June 13, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
SPOT CHECK…DON MILLS : Spent a couple of hours watching the fab four this morning…Nitro was on the nest building roof! Everyone accounted for…and I then enjoyed a great show from the Ace, Yeager and Zigzag! Ace saw Dad on his favorite railing on the copper building, and being hangry, flew over and chased him off lol, and landed quit e nicely on the railing! He spent some time checking that out . He flew back to the nest building. Mom flew onto the copper building so Zigzag decided to go complain to her about the lack of food! Yeager joined in lol. Then Ace buzzed mom and then flew north heading for the forest! Mom was off like a shot! She headed him off and then a chase/play ensued…it was great. Tho Nitro did get one touch in(naughty..to your mother!!) But Quest just stayed ahead of him just enough…if he got too close, she kicked it up just enough to stay out of his reach but not enough to exhaust him. It was so fun ! Things quieted down(it was siesta time after all) .
Evening:
Arrived to find all 4 boys together on the upper roof of 220!! Eventually all left one at a time. Nitro to follow Zigzag to the top of 225 but missed, touching the window, recovering then landing on 240 2nd from the top. Zigzag followed and landed one level above Nitro. Ace joined Zigzag, then Yeager flew from 225 to rooftop above his brothers. He then tried to fly back to nest building, tried grabbing the flashing ,slipping and headed back to land practically on top of Ace lol!! And that is where they were when I left for the night! All safe and high.
Lots of fun..can’t wait to see what they are up to tomorrow!
Cathy
Posted on June 13, 2022 11:51 pm
- All Reports
Mark Nash Reports:
May 2022
Toronto Downtown King Street Nest Site:
Over the past several weeks we have been monitoring the downtown Toronto 18 King Street nest as there has been a lot of activity with two territorial adult peregrines spending a lot of time on and off the upper ledges on the east elevations (in particular, on the old nest ledge) of the building.
With that said, despite all of our efforts and time spent in the streets in April and early May trying to get a better understanding of the peregrine’s activities, (and to identify them), it would still appear that there is no incubation happening. Sadly, we have not been able to identify the territorial adults that are active on this site.
We will continue to monitor the site when we can and endeavor to try and identify who the resident adults are …. But any assistance is most welcomed!
If you are down in the area and have use of a spotting scope, a camera, or if you have a good pair of binoculars and can help us identify the territorial peregrines that are hanging around the nest site,, we would love to know and give everyone an update… Please send us an e-mail (or a photo if you get one of a leg band number)..
Stay tuned…..
Posted on June 13, 2022 1:37 pm
June 13, 2022 - Greater Toronto - Private Residential 1
Marion Nash Reports:
Sunday update
I just wanted to report that we had our first fledge this afternoon. Our one male, Braveheart, successfully left his ledge and flew to one of the balconies on the west side of the 288 building. He’s a good, strong flyer although seems a little confused as to where to fly to. Mom, Aria, was circling above him and giving direction and he eventually flew to 2 other balconies before heading to the east side of the building where he is now. He has been sitting on this balcony for a few hours and I’m a little concerned for the night.
Hope he’s ok.
3 more to go. It will be a busy few days.
Barb Blair
Monday update
Good Morning, Everyone!
Lots of exciting news already this morning.
Barb and Alex witnessed Duchess fly off the nest this morning, flew around the trees behind 288 and then back to the nest.
BUT…..we can’t find Braveheart anywhere this morning
Had flown off the balcony on 296 late yesterday afternoon and landed on a front balcony on 288 where he was still around 9:00 PM last night.
So please have an eye…….
In the meantime, Duchess is back on the ledge and Victoria and Diana are busy flapping their wings.
Maybe they will fly today too???????
Martin
Posted on June 13, 2022 10:39 am
June 12, 2022 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Michael from the construction site behind 2200 Young st, called at 7:00 am to let me know he had another fledgling in a box in his office trailer, their 3rd rescue from that site and he would hold him for us until we got there. It turned out to be Neven again. Thank goodness Mickle was working on a Sunday or we would not have been able to access the constriction site and we are so grateful for the help from the crew there.
Mark and I saw Sasha who was released yesterday sitting on the balcony rail just outside the balcony door and if we released Neven now it might cause Sasha to bolt off in a panic flight so the release of Neven would have to wait until she flew off on her own or until darkness.
We sat in our watch spot and waited. Sasha did take flight, she flew west and tried to hook back to the nest building but missed and recovered and turned to try for the concrete columns the adults like to sit on on the RioCan building but missed that as well, again she recovered and landed on the lower building on the corner of Duplex and Eglinton that we call the copper building because of t’s color.
