May 10, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I have been visitng Chessie and Hurricane this week often looking for signs of the first hatch and although the first little one hasn’t quite arrived yet, we are due for a hatch here at William Osler. Hurricane has been his usual great self demonstrating his unique babysitting style once Chessie is out of eyesight. He sat for a good 5 minutes on the edge of the nest tray on Wednesday glancing over his shoulder and visually checking on the kids while preening and stretching in between. Chessie was stretching and preening on the southern “H” and when she flew back around to the east tower, Hurricane darted back into the tray like his tail was on fire!! Yesterday he was on the eggs again when I arrived but this time he was not to be moved. He sat on the three eggs diligently and every few minutes would wiggle down and adjust his position. Bruce and I will be stopping by this morning to check whether the first chick has emerged.
Posted on May 11, 2013 8:42 am
May 09, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
With nest sites throughout southern Ontario all hatching eggs this week the Fledge Watch program will be in full swing throughout June at multiple sites and all at the same time this year. This critical positive intervention program that was pioneered by the CPF in Ontario has been in operation since 1996 and each year has supported the offspring of nesting pairs with resounding success. Were it not for the stewardship efforts and the gift of time from all of our volunteers, many of the Ontario hatched resident adults that are currently producing young of their own would not be alive today. This message is a call to you to join us in June for one of the most incredible things we get to experience supporting this species at risk.
What do you need to be a Fledge Watch volunteer? Well, I’m glad you asked; two things. The first would be the generous gift of your time during the month of June for which we are all so grateful. Whether you can spare an hour, a day, a week or every waking moment, it all contributes to the success of the program, the survival of the inexperienced peregrine offspring and the ongoing monitoring efforts of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. The second thing that you will need is the sincere desire to be a part of something so amazing that it will be one of those memorable experiences that you will never forget. I won’t tell you tales here, there are days that are slow. These are the days that are filled with learning more about the birds, stories, camaraderie, training and connecting with the local community; all rewarding in their own right. There are also days where its absolute pandemonium and we all wish the fledglings would just stop moving for all of one second so we can count heads and catch our breath. Regardless of the type of day it is, I can say this from my personal experience and it is a sentiment that all of our watchers both new and seasoned share. You will go home knowing that you helped make a difference in the life of a species at risk in Ontario and that you have given each and every juvenile at your chosen watch site a chance at survival that they otherwise wouldn’t have. It is incredibly rewarding knowing that your presence made all the difference in the world.
Last year the Fledge Watch teams collectively rescued 21 juvenile peregrine falcons from imminent mortality and gave them a second chance at life. If you would like to be a part of one of these critical support teams this June, we would love to hear from you. Please send us an email to raptor4@peregrine-foundation.ca with your name, a contact number, your site of interest and a general indication of the time you can share. We will be following up with you with further details about the site you are going to attend and the expected start date for that watch. Fasten your seatbelts and return your trays to the upright position for lift off in June!! As always it promises to be one amazing flight after another!!!
Posted on May 9, 2013 1:23 pm
April 16, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Bruce and I were out last weekend to check in on Hurricane and Chessie after the juvenile female made its appearance last week. We wanted to make sure that all was on track and had stabilized and we found the pair doing just fine. As I arrived, Chessie was on the northeast corner of the nest ledge taking a break and Hurricane could not be seen but rather heard. He also was watching Chessie as he was lying in the tray incubating. Hurricane truly prefers the role of “sky defender” and “food master” to babysitter but will do whatever he is required of him by his lady to hatch those eggs. Chessie flew off of the corner and around the eastern “H” which Hurricane could not resist. Out he came to see her and the two sat on the sign for a few minutes together. Chessie wasn’t long in heading back into the nest tray to resume incubating. Hurricane remained on the “H” looking for scraps for a few minutes and then was off to the southeast corner of the nest ledge. He sat there for quite some time and then was off to the west on a hunt. Rob and Angie, two of our awesome west end volunteers, also popped by on the weekend and found the pair in fine form. We look forward to seeing Hurricane and Chessie raising these youngsters this summer.
