July 12, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
When I arrived the sun was just coming up and I could see Len on the roof of the ICICI building and Ben on top of the chimney where he spent the better part of the day yesterday. Once the adults had seen Len, they became quite vocal and excited at seeing him and were looking to feed him right away. Len, in his excitement, slipped off of the roof edge and flew around the nest building coming to rest on the 5th floor window ledge. The adult female met him there and gave him a tidbit of food to start the day. Len made a second flight that took him out and around the building and he ended up on the north side of the nest building but this time he was 4 floors higher!! A great accomplishment for little Len!!
Ben was not to be outdone or left out and took to the air. He flew several tester flights across the roof of the apartment building that he spent the night on before taking off and ending up on the roof of another apartment directly west. Not content to stay there and wanting to go where the food was, Ben once again took off and flew around the DeBeers building and made up to the top!! Great flight for this little one. He then made another flight around DeBeers and disappeared out of my sight. I went looking for him and knew that he was close as the adults were in the area and looking quite relaxed. After several hours of searching, I found him on a ledge of the DeBeers building that is of the same height and type as the nest he came from!! Wow!! Ben seems to be getting it together!! Len was still on the ICICI building when I left for the afternoon having a nap and digesting all of the food that the adults had been packing into him. I look forward to seeing Len becoming an aerial artist just like his brother!!
Posted on July 13, 2012 9:05 am
July 11, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Now that I am back in town from my shifts at the Waterloo Sun Life nest site, I headed down after work to support Bruce and Kathy at the new Don Mills nest site. Bruce brought me up to speed informing me that the two adults were on the DeBeers building when he arrived at 2pm, one juvenile was on the apartment building chimney and one was in a rescue carrier. At 3pm, both adults made a vigorous attempt to get the chick, Ben, off of the top of the chimney with multiple stoops by the parents. He refused to budge.
When I arrived at about 6pm, the female flew over to Chimney Ben with a small package of food and sat directly above him on a ladder rail while he ate. An hour later, the male flew over to DeBeers with food and the female came out to meet him. This was immediately taken over to the juvenile and he was once again fed. The female took up her position above Ben on the rail and stayed there most of the evening. The two of them, mother and son, were incredibly vocal and could be heard as far away as our viewing spot in the back of the ICICI building!! At 8pm, the adult male flew into DeBeers with food that he then consumed for himself before he took off on another hunt to the northwest. He came back a few minutes later empty taloned and settled in on the ICICI building. As I packed up for the night and left the release of Len in Bruce’s capable hands, Ben was still on the chimney, the adult male was on the ICICI building and the adult female joined him there.
Bruce and Kathy will be out tomorrow with some other amazing volunteers to monitor Ben and Len as they learn the art of flying. Many thanks again go out to ICICI building management, staff and security and the awesome volunteers who have come together so quickly for this family. Thanks to Randy and his children, Ann, Bruce, Kathy and Kathy, and Irma!!
Posted on July 13, 2012 8:56 am
July 11, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
I arrive 5:50am and Randy (neighbourhood volunteer) was already there. He had spotted one baby on the 5th floor window ledge of the ICICI building and the other was nowhere to be seen. The female was south on the apartments screaming away so I patrolled the grounds around both complexes with no site of Ben ( blue tape ). While watching Len ( yellow tape ) Irma and her husband Dick had joined us. We look up and there’s the lil brat Ben on the chimney of apartments!!
By 8 am Ben on the chimney gets food and by 8:30 am, Len who had been hanging out on the 5th floor window comes down to the but not before circling both buildings. I take Len in to security and we place him in a rescue carrier and lock him in the security room. By the afternoon, the parents, both confirmed as unbanded adults, are now flying by Ben on the chimney with food. Ben was content to stay on the chimney and scream but refused to fly for it. No takers!!
Bruce arrives and shortly after the adults buzz Ben several times in a effort to get him off of the chimney. There was work being conducted on the roof area of the apartment building so I obtained the managers phone number just in case. Bruce went over and was able to catch a couple of workers coming down for a break and gave them the heads up or should I say “HEADS UP”; a little friendly warning in case baby come down to roof level and the parents came over to protect him.