We could release Neven now but because Sasha was now on a building roof only 8 floors up we knew from experience at this sight that she would have a hard time getting any more altitude if she flew off now since there was no wind at all to assist her so we waited to see if she would go or stay.
About 45 minutes later Haven flew off the top of RioCan in a high sped dive and we figured she was on the hunt and Sasha was sitting and preening her feathers quite relaxed so Mark took Neven to do the release.
A few minutes later I saw Haven come back with a big pigeon and flew into the nest to feed little Jamie the last chick still on the nest. Since she was busy feeding and could not see the balcony from there it was safe for Mark to put Neven out but just as he opened to door to release him she flew off the nest with the rest of the food package over to Sasha and began to feed her and caught sight of Mark and the bell sounded for round 1.
Haven took off screaming got some height and dove on Mark at high speed and was joined by dad. Mark bent down as low as he could, released Neven and had to almost crawl back into the office and closed to door. Success!
Haven sat on the ledge above Neven for quite some time watching him below on the balcony and when Mark came back out to join me on the street she was still there waiting for round 2.
While all this excitement and screaming from the adults was going on Sasha was chowing down the pigeon Haven left on the ledge with her like nothing was wrong at all. Haven finally feeling confident Mark had thrown in the towel flew over to Sasha to see if she could grab what might be left of the pigeon and perhaps to feed Neven but it was obvious Sasha had no intention of giving it up.
I got a call from a lady who lives at 8 Eglinton Ave on the 6th floor who told me there was a falcon on her balcony with a green band on its leg and that it had just flow off 5 minutes ago so Oli is still alive. Mark went over to that building and searched all around that area and any low ledges of buildings from there back to the corner of Young and Eglinton and north and south on Young but no luck.
We watched the others for the rest of the day and no more flights Neven walked back and forth on the balcony retaining wall and Sasha with full crop stayed put and little Jamie who has not made the first grade yet and jumped down off the nest to the concrete ledge 4 feet below we call the play veranda was contend with a full crop and had already gone to bed. It’s going to be a while before he takes his first flight.
Posted on June 13, 2022 10:14 am
June 12, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DAY 4 FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS:
I arrived to find Zigzag on top of 225!! Well done! Clearly fed as he was sitting near Quest, no screaming or chasing her. And Nitro was on the roof of the nest building!! Excellent. But he was still screaming, so still not fed. I saw the other 2 flying around, doing great. Then both landed on roof of the nest building. Mystery flew into his covered corner and then we got some rain.
When the rain stopped, mom brought a package and dropped it on the roof of the nest building for Ace and Yeager. Nitro was running back and forth screaming looking down. Then Zigzag flew over to wait …So if any left over maybe they’ll get it…
But then Mom flew by with more food, Ace (I was sure it was him) chased after her and they landed on the roof next door and then was beak fed by mom. Then another juvie flew over to join them- he flew so well I thought it was Yeager. They were down on the roof and mom was leaning over to feed them so I couldn’t see their bands at first. But then the one that flew over popped up and was being beak fed by mom and it’s…Nitro!!! So glad to see him get fed finally! Once he was done, she fed the other one some more and left. Nitro walked to the corner, and sat there for the siesta time. The other juvie popped up…and I confirmed it was indeed Ace. Ace fed/pulled at the carcas for awhile…big boy now. He flew back to 220 to join Yeager and Zigzag.
I decided to go get some lunch as I did not have any juvies on sight!
When I returned, Nitro, Yeager and Zigzag were hanging out on the roof of 225. Ace was also on 225 but on the second level facing west. He slept out of sight at first but popped up when a food package was dropped off up top but he stayed put. Nitro grabbed the package and took it out of sight lol. Then Zigzag made a lovely flight over to the top of the copper building. Yeager followed! Lots of flights followed, mostly by Ace and Yeager but little Zigzag did some too. Our ledge potato Nitro stayed put. I then left to feed my pets. When I returned, Bob was there. Had 3 on the nest building. I found our Nitro on 225, 5th level. Oh oh. I knew he would be there for the night and that is where we left him. He needs to figure it out just like his brothers Ace and Zigzag before him. There was lots of encouragement from his parents to leave the ledge…fly by with and without food. Nope. His brothers tried too…right up til dark!!! No luck. But Yeager and Zigzag stayed on the rooftop of 225 while Ace decided at the last minute to return to the nest building!
So, the official watch is over! All are flying well and staying high. Bob and I will be going tomorrow morning(a little later) to check on Nitro and we’ll be doing a few evening visits (I live close, so drive bys will be frequent lol)but the full days are done! Well done our fab four!! Thanks so much to our wonderful security at 220, Ramesh and Mano plus management there for their continued support. And I couldn’t have done this without Sally, Bob and Marion! The best fledge watch team!
