June 26, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
This morning the weather was perfect in that much of the humidity was gone and there was a beautiful breeze at William Osler. An absolutely wonderful day for flights. The morning exercises were in full swing when I arrived and the two females were incredibly vocal and active. This lasted until around 11am when all of the chicks found shade to lay down in and nap for several hours. At just before 2pm, little blue was standing on the east ledge near the nest tray and began to flap. He was facing the northeast corner and with lots of vigour he suddenly was off of the ledge, skirted the face of the nest ledge heading north and then backflapped back down onto the corner of the ledge. Ok! That was a sorta kinda maybe flight but not what I would consider a real fledge. I sat back waiting to see if he had any other tricks up his sleeve. He ran down and around to the north side of the hospital and next thing I know it, he’s in the air and headed for the tower!! He maintained his altitude perfectly, didn’t panic and landed on the top of the tower like a pro. Great job little blue!! He howled and screamed as he attempted to run the girders towards Chessie who was sitting front and centre. I’m sure he was hoping for a reward for his great flight but that was not coming any time soon. Instead of food going up to the flyer, food went into the ledge!! Well!! He was furious and decided that he would then have to return home if he was to get in on any of the goods. He took off from the tower and was going way too fast to break properly. Instead of going straight into the ledge, he banked around to the south side of the hospital and threw himself onto the ledge. He ran all the way back to the east side to join in on the feeding and was amply rewarded for his efforts. Throughout the evening he made another half a dozen flights back and forth from the tower to the roof, from the roof to the tower and finally the tower to the ledge. By late evening he was starting to get a little attitude going and he buzzed his brother with white tape on the southeast corner hoping for a playmate. His plan didn’t work as white stayed put and so blue continued to make his own fun.
By the close of the watch, all four chicks were back on the ledge and sleeping together in one big pile on the southeast corner. Tomorrow the watchers will have their hands full as the remaining three unfledged chicks are more than ready to go.
Posted on July 3, 2014 3:27 pm
June 25, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
While yesterday did not end in a fledge at the William Osler nest site, it sure was very active with lots of exercising and running of the ledge. Today was no different in that the chicks were raucous the minute that I arrived and were calling to the adults for food. The first feeding arrived at around 8am to a chorus of song and Chessie opted to beak feed even though the young ones were now being quite rough with her and jostling about for position. They each ate their fill but continued to vocalize and one calling would easily start up any others that had become quiet. Even after Chessie left the ledge for some peace in the tower, the kids kept it up. Hurricane was perched on the top of the antenna on the roof where he couldn’t be seen and it was there that he rested comfortably for the morning. Playing and exercising were on the to do list for the morning and at one point, Big Red decided that she was going to take all of her energy and run flap the entire south ledge to the next “H” sign. Her siblings followed suit and they were all off in a mad flap-dash down the ledge. It was little blue though that decided he would cross that magical boundary beyond the southern sign towards the west corner and that finally moved Hurricane off of his perch. He could hear the excited calls of his kids and I’m sure knew exactly where they were based on where the calls were coming from. He flew the length of the south ledge and when he got to little blue he swooped and vocally chastised him which sent him back to the proper side of the sign. Within 20 minutes they had all bounded back down to the southeast corner and flumped down for a good nap. The significance of this activity is important to note as the young ones are exploring the ledge further, gaining confidence and building muscle. This level of exploration is usually a precursor to a fledge and one of the signs that we look for.
The four chicks spent the afternoon as feather pancakes, flat out on the ledge sound asleep. Every once in a while Hurricane and Chessie would drop in to the ledge for a head count and leave seconds later after waking them all up and getting them to their feet. The day was very hot and humid and as mid afternoon approached more rain was on the way. This was certainly much tamer than the day before but as it began to roll in the adults were pretty keen to get the kids rounded up and settled. Chessie flew in to the southeast corner with a large pigeon and began the beak feeding frenzy. It wasn’t two minutes into the feeding when Hurricane showed up with a Blackbird and the young ones didn’t know what to do. Mom or Dad? Who’s got the best goods? Hurricane left the prey with Big Red who had now commandeered the entire piece that was not prepped as of yet. She pulled on it a little but had never dealt with a meal not cleaned first. She fussed and played with it and then gave it up for some beak feeding with the rest of her siblings. After the pigeon was all gone Chessie retrieved the Blackbird and continued the food fest. The rains were now coming down quite heavily and the food was doing its job of keeping the young ones on the ledge today. With very full crops the four chicks played and slept the evening through. We are getting very close to our first fledge and it may be tomorrow is the day!