I left the Watch with Ben on the chimney being watched by Bruce, Randy and the parents and Len safely tucked away in a rescue carrier. Bruce will do the release tonigh and hopefully Len will have learned to stay high!! A big thank you to security and building management of ICICI, the nest building, for helping out Len once again!!
Posted on July 12, 2012 9:34 am
July 10, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Smith Reports:
I was called by Mark Nash and informed that two juvenile peregrine falcons were on the ground at the ICICI building in the Don Mills and Eglinton area and that a local resident was standing watch over the little ones. I quickly got into my car and called Bruce Massey so that we could coordinate and together help these two fledglings. Bruce and Randy had already worked together to gather up the chicks and they were now safe from traffic and it was time to work on where we go from here. Mark Nash put in a call to Mark Heaton of the OMNR about banding the two juveniles and arrangements were put in motion. I contacted Mr. Heaton and we agreed to meet at the CPF Raptor Centre once he was done with field work and band the two birds. I can’t say enough how important the banding of the juvenile peregrines is as a part of the continued recovery and monitoring of the species. It identifies these birds as a part of recovery program, protects them as they migrate south in the fall and supplies us with a wealth of information such as where they go, survival rates and migration routes.
I met Mark Heaton at the centre and we began the process of banding, sexing and ageing the juveniles and we are pleased to report that we have two healthy and hissy boys!! With the banding complete, the boys were then packed up and ready to go home to their parents. I met Bruce Massey at the site to prepare for the release. The building management at ICICI had been contacted and informed of the successful peregrine nest on their building and that their two fledglings required release on the roof. A few phone calls later and we were set to go!!
At dusk we headed up to the roof with the two now banded juveniles that have been named by a worker at the ICICI building Ben and Len. We noted that Ben is wearing yellow tape on his USFW band and Len is wearing blue tape; this tape being so important for Fledge Watchers identifying them from a distance. ( A full report on the banding information to come!! ) Bruce Massey, security, building maintenance and myself made our way to the roof under the cover of darkness for the release. At first the two boys were reluctant to exit the rescue boxes as they had no idea where they were. Once out, Ben and Len found a good roosting spot for the night and were content to be home. Bruce and I left the two rescue carriers with security and it was time to head home and share my days adventures with my family!
This is the first year that this nest has seen success that we know of. Reports of peregrines in the area have come in over the last few years but investigations in the field have always turned up empty. This was a wonderful day of coordinated efforts to save a species at risk and is what the CPF is all about! This wouldn’t have been the success story that is was were it not for Randy, a local resident and falcon enthusiast that initially saved these two boys from making a bad choice of running into traffic. The building management, maintenance and security at ICICI were so wonderful in helping to coordinate access and release on their roof with only a moments notice. We are so grateful to Mark Heaton of the OMNR for helping us in making sure that these youngsters were banded and officially recognized as a part of the Ontario Peregrine falcon recovery program and we can’t say enough thanks to Bruce Massey for his incredible efforts to help rescue, release and now watch over the juveniles.
Phew!! A hectic day with an incredibly happy ending!! Thank you everyone so very much!!
Posted on July 12, 2012 9:17 am
July 09, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
July 9th - 2012
Two fledglings peregrines were observed wandering around on the ground at 7:30 am in the morning, guarded by several members of the local community until CPF was notified. Bruce and Kathy from the CPF to the rescue!
Well, it seems that every year over the past several years we have discovered a new nest site that has evaded detection and is only discovered when fledglings start appearing on the ground. This year is no exception! Today, reports started flooding in to the CPF head office phones, mobile phones and e-mail of a report of two young falcons wandering around on the roadway narrowly being missed by on coming vehicle traffic. A huge thank you to Randy and his family who spent most of the day protecting and guarding the two fledglings until CPF was finally notified and dispatched to the site at that ICICI building in the Eglinton Ave east and Don Valley Parkway.
