April 06, 2022 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Hamilton Falconwatch News Updates
provided by the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club
HAS MCKEEVER FINISHED LAYING?
Sunday, April 3, 2022 - It was a week ago today that McKeever laid her first egg. Without being able to count them, we have two ways to estimate when McKeever has finished her laying. The first is a simple bit of math. Peregrines generally lay no more than 4 eggs, so, with an average time between individual eggs of about 2 days, the longest laying can last is about a week. On rare occasions, a fifth egg will be produced, which would make tomorrow the last day of laying.
Our other clue is to look at the color of the eggs. A freshly laid egg is much redder than one that has been sitting in the nest for a few days. This photo shows the difference quite clearly. The egg on the left has been laid more recently, while the one on the right has faded enough that we can be quite sure it is the first (or possibly the second) egg laid. Now, the waiting game begins. And in about a month we will see how many of these eggs are viable and actually hatch. With luck, and the youthful vigor of our two adults, we may see a very full nest this year!
Posted on April 6, 2022 12:34 pm
May 15, 2021 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Hamilton Falcon Watch team reports
Saturday, May 15, 2021 - It has been a week since we should have seen our first chick, and it appears that Lily has accepted the fact that these eggs are not going to hatch. As the week progressed, she spent less and less time on the nest, and in the last 24 hours she hasn’t been on the eggs more than a few minutes. She has also been seen poking around the far end of the nest ledge, which is typical behavior for after nesting season.
But, it is also typical behavior for before nesting season, and there is a small ray of hope. She has been allowing Judson to come closer (left photo), and he might just be eager enough to convince her to try for a second clutch. Lily has not attempted one before, but there is always a first for everything. We will watch to see if Judson starts courting her, and bringing her meals.
But things are not (yet) smooth sailing for the falcons in Hamilton. In the past week we have observed another adult in the area, spending most of its time on the BDC building, a block away from the Sheraton nest site. We have not been able to get a close enough look at this bird, so we cannot tell if it is Ossie, healing up from a previous battle, and still willing to try again, or if in fact this is a new female that was previously paired up with Judson. There were reports, in the week before Judson’s appearance, of another peregrine pair being sighted first in west Hamilton, then up near Ancaster. We don’t know if that pair moved on, or they came here.
The three of them were seen once circling the BDC building and calling to each other, but no battles have been seen. And there was one report of a fourth peregrine, seen flying away from the downtown core. So, while we may not have any chicks this year, the skies over Hamilton are going to be interesting for a while yet! If you are downtown, keep an eye on the skies. If you see anything of note, please report it to our facebook group.
Posted on May 15, 2021 12:23 pm
May 08, 2021 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Saturday, May 8, 2021 - With mere days or even hours to go before Hamilton chicks hatch, a new adult peregrine has appeared on the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel. Shortly after 9am, while Lily was brooding her eggs, this adult landed on the second ledge, and appeared to settle in, with no apparent reaction from Lily. We were able to observe his bands, and begin the process of identification.
Afternoon update: We have now identified this bird as a male named Judson, fledged in 2018 from the Richardson Complex in Buffalo, New York. And in a delightful turn of events, one of his parents is Felker who fledged from Hamilton in 2012! So the prodigal (grand)son of Madame X and Surge returns!
Later on in the day, Judson landed on the main nest ledge once, again without too much reaction from Lily. From this, we deduce that Ossie may have lost a territorial battle and been driven off. Always a bit sad to see one of our falcons go, but this is the way of nature. Lily will soon adjust to this new situation, and hopefully by the time the chicks are little eating machines, Judson will be hunting for them, just as Ossie would have.
http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/?wide
Posted on May 9, 2021 12:08 pm
December 04, 2020 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Posted on ebirds December 3rd. I checked our database and found this is a male named Lawrence produced at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel in 2018. Sad way to end 2020
Posted on December 6, 2020 5:43 pm
May 16, 2020 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
CPF volunteers Anne Yagi and Mark Nash banded 2 healthy chicks at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel today. Thanks to the Hotel for all their help and assistance and the Hamilton Peregrine Project team for getting everything set up and ready for us. Our long time volunteer climber John Miller again did the extraction of the chicks and everyone was very appreciative of his bravery and expertise.