I will continue to give updates on the fab four until Quest and Mystery move them out of the area.
Cathy
Posted on June 12, 2022 11:33 pm
June 11, 2022 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
Etobicoke Bloor & Islington nest:
June 11th - 2022
Arrived at Bloor & Islington nest site by 8:30 PM after a crazy day picking up rescued chicks from other sites and doing two other releases, it was Bip’s turn (White Tape) to go back to the roof and to mom and dad’s care. We met the fledge watch team in the streets on Eagle road, (Bruce, Lucie, and Erica who were on-site at this time) and went over the release plan.
Mark guided Lucie up to the rooftop to release Bip just as darkness was closing in. This was the third time Lucie had a chance to experience the release routine at Bloor and Islington and she was eager to go through the process again. The resident adult female was sitting up on the upper rooftop retaining wall of the nest building but because she was so quiet and everything went so well during the last release at this site, Mark felt all would be fine to proceed again with this fledgling’s release.
The release of Bullet (Red tape) the evening before went quite well despite the fact that the resident adult female was roosting quietly on in the same spot on the upper roof retaining wall. She watched Mark come up through the roof access hatch, walk across the roof, and release Bullet in the old overturned swing stage motor housing cage that we have used for several years with great success. This open-ended cage allows us to release the fledgling in a very controlled procedure that contains the fledgling long enough and prevents it from bolting out and off the roof while allowing us the time to exit the rooftop. We couldn’t have designed a better device for a release!
(It’s like utilizing our typical rescue carriers (with the door removed once we get to the roof) and simply leaving the carrier on the roof with the bird inside. This method allows us to safely depart the roof area without scaring the fledgling into a panic flight. This is a time-tested method that we have used by the CPF for many years to safely releasing a fledgling back to a roof, one that contains the bird in the carrier long enough for us to exit the rooftop and allows the bird to exit the carrier on their own time. We later go back to the rooftop when it’s safe to retrieve the carrier, sometimes days later). Yet another reason why we have several rescue carriers at each nest site, and why everyone that is mobile has their own rescue carrier in the car.
Well, I guess one person on the roof didn’t upset the adult female last evening but it was quite evident that two people on the roof were more than she was willing to tolerate. Despite the darkness, mom took flight and dove and stooped on them and screamed at them until they exited the roof through the roof hatch. From the street, we could see that Bip immediately had jumped up onto the rooftop retaining wall ledge beside mom and began to beg for food. A successful release without incident!
We stayed in the street and watched until 10:00 PM just to make sure that Bip didn’t attempt to make another flight and all was quiet, chicks in bed for the night and Bip was still in the same spot atop of the retaining wall just above the Flipp sigh.
Posted on June 12, 2022 10:03 am
June 11, 2022 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Mark and I picked up both Neven and Sasha , Little Neven was in a small pet carrier and Sasha in a cardboard box that could have held an eagle. Mark and I had a laugh over that 
We arrived at the nest site at about 3:00 PM and made our plan to to safe release the two chicks. I went down to my usual watch spot sitting on Duplex Ave in front of the police station while Mark took them out on the balcony on the 15 floor one floor below the nest just in case one bolted or took flight in a panic and came down again and also so that I could scan the building with my binoculars to see where the other 2 chicks are to insure they were not in any spot where we might scare them off the ledge when he went out. I could only see 1 chick Jamie still on the nest who had not yet taken his first flight and who would not be able to see the activity below him.
Their mom Haven is very aggressive to anyone who gets near her nest and will make full contact hits if she catches you on the roof or at altitude near the nest. I always put rescued chicks out a night in the dark at this site so I can avoid her wrath but since both chicks had not had any food for so long and I had Mark to help and I wanted both chicks to be seen by Haven early enough that she would have ample time to catch a bird and feed them before it got dark.
Since Mark had no way to sneak out onto the balcony with the giant box in one hand a carrier in the other he put both chicks in the giant box. Well fortune was with us, while he was transferring Neven into the box I saw Haven fly off the roof and land on the back side of the RioCan building so I called Mark and told him Ok quick go out now Haven is on the back side of the Riocan building and wont see you.
Mark came out and quickly released both chicks together and ran back into the office and closed the door success! About 5 minutes after release Sasha jumped up on the rail of the balcony and Mark came down and joined me on Duplex and the watch resumed. Neven joined her 20 minutes later and it was not long before Haven took another flight and caught sight of both chicks. Haven swooped down above the chicks and they called out to her and she veered off havening recognized the voices as her own chicks again Success!
Haven did go out on a hunt about an hour after the release and brought a large pigeon in and fed both Sasha and Neven then dropped off a small leftover to Jamie on the nest.
