June 08, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
The drive to the site was the longest I have ever taken anywhere. I was so excited to see how the new peregrine family was doing and it seemed to take forever to get there! I arrived just after 6:00pm and met up with Mark Nash from the CPF who had been there since 3PM to do the foster. What a wonderful sight to behold. Two very elated parents were attending to their three new chicks. The resident adult female was all over the site ( get more food, get that gull, watch the babies, more food!). She tended to the chicks every demand and watched their every move. The resident adult male was busily hunting non-stop to keep up with the new family demands bringing in 4 meals, one as large as a pigeon, over the next three hours. Both of the adults did such an amazing job.
The juveniles were equally excited about their new home. They spent time exploring both the nest tray and the ledge, often running along up to their new parents. Playtime was also on the bill for this evening as the chicks took turns inverting their heads at one another and pouncing on any inanimate object they could find. One of the juveniles ( I’ll bet it was Apollo the little male!) discovered that the ledge actually continues around the side of the building. He didn’t get more than a couple of steps down the southern ledge before Mom flew over and herded him back to the tray vocalizing at him the whole way back. By nightfall, all three chicks had incredibly full crops and after a bit of direction from Mom, headed off into the nest tray for bed.
Congratulations to dad Hurricane and mom O’Connor for a job well done. A huge success and certainly now one of my fondest peregrine memories!
Posted on June 10, 2009 5:04 pm
June 09, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Frank Butson Reports:
I searched a database in OHIO and came up with this info on the female m/87 black over green. She is named O’Connor,hatched 05/06/07 at the Landmark Building in Summit County Ohio. Banded on 05/24/07 .
Posted on June 9, 2009 7:14 am
June 08, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
Successful Foster!!
Successful Foster!!
Over the weekend we were able to choose the perfect foster site for the three MEC hatchlings. With the assistance from the wonderful folks at the William Osler Health Care Centre, we were able to confirm that status of the resident peregrines. Reconfirming that the resident female was still incubating her eggs, and knowing that they beyond the hatch day and with no hope of a hatch, this stage was set for the perfect fostering condition as this is exactly the situation that was needed. The ideal foster nest site!
With the hatchlings much stronger and healthier, it was time to introduce them to their new foster parents. The three hatchlings departed the CPF raptor centre late this afternoon and arrived at the William Osler Hospital safe and sound. We were greeted by the hospital security and maintenance personal and awaited Mark’s arrival from MNR. We proceeded to the upper floors to the access hatch to the nest ledge. After re-confirming for the last time that the resident female was still incubating the eggs and that the resident male was still in attendance, the hatch door was carefully opened and the 3 remaining un-hatched eggs were removed and replaced with the three young peregrines. Despite both of the resident peregrines objection to this intrusion, the procedure went without a hitch and the access door was closed and secured.
For the next ten plus minutes we all waited and watched in anticipation that the resident adult female would accept her new foster family. She was joined by her mate and we watched both of the resident adults stare in absolute bewilderment. Seconds later, the hatchlings started to vocalize. Seconds later, both of the adults started to vocalize back to the three young peregrine hatchlings. Moments in to this scream-feast, , one of the chicks walked off out of our view down the ledge. Fearing that worst that one of the hatchlings may be on its way too close to the edge of the ledge, we preceded to ground level and to the outside the building and positioned ourselves directly under the ledge. The vocalizing from all of the peregrines was deafening even eight stories down.
What we witnessed from this vantage point was nothing shy of spectacular and amazing. Both of the resident adult peregrines were involved in this scream feast with the hatchlings, all while touching beaks together. The adult male was the most confused and made a dozen touch-and -go flights back and forth from the nest ledge to the hydro towers to the east, than back to the nest building and nest ledge. Throughout this entire time frame, - (which lasted close to a half an hour), the adult resident male also went after and chased of several gulls.
By 5:55 pm, the male finally bought in a small food package, and the adult female was quick to snatch it from him and preceded to feed her newly acquired family. For the next three hours while we watched on, the male brought in three other food packages to the ledge. Each time the adult female snatched the food packages from him and proceeded to feed the hatchlings. By the end of the day as we lost our daylight, all three hatchlings had been few several times and had huge full bulging full crops. Both adults continued to be very vocal right up to when darkness fell, and all fell silent.
By the time 9 pm rolled around and the darkness set in, the adult female had herded all three of the hatchlings back down the ledge into the nest tray behind the hospital sign where they all disappeared from our view. It couldn’t have worked out better!! Tracy joined me around 5 pm and stayed until darkness. During our visit, both of the resident adults were ID’ed and their band numbers were recorded and photographed. The resident adult male is non other than Hurricane, who was produced at the Toronto Sheraton hotel nest site in 2004, dawning a solid black band 5 over X. Hurricane has been the resident adult here at the William Osler Hospital nest site since 2006 when he arrived as a first year juvenile in full brown plumage.
