From the visit by Bruce and I at ICICI on Sunday, some photos of little Lucky showing off his blue tape!
On Sunday Bruce and I also made a stop in at the ICICI nest site to check in on Chester and the family. It was fairly quiet when we arrived but after a bit of scanning, we found Lucky perched on the north side of the nest building on one of the I’s. He sat there roosting and preening quite relaxed and enjoying the cool afternoon. After about 15 minutes, another falcon did a quick fly by of Lucky and then disappeared off to the west. We located the bird on the Forester building on one of the letters. We couldn’t tell for certain who it was other than it was definately an adult and we believe it to be the resident female. A great visit at ICICI and really nice to see Lucky home! I will post some pictures tomorrow as they need resizing. Check back tomorrow for pics of Lucky!!
For almost a year now Rob, Bruce and I have been chasing a juvenile peregrine female around the Mississauga North area attempting to identify her. A really big, dark and heavily streaked female, she has challenged and frustrated us by always sitting so high up our scopes were useless or turning her recovery band in towards the Revenue Canada building that she roosts on. Yesterday while in Mississauga, I was fortunate enough to have her roosting on the building, left leg in, and I was determined to wait her out. I got out the scope, camera and any other tool I could find to try and identify her. I got lucky.
She made a short flight from one corner of the building to another and was flipping her head like a little kid at something. I was able to capture band colours and the top digits only in the scope view and on the camera. Given that I knew her banding year to be 2012, last year as she is just now moulting into her subadult phase, and the colours and top digits, I took a chance and contacted the New York DEC for a bit of a scavenger hunt. I sent off an email with the information I had. How many females in 2012 could have that top digit combination? Well, just one.
The female at the Revenue Canada building in north Mississauga is Alfrieda, banded Black 73 over Green AW and she was hatched at the Central Terminal nest site in 2012. She is daughter to Gleig from the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel and Diamante from Rochester.
Now I must warn you that this ID is preliminary and MUST be confirmed by a full reading of the band but the chances that this is Alfrieda are very high. The DEC shared with me that Alfrieda struggled in her fledgling phase and was rescued from the ground twice before really getting her wings. Not only is she now in Ontario but as of today, our watcher Rob Mueller found her with a male!! I knew yesterday when she was flipping her head and being somewhat silly that it had to be another falcon that I couldn’t see. You don’t flip your head at food or predators if you want to succeed!! He made his first appearance today and we will be working very hard to confirm Alfrieda as the female and discover who her mate is.
Pictures will be posted shortly so please check back.
Aug 7th - 2013
With thanks to Anne Turcotte for sending in her photo of a peregrine that she photographed on Aug 7th - 2013.
Nice shot, thanks Anne!
Anne writes:
Lake Superior, on Palette Island, Shuniah Township, Canada (30k East of Thunder Bay). Photo below taken from our bedroom window on the Island.
Anne Turcotte
Ok. So here’s the story. Back in 2012, a pair of peregrines were hanging around at the Alt Hotel near Viscount Rd which is on the north side of Pearson International Airport. We were alerted to their presence as the hotel had called for assistance regarding these birds on their building. Not knowing what they were, they reported two loud grayish birds with one louder brown one dropping prey remains around the grounds. After investigating the site, Bruce and I were able to confirm the pair of peregrines and identify them as Claire banded Black *S over Green *B hatched in 2009 at the Blue Water Bridge in Michigan and Casper banded solid Black 35 over Y hatched in 2009 at a residential nest site in southern Ontario. They had produced at least one male offspring that we were able to photograph and we were able to determine that their buildings of interest were the Hilton Garden Inn and the Alt Hotel. We continued to check in on the pair and by early December, Claire was no longer present. This prompted Casper to incur on a neighboring territory, the William Osler Hospital, and oust the resident male Hurricane who was missing and replaced sometime after Dec. 22, 2012. We continued to monitor both territories and by mid January Chessie, the resident female at William Osler, was now following her new mate Casper down to the Hilton. In Feb. 2013, they were photographed in the Hilton territory and were also seen roosting at the Osler territory. Casper was forcing a decision by Chessie; which site dear? In March they were copulating in both territories but Chessie finally settled on the Osler site which Casper was bound to follow. Just prior to egg laying in late March, I attended the site and found the male sitting calmly in Hurricane’s usual roost spot mimicking his behaviour. No imitation here, it was indeed Hurricane back on the site. We checked the Hilton territory off and on for weeks thereafter with no sign of any adults whatsoever. No white wash on the buildings. No presence at all. We deemed the territory now void and moved on to the nest sites that were now hatching eggs and in need of our attention.