Posted on July 3, 2014 3:24 pm
June 30, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 30th - 2014
The four hatchlings get their names!
After an extensive name the chick contest by the hospital staff and administration, we finally have names for the young peregrine falcons that were produced this year at the hospital.
As you recall, the four hatchlings were banded on June 11th.
Xena - female - 905 grams - 21 days old - Black band Y over 85 - Red Tape
Thor - male - 720 grams - 24 days old - Black band Y over 05 - Blue Tape
Luna - female - 985 grams - 24 days old - Black band Y over 86 - Yellow Tape
Ace - male - 680 grams - 23 days old - Black band Y over 06 - White Tape
Posted on June 30, 2014 4:09 pm
June 24, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
After doing a site check yesterday and finding all four of these monkeys being incredibly vocal and active I decided that today was the day I would start the William Osler fledge watch. The William Osler staff members are currently holding a name the chick contest that is not quite concluded so until they receive their official names, I will refer to them by their tape colours.
When I arrived I checked in with security, got the rescue carrier in place and headed outside. Two of the chicks were on the southeast corner and two were on the northeast corner all lazing about. Ok. So maybe they aren’t as ready as I thought. The two oldest reached 36 days of age today so they may not go anywhere just yet. Well… …while I may not have had a fledge as of yet I certainly had LOTS of action!!
The falcon choir began at 8am with all four chicks singing their little brains out at the top of their lungs. Hurricane had just come in with breakfast and they were all looking to get their fill. He tried to beak feed but it was just too frantic so he finally gave up the little piece that he had and the biggest female grabbed and ran with it. After tripping over the food onto her face with as much grace as possible, she bolted down and around the southeast corner with her sister right behind her. The two squabbled and fought over it for a few minutes and they each came away with a little chunk. The boys were furious. They continued to complain until Hurricane came in with a piece for them and began to beak feed the boys. I watched as big sis peeked her head around the corner and seeing more food, ran as fast as she could to get in on it. Her little brother with the white tape turned and howled right in her face as she came skidding to a stop but that didn’t stop her. She quarterbacked her way into the feeding fray which gave Hurricane the moment he needed to get out of there taking the food with him. Oh boy, that went over well. The next two hours was spent flapping and screaming, running and screaming then bouncing and screaming all over the south, east and north ledges. What really made this all so epic was that Hurricane continued to fly in, land and then leave just as the chicks reached him. He did this constantly all morning in the hopes that he could entice a young one to fly with him. Not yet.
By 11am they had all settled down for a nap and it looked like the afternoon lull was getting started. As soon as the chicks were asleep, Hurricane once again flew in and woke them all up. He was incredibly determined to get a flight out of someone. By noon the entire family retired to rest with all four chicks sprawled all over the ledge, Chessie up on the roof antenna and Hurricane in the tower. All was quiet until around 2pm when the family was once again on their feet. Chessie brought in the first feeding and was instantly surrounded. She’s a big girl and the chicks can’t easily push her around so she stood her ground while her four offspring pinned her to the back wall. The only way out was to feed her way through the mass of screaming chicks and so feed she did. It was like watching a little sowing machine going a mile a minute and the food was just a-flyin’. There was a storm moving in and Hurricane was anxious to get the kids fed and settled so that they would stay put so he decided to help. He came off of the tower and kited beautifully over the top of the hospital. He changed position only a few times and then he saw it, his prize, waiting down below.
Out front of the nest ledge is a sign about 5 or 6 feet high and on it sat a dove. Hurricane banked and dropped like a stone down to just above ground level and then made a swoop pass over the top of the sign. He grabbed the dove and banked up hard skimming the face of the hospital all the way up to the ledge. Stunning!! This time it was one of the boys who benefitted from this incredible hunt. After this Hurricane flew over to the tower with Chessie and they both watched as the sky darkened and the winds really picked up. Chessie left the tower and landed on the northeast corner while Hurricane flew to the southeast. The two adults had encapsulated the chicks on the ledge and they both began to walk them towards the nest tray for protection from the storm. There the foursome sat and rode out what proved to be a fantastic storm and the chicks got their first really good soaking.