There was one female and one male their names and band information is listed below. The names were given by the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project
Male-named Griffin weighed 517 grams at 18 days old his Canadian black band is 15 over W
Female- named Whitehern weighed 720 grams at 19 days old her Canadian black number is Z47
There are very few volunteers to help with the fledge watch this year so if anyone living in the Hamilton area is interested in helping out please log onto our volunteer page and fill out a volunteer form and someone from the Hamilton team will be in contact with you.
Posted on May 17, 2020 3:36 am
April 29, 2020 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 - Shortly after 8am this morning, Lily left the nest, and as Ossie came in to replace her, a beautiful white head poked up above the edge of the ledge (first photo). A few minutes later Lily returned with the first meal, and during feeding it became obvious that she was feeding a second chick. At 12:30, more food was brought to the nest, and we got a clear look at both chicks (second photo). Judging by the dry white down on the chicks, it seems likely that the first hatching occurred sometime overnight. Will there be more? With this year’s brooding conditions having been optimal, we can’t see why not. Hatching can occur over a span of several days. So we will be watching feedings closely, to see how many heads poke out in the days to come!
CPF and the Hamilton Peregrine Project are trying to work out a date to band the chicks hopefully May 16th watch for updates.
Snap shots from the Web cam.
Posted on April 30, 2020 3:02 pm
May 10, 2019 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Hamilton still incubating. although the first couple eggs are very overdue perhaps the last 1 or 2 will still hatch!
Posted on May 10, 2019 11:39 am
March 25, 2019 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
March 25th - 2019
Good news for the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel and the Hamilton peregrines as the first egg was reported today!
Posted on March 25, 2019 6:02 pm
September 05, 2018 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
I know you have all missed keeping track of your local peregrine families but there is good news.
We now have someone to help with the web site and can post all the latest news.
Here is a quick summery of the 2018 nesting season, banding events and fledge watch. If you notice that I have not posted any information about the Bloor and Islington nest site it is because the nest failed this year. O’Connor the adult female has been replaced by a new female who although did lay eggs they did failed to hatch. We are not sure if O’Connor was killed by the new female in a territorial battle or if she has moved to an as of yet unknown location, hopefully the later is true.
Fledge Watch
although the fledge watchers were kept very busy by the fledglings and preformed many rescues we are happy to say that of the 41 chicks banded this season there were only 4 lost and 1 injured.
1 of the chicks lost produced at the Burlington Bridge nest was very sick with Trichominiasis a protozoan infection too advanced to save and who passed during extraction from nest.
The Second loss was Gigi from the Mississauga MEC nest site who unfortunately hit a window and died on impact.
The 3rd was Sun from the Toronto Downtown Sheraton Hotel nest who had gone missing for over a week and although our watchers made a tremendous effort to find him they began to expect by the end of the week that he passed. Unfortunately he was later found dehydrated and starving he was taken into rehab but passed same day.
I also got a report yesterday that one of the fledglings from 220 Duncan Mill Rd. Was found over the September long weekend in Hamilton with an injured wing. It turns out it is Loki identified by his band number X over 85. x-rays have been taken and shows a broken wrist so we are waiting on a report from the vet to see if this break is operable.
One other injury happened this year to the Adult male Lucifer in Kitchener at the CTV nest site and has been in rehab. Lucifer had a broken with that was operated on and he is now in flight pen to work the wing, His mate Mystery managed to keep her 4 chicks fed and protected but this is where the 4th loss comes in one of the chicks hopped off the nest box onto the tower where he spent a day or 2 and disappeared he was never found on the ground so we assume he was grabbed by and owl during the night. Hopefully all goes well for Lucifer and he will be released back to his mate soon.
