enticed him to hand it off in mid-air, she grabbed it and prepped it on one of the white, vertical panels. Corona became visible along the Mount Hope side of the platform. After the package was prepped, Mama flew up top and gave Corona the food. Mama was perched on the short tower and we (Ev, Michelle, and Fraser) were thinking of packing up for the night, as it was a few mins past 9. Corona chose this time to fly yet again, and headed towards her mother on the short tower. She missed, circled back around, and then slammed kind of hard into the tower. She seemed okay, although it definitely made a loud sound when she crashed into it. She’s perched on the lowest bundle of wires, best viewed from King Street in front of the hospital entrance. When we left her, she was still in the same spot, but it’s not a great spot, and will likely want to move.”
Photos courtesy of Amy Becker & Kellie Superina
Posted on June 22, 2022 1:09 am