As reported by Mark Nash earlier, on July 4th a juvenile peregrine falcon female was rescued from the ground in the Hilton Garden Inn territory at 427 and Dixon Road. She was turned over to Mark Heaton that day, was banded and then released on the roof of the neighboring Hilton hotel (there are two). Bruce and I were determined to check this out once watches were concluded.
On Sunday, we attended the territory and were on a mission. We started at the Alt Hotel and made the rounds. Bruce was at the Alt Hotel with no birds in sight and I was at the Hilton Garden Inn. I had located an adult male roosting on the light above the sign. Casper’s favorite hang out. I sat and waited for the look I needed at the band and was able to clearly photograph the 35 over Y on his solid black band. This was confirmed Casper. We continued our search and I located a second peregrine on the office towers one block south. I raced over to find a juvenile female on the edge of the roof. I was able to photograph, and Bruce confirmed this by scope view, that this female was unbanded making her a second surviving produced offspring by Casper and his unknown mate. We left the territory for another site with intentions of returning in the evening for the late day roost. I found the adult female on the sign of the Alt Hotel and had already had the adult male on the Hilton Garden Inn sign. I waited her out and was able to confirm by scope view that this is in fact Claire banded Black *S over Green *B. She’s back!
Our theory is this. Claire partially migrated in the late fall of 2012 prompting Casper to seek partnership elsewhere. He invaded the Osler territory and wounded Hurricane in battle. Casper won the day , the site and Chessie. At breeding season in March 2013, Chessie decided on the Osler site as her nest site of choice and Hurricane, watching from afar, was determined, now stronger and wiser, to get her and his territory back. Hurricane engaged Casper and won this round and was back at Osler with Chessie. Casper had now disappeared and was healing up from battle. Claire returns to the Hilton Garden Inn territory. Her and Casper reunite and produce a late clutch resulting in the July 4th fledge and rescue. This juvenile female had obviously not been on the wing long. If we estimate her age as around 45 to 50 days, that would put her hatch date as late June. Tracks with all that’s happened. By that time we were all engaged in dawn to dusk watches and this pair slipped two girls in right past us.
Congratulations Casper and Claire on another successful year. We are determined to confirm just which building the nest site is on although we suspect the Alt Hotel or the Hilton Garden Inn. We will keep you updated as we learn more.
Pictures to follow.
July 21st - 2013
Hi All
Finally got over to ICICI tonight! Last week I saw a juvie flying towards me at intersection of Don Mills & Eglinton –knew it was a juvie because of the clumsy attempt to get a gull!! But it was great to see–think it was Lucky but could’ve been AM-E as she one tough cookie lol!
Tonight, I wanted to see all 4. When I first got there I immediately spied an adult on the “t” on the Forester building–I think it was Mom hiding out!! Waited for a bit and then a juvie flew in to roof of nest building. A couple of minutes later, in came their sibling and they both flew around the building. I was thrilled to see them both!! I walked around the building and there they were, sitting on the ICICI bank sign. They were waiting, and they didn’t have to wait long. Adult came in with food and off they all went to the roof, where they were as night fell (& Mom never left the “t”!!). Great to see our little family safe and sound.
Cathy
July 4th - 2013
Sorry for the late postings, but we are only now just starting to get caught up with the several hundred back-logged observation reports. Its been the most aggressive year we have had to deal with inn 17 years!!
Received a call from Mark Heaton from the OMNR that a young female fledgling was rescued at Toronto Person Airport by Falcon Environmental (the folks that do the wildlife control at the airport) and turned over to Mark today. The young female fledgling checked out to be in good health, (obviously just winded and out of steam as many fledglings get on their maiden flights, and ended up on the ground). Hmmm, sound familiar?