From that point forward, preening and sleeping was on the agenda and the family once again settled for a while. As the 5 o’clock dinner bell was ringing, the female with red tape made her way down to the southeast corner with her brother in white tape and the two began to howl in unison at their parents. They wanted food… …NOW!! Hurricane flew over and did two “touch and go’s” that had little big Red just furious. She was so angry that food was not forthcoming that she threw a temper tantrum of epic proportions that ended with her grabbing the louvers at the back wall and trying to rip them off. While that is certainly impossible she tried with all her might nonetheless. The family of four youngsters continued the “singing” until around 7pm when the big feed came in. Chessie arrived with a nice big pigeon and the four dined until they were stuffed silent… …silent for the first time today it would seem!! After eating, all four little spoiled brats flumped down on the southeast corner in one big pile for a great big sleep. Not a bad way to end a busy day.
Tomorrow should be another great day of activity at the William Osler nest site as the watch really gets started.
Posted on June 24, 2014 10:14 pm
June 20, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Mark Nash Reports:
Very sorry for the late postings, but its been more than a little crazzzy busy with on-going banding events for the past three weeks and overlapping fledge watches in the streets now a 6 different nest sites all over southern Ontario!!
Oh my goodness, there are simply not enough hours in the day for any of us!!
Enjoy………
Posted on June 20, 2014 9:52 am
June 11, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Marion Nash Reports:
June 11th - 2014
Banding Day
Another successful banding day at William Osler Health.
There were 4 healthy chicks,,, - 2 females and 2 males.
The hospital is running a name the chick contest and will give us the names in about 2 weeks.
the 2 female hatchlings weighed,
905 grams at 21 days old
and 985 grams at 24 days old
and the 2 male hatchlings weighed
720 at 24 days old
and 680 grams at 23 days old
Posted on June 17, 2014 10:14 am
June 04, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
A catch up on a most important post! Chessie and Hurricane have hatched all four of their eggs and the chicks are thriving thanks to their awesome parents. Bruce and I were out there on Sunday to check in on the family and found Hurricane in his all too famous babysitting position to the left of the nest tray. Chessie was on the roof of the hospital sitting on one of the antenna and all of a sudden decided to take off after some crows. After giving them a really hard time she returned and took over duty on the edge of the tray while Hurricane was out hunting.
It was a while before Hurricane returned but was well worth the wait. Chessie flew out to the east hydro tower and waited for him to come in and he had food for the young ones. She took off into the air and the two made a spectacular aerial food transfer right above the parking lot. Chessie took the food in for the chicks while Hurricane flew up to the northeast corner. He didn’t stay there for long as a Turkey vulture came wandering in to the territory. He went nuts!! He took off after the vulture and as we watched he stooped and contacted before grabbing it right by the tail feathers. The two tumbled down in the air briefly before Hurricane then took off after the other two vultures coming in behind the first.
With the big birds vanquished he returned to the hospital but again it was brief. Chessie finished the feeding and flew up to the antenna on the roof while Hurricane took off northwest. He was gone for quite some time and when he returned he headed right up to the north side “H” sign. He was soaked!! He found himself a pool somewhere and had taken an enormous bath. He spent the rest of the evening preening away while Chessie maintained her guard up top.
The foursome will be banded next week on June 11th so check back for an update on the event!
Posted on June 4, 2014 8:33 am
May 28, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Marion Nash Reports:
We will be banding the baby falcons on June 11th. We will be posting pictures and details.
Stay tuned………
Posted on May 28, 2014 11:51 pm
May 25, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Great news from Stoney Creek! Athena, hatched here at the William Osler Hospital site in 2010, has successfully hatched at least two chicks. She is offspring of Hurricane and his former mate O’Connor before she moved to Etobicoke Sun Life. Congratulations William Osler Hospital and Hurricane, your legacy continues!!
Posted on May 25, 2014 10:14 am
May 01, 2014 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Just now getting caught up on lots of past news that I have not had a chance to get posted yet. I heard from Ross at the William Osler Hospital that Hurricane and Chessie are now on 4 beautiful eggs. This will undoubtedly have Hurricane go into hyper hunt mode in the coming weeks and if its anything like last year, the nursery ledge will soon be decorated with dozens and dozens of food parcels just waiting for four hungry hatchlings. Congratulations William Osler, another great year ahead!!
Posted on May 1, 2014 12:06 pm