Banding Events 2018
We are looking for funding to buy bands for next year as the Federal government is not longer supplying them to the Provinces and the Province of Ontario did not budget for them. If you are interested in supporting the banding program and help protect our Ontario produced falcon chicks please kindy make a donation to The Canadian Peregrine Foundation. You can send a cheque to the foundation at 25 Crouse Rd. Suite 20 Toronto, Ontario M1R 5P8 or go on line and click our donation button on the front page of the web site at www.peregrine-foundation.ca Canada Helps.
This year there were several unhatched eggs and most of the chicks hatched were male. The weights at banding age for most of the chicks was also low compared to pervious years.
May 22nd 2018
Mississauga MEC
Female-GIGI
band Z21
William Osler Hospital
Male-Indy
band X14
May 23rd 2018
Windsor Ambassador Bridge
Male-Hermes
band Y59
May 24th 2018
Hamilton Sheraton Hotel
Male-Lawrence
band
Y50
Male-Ainslie
band Y51
Male-Gage
band Y52
Male-Lisgar
band Y60
May 25th 2018
Oshawa Lakeridge Hospital
Female-Ripley
band Z22
Burlington Lift Bridge
Male-Cooper
band Y61
Male-Jackson
band X13
May 29th 2018
220 Duncan Mill Rd.
Male- Thor
band X83
Male-TT
band X84
Male- Loki
band X85
Male- Velcro
band X87
June 5th 2018
Canada Square
Male-Petrus
band X95
Male-Bart
band X97
Male-Ricklin
band R14
June 5th 2018
Rogers Centre
Female-Diamond
band Z23
Male-Grand Slam
Band Z24
Male-Homer
Band X94
June 5th 2018
Toronto Downtown Sheraton Hotel
Male- Geoff
Band X15
Male-Sheraton
Band X92
Male-Sun
Band X93
June 6th
OPG Pickering
Female- Millidarry
Band Z25
Female-Candu
Band Z26
Male- Chadwick
Band R15
Male-Cobalt
Band Z27
June 6th 2018
Scarborough Yellow Pages
Male-Alfa
Band R16
Female-Sierra
Band Z67
June 8th 2018
ADM Mills Port Colborne
Female- Mongolia
Band Z59
Male-Brandon
Band X03
Male- Macaroon
Band X07
female-Red Velvet
Band Z63
June 20th
Mount Sinai Hospital
Male-Chase ( banded when rescued during fledge)
Band X05
2 other chicks not banded ( believed to be male)
June 27th 2018
Don Mills Amazon
Male-Professor X
Band X04
Female- Chalaza
Band- Z38
June 28th 2018
Kitchener CATV Tower
Female-Eos
Band Z39
Female- Sadie
Band Z40
Male-Monarch
Band X12
Male-Mercury
Band W92
There were also 2 Quarry sites that produced chicks as did the Mississauga CRH Cement plant but due to bad logistics this year we were unable to get the age of the chicks in time to band. Hopefully we will get the information a bit quicker next year and if we are able to raise the funds needed to continue to band your chicks.
I will post some photos soon
Posted on September 5, 2018 5:01 pm
May 25, 2016 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Marion Nash Reports:
Today Ann Yagi of The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests and I had the honor to band a very big female chick at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel.
The Hamilton peregrine project once again hosted the banding of Hamilton’s peregrine offspring and although there is only 1 this year she is a very healthy girl at 953 grams.
A big thanks to The Canadian peregrine Foundations volunteers John and Matt our climbers for help extracting the chicks from the nest for banding, the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel for giving access to the nest and providing the club lounge for banding and to Ann Yagi for her donated personal time to CPF for this banding and many others in Southern Ontario. here are just a few pictures for more information, photos and videos please go to falcons.hamiltonnature.org
Posted on May 25, 2016 9:13 pm
