August 16, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Mom and dad are harder to find than before but Courtney is often hanging on the courthouse. Mornings often find her facing Hurontario and afternoons over the main entrance or above the underground parking entrance. Courtney now flies more often however she has yet to regularly use mom and dad to practice her aerial skills; at least after 10am most days.
On Monday afternoon, mom was up high in the sky near the courthouse, flying around with 3 swallows, but Courtney was only interested in flying from ledge to ledge along the courthouse. Soon enough mom was gone and baby found a ledge to rest.
Judging by her size, Courtney is still eating well but without any adults present most of the time it is difficult to catch food transfers. Courtney is not flying well enough to suggest that she is hunting for herself although there have been reports of her unsuccessfully going after pigeons.
Posted on September 1, 2011 2:42 pm
August 10, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Aug. 10th - 2011
Although witnessed a few times before, Courtney’s flights with mom or dad were relatively shot. Today hopefully marks the beginning of areal training. Courtney stayed a loft very long, chasing mom all over the courthouse airspace this morning. There was a near collision between mom and baby but mom turned last minute to avoid a crash. Fun stuff to watch for all those in the area!!
Winston
Posted on August 10, 2011 2:43 pm
August 09, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Tues Aug 9th - 2011
Raining this morning, both adults were on the west facing window ledge ,40 feet apart out of the rain. Courtney was rooftop on an antenna. In a half hour four times she took short flights right at the pigeons, sending them scattering away.
She seems to like the rain.
Late this evening I arrived to see her out over the parking lots, dipping and turning all by herself, just practising.
At about five to nine she left an antenna to meet Milton coming in. He kept going right over my head and right by the courthouse, North with Courtney in pursuit. I watched till I had to use my binoculars to keep track. Courtney kept pace for over a kilometer, past Steeles. Then she turned west and you cound see her flagging, slower wingbeats and losing altitude coasting. Milton turned amd followed her west. I estimated her destination to be at Shoppers world. So I drove up there and cruised the parking lots checking out the rooflines in the fading light. No sign of her , but I may have spotted Milton on the roof of a nearby apartment. I did not see Truss this evening.
I will check , starting at the courthouse in the morning.
Toivo
Posted on August 10, 2011 2:38 pm
August 08, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Monday Aug 8th - 2011
Monday night I arrived at 8pm to see Milton chase a few pigeons. Not surprisingly he wasn’t making a lot of effort as I have never seen him return with a pigeon; he typically goes after smaller birds. He soon landed on the south facing ledge overlooking the main entrance.
Courtney was seen on the east ledge (overlooking the main entrance) making her usual requests for attention. Below her, two ledges down, was Truss plucking feathers from a fresh kill. I didn’t get a good look but from the size likely was a pigeon.
Courtney waited 5 minutes before she became so excited she dropped down two ledges and started harassing mom as she was plucking feathers. She became so problematic that she drove mom off the kill to another corner. She did to mom what she did to dad on July 27th when Milton returned with food.
Mom watched Courtney from her perch while baby stood next to the kill, not knowing what to do with it. Courtney never made an attempt to prepare the food; she just stood next to it watching mom. For over 10 minutes nothing happened.
Then Courtney chased dad once around the courthouse and landed on the roof. She flew well and landed, a bit hard but confidently. Mom returned to the kill and fed. Truss then left the kill but rather than going to feed, Courtney chased mom to the other side of the courthouse.
Light faded without Courtney visiting the food.
Winston
Posted on August 9, 2011 12:59 pm
August 02, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
A quick note to those that have inquired about Milton’s injuries.
Milton was injured in a territorial battle in May 2009 and was sent to the Owl foundation for treatment for a severe injury to his wing . He spent 11 months in rehabilitation at te owl foundation after a successful rehabilitation period and was released back to the wild at Rattlesnake Point on May 7th 2010.
Posted on August 5, 2011 12:06 am
August 02, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
JAug 2nd - 2011
Unfortunately there is not much news to report regarding Courtney’s progress. This past long weekend saw very little activity. Even the 8pm falcon follies have been a bit of a bust. Courtney is making only small flights and is always landing on the courthouse. She is a good flyer once she’s in the air but appears to be unwilling to take to the sky. She maintains altitude and has greatly improved her landings however her flights still remain very short in both time and distance.
Tuesday night however saw an extended flight which lasted over a minute; perhaps two minutes if she didn’t land while out of sight. If she did land it was very brief as she was visible up in the air again within seconds. I suspect she stayed a loft the full two minutes as she typically lands and stays down to rest after her flights. It was breezy at the time of her flight which gave her plenty of lift. She stayed on the courthouse roof, facing NW with her wings open until the next big gust forced her a loft again. This second flight was much shorter and she returned to her usual East facing ledge.
Truss was around but left to hunt. She returned over an hour later with no food.
Milton has not been around the last few nights but has been spotted earlier, during the mornings/days, by Toivo.
Toivo says he saw an adult Peregrine interloper however I have yet to be so lucky or willing to wake up early enough to see it. If any observers see 4 Peregrines together at the courthouse, let us know!
Winston
Posted on August 4, 2011 2:46 pm
July 31, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday - July 29th, 30th & 31st - 2011
Well Courtney has chosen the southeast ledge as home now , all her flights eventually end up there. Mornings have been very quiet, also in the heat of the day.
In the evenings though she is very active after 730pm. In three nights there have been at least 12 flights , all upper level and the longest ones a lap around the building, so she is keeping out of trouble now.