Posted on April 17, 2013 7:45 am
April 13, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
With the unexpected return of Hurricane to the William Osler site and the disappearance of Casper, I made it a point to get out to check on things at William Osler as often as I was able to this week. The week began with better weather and Hurricane was busy re-establishing his territory. If there is such a thing as a “happy” falcon, he was it. He visited all of his old perches and made a point of landing and giving a few chup-chups on each one. He was all over the place! ”The “H”, that’s mine. The tower, mine too. Tree by the entrance… …well Mr. Crow, that would be mine.” This went on for a good 20 minutes as he went from perch to perch and claimed them all. Chessie napped in the tray through this whole routine and didn’t really care so long as he brought home dinner by 4. Sure enough, by 4:03pm, he was home with prey for her and he exchanged this gift with her on the eastern “H”. Hurricane returned to the nest tray and sat on the edge staring at the eggs while Chessie ate. No more than 10 minutes later, he was up on the sign with her checking to see if she ate it all. Chessie flew one quick circuit around the building before returning to the tray and Hurricane ran down the length of the sign to look for leftovers.
On Tuesday, Hurricane was on the north “H” sign and preening the day away. I didn’t remain long as the rain was now moving in and Hurricane was quite happy to fall asleep in the light showers that were falling. As the rain became more intense, Hurricane, with eyes fully closed, began to whine about the weather and eventually he woke up and moved to cover. The entire time Chessie remained in the tray and did not get off the eggs.
By Thursday the cold, wet weather had moved in and most pairs were now staying pretty close to cover. I decided on a quick check and could not see a single bird on site when I arrived. I wasn’t there for more than a few minutes when Chessie began to call. Just then, a falcon came racing up the south side of the building and another up the north side. This brought Chessie out of the nest tray alarm calling. Yes indeed, I now have three falcons above my head and its pandemonium! Chessie flew to the tower and landed. Hurricane was immediately at her side and the two were vocalizing. The third bird was definately a female and she was circling low above the parking lot but what was missing here was the ferocious defense of the nest site. Chessie left the tower and met the female in the air and there were two rather sedate attempts at contact and then Hurricane entered the mix. Chessie flew back to the tower while Hurricane chased the female along the north side of the building and escorted her off of the property. Chessie immediately flew back into the tray and was down on the eggs right away. Hurricane returned and remained on edge but calm as he took up position on the west ledge of the building. All the while I was taking pictures and the shot I was able to get of the two females about to make contact… …it looked as if Chessie didn’t have any bands!! The other female was definately in juvenile plumage and I could not see any bands on her either. While I was sure that it was just the angle of the shot and feeathers in the way I needed to confirm this for my own peace of mind.
Yesterday I was back out to visit the pair and I found the female on the west ledge of the building. A few photographs later and it was definately without a doubt Chessie. She took a run at a few crows and then disappeared around to the east side and out of my view. I went back around and could not see her or Hurricane and I may have missed an exchange in the tray of incubation duties.
You need not doubt that I will be back as often as I can to watch the progress of the pair. I want make sure that all is on track and we are up to date on who is “on the dance card” as this territory has yet to settle down.
Posted on April 13, 2013 10:34 am
April 07, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I have been struggling to write this post as it is such an unbelievable and complex story. Two sites intertwined with adults missing, moving, lost and found. Phew! What a tale. A long story but a must read. The timeline goes like this;
- Dec. 9, 2012 - Casper and Claire last confirmed as resident adults at the Hilton Garden Inn
- Dec 22, 2012 - Hurricane and Chessie last confirmed as resident adults at William Osler Hospital
- Jan. 14, 2013 - Hurricane missing from William Osler. Casper identified as new resident male with Chessie.
- Feb. 2, 2013 - Claire is confirmed missing from the Hilton Garden Inn nest site
- Feb. 5, 2013 - Chessie and Casper identities confirmed and pair is mating at the Hilton Garden Inn territory
- Mar. 9, 2013 - Casper and Chessie choose William Osler as their nest site. The Hilton Garden Inn territory is now void.
- Mar 27, 2013- Last known photograph of Casper at William Osler as resident male with Chessie
- Apr. 2, 2013 - First egg arrives in the nest tray.
Fast forward to this past Thursday April 5th…
As reported earlier, I stopped in and spoke with Ross at Environmental Services and learned that the first egg was in seen the tray on Wednesday. I travelled upstairs to the monitor for a quick look and there were now two eggs. Given that the interval for egg laying is about 48 hours, that dates the first egg laid as April 2nd. Back outside, I see the male on the eastern nest ledge to the south of the sign. I report that he is babysitting and I must tell you, I resisted the temptation to compare this male to Hurricane. He was sitting in the EXACT same spot as Hurricane always did when it was his turn to watch the kids and doing the EXACT same thing, sleeping. Not wanting to dwell on the past, I ignored my instinct that told me that something was different. Still, I was back the next day, Friday, as this was nagging at me. The bird looked different ( very dark helmet head), acted different (calm, quiet) and had a familiar “feel” about him. I wanted to confirm his band number.