The resident adult female dawns a Black M over Green 87 band. We hope to have some history on her very soon. Stay tuned… More to come!
Posted on June 9, 2009 4:15 am
- Etobicoke - William Osler
Bruce Massey Reports:
As I said I would, I returned to William Osler early this morning and arrived there around 0700 Hrs. I found the Female over on the Hydro Tower, she was quite full as her crop showed. She was in the Tower for about 30 minutes and then flew over to the Nest Ledge. I went over to view the Nest through the peephole, and today I was able to see 3 Eggs, which is all that is left. I am informed by Mark Nash that the “Guesstimation” on when the Birds went into “Hard Incubation” is a little fuzzy, but the Incuabation Time is getting critical. Hopefully in the next few days there is a hatch, otherwise the Eggs present are infertile. I also saw the Male in the 2nd Hour and he was quite Territorial and chased off 2 Gulls that got too close.
Posted on June 1, 2009 8:02 pm
- Etobicoke - William Osler
Bruce Massey Reports:
Stopped by for an hour so this AM, and immediately saw a change in behaviour from the last time I was here. Today, I only saw the Male visible on the top of the East Sign. I checked the Nest Box but did not see anything at first, but then the female appeared, and she was moving around in the Box very carefully, just like she was (Pardon the Pun) walking on Eggshells. Actually in the past we have observed on Camera that the Adults are actually not all that gentle with the Eggs, ( With the decrease in the amount of DDT in the Enviroment) but are very careful if there are Young present. She sat up and preened and then I observed her sort of bend forward looking very intently at something, then her beak moved as if she was vocalizing, and then I observed her doing a motion that suggested she was tucking and positioning something under her. Of course when I took a look through the Peephole she was fully down on the nest, but was facing away from me, so I could not confirm anything. The Male stayed outside the Nest during the entire time I was there. Stayed tuned however, I will check back again tomorrow.
Posted on May 31, 2009 1:51 pm
May 16, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
We received some sady news today with the report that one of the four eggs was observed broken. We have no idea as to what has happened, but we can confirm that there has not been a hatch as yet. Incubation has now gone beyond the 33 day mark and its not looking good for a hatch. Stay tuned……
Posted on May 21, 2009 5:04 am
May 14, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
Another check on the William Osler pair today still has the unknown / still un-identified pair in hard incubation. Everything appears to be as it should, and we all have our fingers crossed as a hatch is expected very soon!
Stay tuned……….
Posted on May 14, 2009 4:17 pm
May 05, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
Another site visit today revealed a little more information yet again about the female, but her identity still remains a mystery!
I arrived just at the perfect time to catch the incubating female leaving the nest tray for a wing stretch and a quick bite to eat as she flew over to the hydro tower to take advantage of a fresh cache of food that her mate had earlier brought in for her and deposited in one of their secret hiding spots. As she stood up on the nest tray to reveal her four unhatched eggs, I was finally able to catch the colours of her leg band which was clearly visible as a Black over Green coloured band. Sadly, it happened so quickly, I was not able to identify the digits on the band. Also, at this time of day, the low light and shadows that fall in behind the pillar make it very difficult to see something that small in any detail. We are expecting a hatch in the next week to ten days if everything has gone well. Stay tuned,,,, - More to come….
Posted on May 5, 2009 10:52 pm
May 20, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
We have some incredibly good news to report despite all of the bad news (and no news) from the William Osler Health Centre peregrine nest site. First the bad news - After reports streamed in two weeks ago regarding eye waitresses reports from patients waiting in the emergency waiting room of two peregrines involved in what appeared to be a battle to the death that had both peregrines eventually coming to the ground directly outside their window apparently locked in mortal combat; it appears that there was obviously a victor and a looser. Now for some better news - (There was no mortality was observed thank goodness). Fortunately the peregrines finally broke off their engagement when security arrived on the scene. Hurrah for the quick response of hospital security!!!!
And now the BEST NEWS - During my site visit last week, and with the help and support of hospital security, we visited the “peep hole” behind the nest to discover an adult female was in full time incubation mode on the nest tray. It has later been reported that there are four eggs currently being incubated. While we still have not got a handle on “who” is occupying this territory and nest site this year, we are very excited that a pair has utilized the nest tray that we installed several years ago. Stay tuned, more to come…..
Posted on April 23, 2009 3:27 am