With more than 30 successful rescues of downed & grounded young fledglings so far this year from our southern Ontario urban nest sites,,, the CPF fledge watch teams have really been working overtime this season)!!
Each year, over the past few years, there is always one nest that seems to escapes us and get missed. This year is certainly no exception as in this case, although this event comes to us with a real twist!
Sooner or later, these late undiscovered nests get brought to our attention and we’re on it, BUT this one still remains a mystery! Where has this young fledgling come from??
Knowing that it was found grounded at the Airport (close to Hwy 427 / Dixon road) and the close proximity to a potential nest site that we were monitoring in the hotel airport strip earlier this spring where a pair of peregrines were attempting to set up house, we could only guess that the pair we have been watching during the early spring had finally found a suitable location in the neighbourhood and were successful in producing at least one young.
Sadly, we had to abandon our efforts trying to find the territorial pair in the airport hotel strip when the aggressive banding started, and with overlapping fledge watches, we simply didn’t have enough manpower and resources to stay on this territory to continue to follow the adult peregrines. This is a vast expanse of many hotels covering many square kilometres and requires a coordinated effort of mobile units to stay on the adults as they moved around from hotel to hotel rooftops!
In any case, the young female fledgling was banded Black Y over 95 and successfully released to one of the hotel roof tops in the immediate area where we last had the territorial adults.
Again shedding the importance of banding the young hatchlings, as when they start flying, they can end up miles away from their parents and nest sites, (blown off course with the winds or panicked in longer flights during their maiden flights), and without identifying leg bands to help us identify which nest site they have been produced at, (and get them back to their rightful parents), it would be impossible to know which nest site they are from. Releasing a fledgling back to the WRONG nest site to the WRONG parents usually ends up in the fledglings mortality as they are quickly driven off or killed by the resident adults looking to protect their own fledglings.
Fingers crossed that this little fledgling is reunited with her parents!!
We’ll be back to the area as soon as we can organize the mobile manpower and the funds to feed our gas tanks!
Photos by Mark Heaton - OMNR
Stay tuned…………..
July 7th - 2013
I dropped in at Harlequin and the Duncan Mills nest site tonight on my way to the ICICI Don Mills nest site. Found Quest hiding out in the nest box lol. Kendal was at the back of the Harlequin building before he flew back to his usual spot at 240. No sign of the girls but Mom & Dad had eyes on I am sure, (hence the hiding in the nest box).
Cathy
July 7th - 2013
Hi Mark
I went over to ICICI. No one at first but then I heard that familiar squealing for food–and there was a juvie on the nest building. I was heading over for a closer look and I swear she saw me and took off to the other side lol. I am thinking this was AM-E because later a juvie did a fly by over the nest building and ended up beside his sister! Lucy & Richard joined me for abit–they had been there earlier and had seen both juvies on the letters!! I was very excited to hear that AM-E had mastered that feat!!
Just around 8:40pm, Mom brought in some food–saw some awesome flying!! Both juvies raced out to, I would like to say greet but it was more like who could grab it from her first lol!! Mom prevailed and dropped it on the roof–and took off, with Lucky in pursuit–all the way to the Forester building where Dad was hiding out! Great to see them all!!
Cathy
July 1st - 2013
Happy Canada Day!
I only had a chance to drop in on our family this evening but I got to see a show–and I am not talking about the fireworks (although I did see them as well). I immediately spied our juvies on the ICICI building and Mom on the DeBeers. Within minutes, Lucky was off and after Mom–poor Mom, she had both babies after her tonight! Fun to watch tho!! I managed to catch a picture of both juvies–Lucky is taking off! I had the security approach me–there was a half eaten, bloody pigeon right outside the front door! I supplied him with a bag lol. I have a feeling someone dropped it and didn’t get a proper meal!! I got to see all 4 flying at once–awesome! I stayed and watched AM-E–once the fireworks started she dropped down to the roof. Once it was good and dark, I left–fireworks everywhere!
Cathy