On Friday, things took a turn for the bizarre. I found the male at 4pm on the edge of the nest tray facing south and sleeping. Boy did this ever remind me of Hurricane. Chessie was on the southern “H” and had just finished eating. She flew up to the southeast corner of the rooftop and was poking around up there for a good 10 minutes. She then took to the air and landed on the southeast corner of the nest ledge. The male was off the tray and flew in to mate with her. The pair then took to the air and spent the next 20 minutes in aerial courtship. What? Aren’t we past this? We’re doing the egg thing now. Bonds are set. Watching the flights of the male, he is clearly not Casper. This male was flying around the building at mach 10 with incredible control and when he hit the winds, not even the slightest wing quiver could be seen. This guy was seasoned. He took off on a hunt and was back in 10 minutes with food. Even though Chessie was full, she still chased him around the building and he was easily outflying her. He drew her in to the northern “H” with food and the pair sat on the sign together for a few minutes. Chessie then returned to the southeast corner and the male cached the food and was back on the tray. She sat staring at him on the edge of that tray for over 40 minutes. He made no move to incubate or attend to the eggs in the tray at all and she just sat and stared. She was not aggressive nor concerned, I would say more confused than anything. He flew off the tray around 7pm with her following and again, another incredible tandem flight display of soaring, dives and chases. He landed on the northern “H” to eat and Chessie bombed into the nest tray to lay down on the eggs. As the male ate, I snapped pictures. Although not completely clear, I could see a familiar line that we only see on three character recovery bands. These bands are older indicating that this was an older bird. Fits with what I’d been seeing of his flights. I could almost make out the 5 on top and the X on the bottom but before I could tell the world what I knew in my heart, I had to confirm this 100%. Bruce was dispatched that night to attend Saturday morning with me and we weren’t leaving without full confirmation.
Yesterday, the pair were in fine form together. The male was in the east tower and Chessie was in the nest tray. Bruce was able to confirm through scope view that indeed the bottom letter of the band was a singular X and that a line appeared above it. I wanted to be doubly sure and so we kept watching. Chessie came howling out of the tray to the southeast after a Red Tailed hawk that was wandering too close while the male flew recon around the hospital. This is the second time that the pair defended against another raptor that morning and the male was in full support of her. She returned to one of the antennas on the top of the building and he flew in to mate with her. It was like watching courtship all over again. He hunted for her, flew with her, mated with her and was clearly bonding with her. This male, without any doubt as the band was now clearly read as a solid black three character band with 5 over X, is Hurricane.
When this change happened, I can’t say. It is recent though. Casper was last seen on March 27th and photographed at that time. Where is he now? Where has Hurricane been? Migration is not likely as he has never done it before and starting now doesn’t make sense. The idea that a territorial male, who was now without a female and less than 5km away, came and challenged Hurricane for his site and won the day a few months ago makes some sense of this. Its possible that an injury kept him away for the past three months while he healed.
Bruce and I will continue to look out for Casper in the hopes of finding him well. With a mixture of elation at what we’ve found and the sadness of what we’ve lost all rolled up into a ball of “What on earth is going on???” we welcome you home Hurricane. Now quit messing with me old man!!!!
Posted on April 7, 2013 12:19 pm
April 05, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
My second stop yesterday was to check up our new pairing at the William Osler Hospital and their progress towards eggs. Casper is the most excited male and has done everything to bring eggs to the tray including flight displays, scrape work and vocalizing while Chessie is trying to sleep!! His enthusiasm is contagious and I now often stop by the site for a brief look at his antics of the day. Yesterday I went up to check the monitor and there were two beautiful eggs in the nest tray in full view!! Good going Casper and Chessie! Back downstairs, I spent some time on site watching the ledge and Casper was clearly on babysitting duties. He was sitting 5 feet to the left of the tray sleeping!! Every once in a while he would look back towards the tower with a look like, “I am sooo babysitting right now…!” While he was in guard-the-egg mode rather than cover-the-egg, the clutch is not yet complete and serious incubation will begin after the third one arrives.