We had up to this point not seen the 4th chick Oli and I went out searching all the usual places while Mark kept an eye on the other 3 chicks no luck Oli was nowhere in site. I know from many years watching at this site that a missing chick often shows up hours or even a couple days later having spent some time on someone’s balcony.
We had to leave them at about 8:00 PM and head out to the Bloor Islington Place nest to release Bip another rescued chick and all 3 at Canada Square looked like they were in for the night and ready for bed. Will have to take another look for Oli tomorrow.
Posted on June 12, 2022 9:34 am
June 11, 2022 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DAY 3 FLEDGE WATCH: What a day! I arrived to find Zigzag had fledged! All four in 3 days! A very nice photographer told me that when he arrived Zigzag was on the 1st level of the nest building facing east. He ledge hopped around to the front when he lost sight of him. He had flown out and back, where this gentleman saw him fly up, hit the flashing of the 3rd level and drop to the 2nd. And up he popped! I found him on the second level facing east. He ledge hopped back and forth. Bob joined me at that point. After a time he tried the exact same move, with the exact same result. And the second level he remained until evening. When I drove in, I immediately saw Nitro, still on the garage rooftop….and there he remained, walking back and forth, back and forth, until evening. Yeager was still on the roof when I arrived but not for long! He was off and flying rooftop to rooftop, I really can’t remember how many, he did so well! And Ace just went from 0 to a hundred in 2 days, it’s really amazing.
Sally joined us just before noon and she has been nice enough to report the rest of the day:
I joined Cathy and Bob just before noon, and Zigzag had fledged. Nitro was still on the parking lot roof. Ace and Yeager were doing great.
Our day was spent mostly focused on Zigzag, and periodic checks that Nitro was indeed still in the same spot. It was a very rainy afternoon, so everyone stayed put.
Cathy left for a couple of hours to feed her fur babies, and Bob and I kept watch. Zigzag started ledge hopping west and Bob remarked hmmm this is where he flew last time. Bob grabbed his net, and we repositioned ourselves to follow him, east. Yep, off he went. South towards Nitro on the parking arcade. Bob walked east in case he’d circled right around 225. Instead, he circled back as if towards the nest building but then up up to an 8th floor window ledge of 225. I was happy to see him pull up and not bump the window. A controlled landing. I texted Cathy the good news.
So now we were stationed in a new spot to watch if Zigzag flew again and then we saw two juvies flying north out over Duncan Mill to 240, with one looking a bit clumsy. He attempted to reach the roof, missed, and came to settle on a west facing ledge with the other juvie on the 220 roof. Bob went to see if Nitro finally left the parking arcade roof and yes! We checked and confirmed all four in sight. Yeager and Ace on 220 roof, Nitro on 240 and ZigZag on 225.
Cathy returned and we stayed in our new viewing spot for quite a while as we had good sight lines. No babying today from Quest. She was quite tough with all four. At one point it looked like she came in to prepare food for a very hungry Nitro. He screamed from the next ledge, attempted to fly out and around but misjudged and ended up flying across to the copper building, bumped the window, flying back to a lower ledge, facing south. And, Ace had other plans. He chased Quest for the package, with Mystery coming in to take a food transfer, inches from Ace. He’ll now be wanting more of that we’re sure! Quest beak fed Ace and Yeager predictably attempted to join, but Ace was having none of that. He flew out to block him, chased Yeager and pulled at his tail. Ace is getting very bold. Our worry now is his progress in comparison to his siblings. He’s quite dominant, and if he starts either hogging food or wanting to interrupt other feedings to play, we are probably in for a few nail bites spot checks!
We closed the watch with all four juvies accounted four (ZigZag never left his window sill).
Tomorrow is more rain, maybe thunderstorms in the afternoon, hopefully done by the evening so tomorrow night we should see some more exciting flights!
Thanks Sally for her help and report..thanks again to Bob for his help!
A very quick fledge watch, we just need to see some higher flights from Nitro and Zigzag. They’ll need to get strong to compete with their brothers!!
Cathy
Posted on June 12, 2022 12:14 am
June 11, 2022 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Sasha Also came down and a worker at he construction site Mitchel caught him and will take her to our friends at 53 Division so I can pick him up and release her with his brother Neven tonight.
Posted on June 11, 2022 11:49 am
June 11, 2022 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Neven was reported down in a backyard last night at 10PM so one of our rescue team members were dispatched to rescue him. Unfortunately the reporter did not provide enough information for us to find the location however they had already called Toronto Animal Service who had more information then we were given and were able to locate and pick him up. TAS then took him to Toronto Wildlife this morning who deemed him well and contacted us to pick him up for release. We will release Neven back to his siblings and parents care tonight. Stay tuned for updates on his release and pictures.
Posted on June 11, 2022 10:49 am