Her parents continue to feed her on the ledge and continue to deliver food and leave her to feed herself. Truss will fly over and back a few times then deliver food to Courtney. So she continues to sit and take short flights or run up and down the ledge wings extended.
A little competition from a sibling for food and a little more experience from mom and dad in making her fly to earn food would certainly quicken the learning curve. Courtney best observed flight to date was Thursday morning when she had to chase Truss two and a half laps of the building , including a cross over well above the roof level. A flight of more than a kilometer …. chasing to be fed. Toivo
Further to our talk of Saturday morning … no sign sat evening (with Winston there) of the visitor. So Sunday I decide to go down whenever I wake up. Well I was up early. At 7am Courtney was visible on the inner ledge (SE) Truss was (SW) on the corner. There had been no sighting of Milton on Sat night.
So on the safety bar of the upper ledge door (right of the main ground level entrance)there was an adult facing the wall sleeping. I was there over 90 min lots of time to observe. So this peregrine has a back much lighter than either parent. So light grey that the bars are visible on her back. She is very close to Truss and Courtney in size. Much larger than Milton.
I had plenty of time to look and walk up front (street side) and observe Truss …. and compare.
I left at 830 and returned at 9am. Eventually she turned and was visible front view. I went in close , bins and scope. I saw her stretch and reach out a right leg …. no band ?… but it was only a quick glimpse so Im not sure …. I had to grab the bins??
Breast is evenly barred , very white and the bars are more grey than Truss. I reviewed some pics of Truss and found her bars to be more reddish. And again back is very light grey.
At 3pm after golf I swung by again …. no sign of Truss (hunt?) or the other Pefa. But Milton was there …. (His usual spot) left of entrance, ledge above Courtney. Back out sleeping. I spent a few minutes with bins looking at his back ….. much darker… and the size!!!! I knew it was Milton as soon as I came around the building.
So Sunday evening Grace and I met Winston there 8pm and on a walkabout he saw two birds on the west side. He is not sure ???? I am!!!!
At Dusk Truss had just left NW on a hunt and Courtney was settled in , against the wall on the wider shorter ledge , up and left of entrance. So no adults on site.
Toivo Asikainen
Posted on August 4, 2011 2:42 pm
July 29, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 29th - 2011
I arrived at the courthouse shortly after 6, just to see Milton drop off a kill for Courtney, who was on the library ledge. She moved further in until I was unable to see her, while Dad settled two ledges above. Truss was no where to be seen. Courtney took to screeching every once in a while, sounding like a mix between a seagull and tires on asphalt. Truss finally made an appearance at 6:40, landing on the southern roof by one of the antennas then like her daughter moved so that she could not be seen. She flew off to the northeast five minutes later, presumably to hunt, and left a rather noisy Courtney behind. Milton took the opportunity to disappear as I watched Truss fly off, the trickster! Mom returned a few minutes before 7 and landed where Milton had previously been. She began to eat, although I was unable to tell if it was a kill she had just brought in or something already there. Courtney remained on the library ledge for the better part of the evening, at one point giving herself quite a scare when she looked up to see her reflection in a security camera! She did go for a flight around 9, heading over to the old courthouse to the east and making an excellent landing on an antenna there. She launched herself into flight to circle around the new courthouse, settling herself on the ledge above the library ledge. Courtney remained there when I left, while Truss sat on the window on the other side of the building. Milton had, as usual for him, flown off a bit earlier to the north after returning to the courthouse for a short period of time.
Grace
Posted on August 4, 2011 2:32 pm
July 28, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Thursday July 28th - 2011 - AM Watch report:
When I arrived Courtney was visible on the roof looking rather damp. No sign of the adults at 7am.
After 7:30am, Courtney took two short flights around rooftop after falling off an antenna while stretching.
About 8:30am Milton arrived with a small kill, and as usual he left it for Courtney, and retired to a lower ledge. Truss arrived very shortly after the male and took up a watch position on an antenna. Then they all settled in.
Breakfast time for Me now.
Toivo
Posted on July 28, 2011 10:53 am
July 27, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Wednesday July 27th - 2011 - PM Evening Watch report:
When I arrived at the Courthouse around 6:30pm, Courtney was sitting on the ledge above where we released her before, while her parents perched across on the opposite ledge. She looked to be eating, along with Truss.
Quarter after seven, Mom started screeching in an attempt to coax Courtney into the air, flying to her then back to her own perch. After giving up around 7:30, she circled the building before taking off for a hunt. Truss returned with food for Courtney, and proceeded to go after poor Milton who was eating! Milton sought shelter by Courtney, but found no respite as he was chased off the ledge by his own daughter (leaving his food behind).
Ten after eight Courtney flew to the roof, circling around and approaching from the south. Mom followed while Dad took his food to the second ledge up from the library. He looked quite nervous as he ate, glancing over to where mother or daughter might come around every bite! It was not long before baby took wing again, doing a circuit around the building and landing on an antennae, nearly crashing into
Truss who was previously sitting on it. Another flight took Courtney to the ledge her parents had been sitting on when I arrived, where she proceeded to walk up and down, bobbing her head restlessly. She flew from the ledge before attempting to fly back up to it and failing, and instead landed on the south-facing ledge where she had been previously released around nine.
When we finally left, both Truss and Courtney were still somewhat alert, but looked to be tucking in for the night. Milton had flown off north somewhere, as is usual for him.
Grace
Posted on July 28, 2011 10:46 am