On Wednesday, hospital security during rounds noticed the first egg in the tray and yesterday, on Thursday, the second was present. This dates the first egg to April 2nd and we are anxiously awaiting more!! Congratulations Casper and Chessie and the awesome folks at William Osler Hospital!! I will have pictures for you later today!!
Posted on April 5, 2013 7:44 am
March 30, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
On Friday I stopped in at the William Osler site to check in on the resident pair and their progress towards eggs. I met up with Ross from Environmental Services at the hospital and headed up to the monitor for a quick look. While we could see that there has been a great deal of scraping in the tray, eggs have not been laid quite yet. It’s not for lack of trying though as the pair were witnessed mating that morning by Ross and over the past week both Bruce and I have seen the same. It is clear that Casper is very excited about this site and the tray and is eager to see his first egg arrive… …a little too eager. I was watching a few days earlier when Chessie was asleep with a full crop on the eastern “H” and Casper, clearly misreading her body language, attempted to mate with her on the sign. She turned around as he flew up and gave him a look that clearly said, “Get lost I’m sleeping” which he took to mean “Go to the nest tray and call me over and over”. She ignored his calls and went back to sleep. Casper was not to be discouraged so easily and did some spectacular look-at-me flights, scraped in the tray and eventually took off on a hunt to the west. This pair is certainly working on progressing things forward and we will be watching closely for the first egg. We are also working on getting the web camera image to the internet at this site and will definately keep you updated as to the progress of that.
Posted on March 30, 2013 9:14 am
March 09, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I stopped in several times over the past few days to check in on Chessie and Casper and see if they have decided on where they intend to nest this year. Both adults were present at the William Osler Hospital and I was treated to some aerial courtship displays and vocal exchanges. Late in the afternoon on Friday, Casper took off on a hunt and returned to the nest ledge with food for Chessie which she gladly took. He then entered the nest tray and began to enlarge the scrape while she ate her prize on the northern “H” sign. On Saturday, the pair were again in fine form as the courtship displays continued and the eastern nest ledge was amply explored by both adults with Chessie finally settling in on the edge of the nest tray for a nap. It would appear that the pair have chosen the hospital as their site of choice leaving the Viscount Road territory now void. Glad to see that they have settled and focussed their attention. Photos to be posted soon.
Posted on March 10, 2013 9:06 am
February 23, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This pair has been a conundrum to follow as they really have struggled to decide which side of the highway they intend to nest on. Will it be the William Osler Hospital site or the Hilton Garden Inn. While Chessie will have the final say in this argument, Casper continues to try and convince her that his site at Viscount Road is the best. Today the pair were at the William Osler Hospital and it looks like Chessie’s wish to remain here is becoming clear to young Casper. I pulled in and located Casper on the southeast corner of the nest ledge whining. Chessie was obviously in his view but I could not readily see her yet. I checked in with security and then made my way back outside to find that Casper had moved along the ledge and was now just to the left of the nest tray. He sat vocalizing for a few minutes and then was off like a shot towards the tower. He came within inches of mating with Chessie, who I could now see hiding amongst the grid work, but turned away at the last second. Back to the nest ledge he went and this time headed straight for the nest tray. In behind the eastern “H” I could hear Casper chupping loudly but Chessie was not to be moved. She was sitting in a patch of sun and preening away. Casper came out of the nest tray onto the ledge and looked at her as if to say, “Well… …come see what I’ve built you!!”. He has been definately working on the scrape in the tray and was eager to show her his hard work. Still, she was not to be moved. It was a good 30 minutes before she took off from the tower and was now doing tandem flights above my head with Casper that were so awe inspiring I totally forgot about my camera!! The pair took off to the north together and were now gone from my sight. It looks as though the pair are closer to making that all important choice on nest location and it would appear that the William Osler site is where they will stay.
Posted on February 24, 2013 2:39 pm
February 03, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Bruce Massey Reports:
I stopped in at the William Osler Hospital site to see if I could locate either Chessie or Casper in the area. When I arrived I found a peregrine on the southeast corner and after checking with my scope, confirmed that it was Casper. I left and headed down to the Hilton Garden Inn to look for activity but had no luck. I returned back to the hospital and found that Casper had now moved to the tower but was still in the territory. No sign of Chessie at either site.
Posted on February 4, 2013 11:38 am