What really adds injury to insult, (at least for us), is that we have been getting reports of peregrine activity in this area for the past six plus years. For this same period of time, we have spend many hours each year and never have we seen been able to find a nest site. This is the first year that we have had evidence of actual nesting activity and offspring being produced.
Again thanks to Randy’s persistence with the many telephone calls that he made with most everyone not given him much attention and assistance, he was finally forwarded to the Toronto Wildlife Centre in Downsview, who identified his photos as peregrines and then called the CPF.
With an incredible story to follow of the days events by all, the two young fledglings were eventually rescued from the roadway. A huge thank you also goes out to Bruce and Kathy from the CPF who responded so quickly and managed to facilitate they rescues.
More of the story to follow. Here are some of the many photos that were sent into us by Samantha, Dominic and Randy.
Stay tuned for additional details of the rescue, banding and release back to their parents!
Now a new fledge watch!! HELP!!!!!!
Posted on July 10, 2012 11:54 pm
July 05, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
From a July 4th article from CBC News.
Peregrine falcons have been living in Moncton’s Assumption Place since April.
A young peregrine falcon became a sideshow on Canada Day after it fell from the sky to a downtown Moncton sidewalk.
Earlier this spring, birders were thrilled that a pair of falcons nested on top of Assumption Place, Moncton’s tallest office building.
Since then, the community has had some chances to observe the endangered birds and their offspring.
The most recent spotting came on Sunday when it appears a young male falcon was on the losing end of an aerial dogfight with his sister, according to Alain Clavette, a local birder.
Clavette was called to help when the 47-day-old falcon ended up on the sidewalk.
“While they’re dogfighting — they’re basically fighting up in the sky, sometimes with prey items. But it’s a way for them to learn how to hunt. I think she’s learning fast and she’s knocked her brother out of the sky and he came down tumbling,” he said.
Clavette said birders aren’t sure how many young falcons hatched from the four eggs laid in the box high above Assumption Place because they have only seen three of the birds at a time.
But the upside to the bird’s fall, Clavette said, is that locals are learning how to live around wildlife.
“Apparently on Main Street [on] Sunday people were saying, ‘Don’t touch them. They’re nesting on the roof of the building. Somebody’s going to come. It’s an endangered species,” Clavette said.
“Apparently that was the speech that was being told amongst the people. So people are aware.”
The Moncton birder said the falcon could have been in danger if someone mishandled the bird.
“The most dangerous part for him would’ve been to start being tampered with by people who don’t know how to handle him. Just holding a bird like that, if you hold him wrongly, he’s going to try to escape at one point, make a move, he can break a wing, he can break a talon if you’re not holding it properly.”
Still Clavette wants to step it up and start an online falcon webcam if the birds show up next year.
Posted on July 5, 2012 2:20 pm
July 02, 2012 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 2nd - 2012
Interesting photos sent into us by Ron that he snapped last week weekend of a pair of Red-tail hawks hanging out together.
Of particular interest in addition to the white coloured Red-tail, is it mate, one that dawns a gold coloured band on it leg.
This gold coloured band is consistent with that used by breeders to band their captive produced birds.
It is obvious that this bird is yet another privately owned raptor, one that has escaped its owner and has not been recovered.
Ron writes:
Photos taken on July 2nd - 2012 on Bruce Road 1 near County Road 20. We first spotted it on June 30th but were without our camera so we went back on Monday to see if it was still there and it was in the exact same place we found them the first time. The pole it sits on is directly opposite a nest where another adult is sitting. We believe they are a pair. I’ve attached a picture of its mate as well as a couple more of the white Red-tail. I had a bit of difficulty determining which was male/female so maybe you can tell better. I am reasonably sure that the other is also a Red-tail hawk, but wouldn’t state 100% as I’m really a beginner in this.
Ron James
Posted on July 5, 2012 1:09 pm
June 30, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
As reported earlier this spring, a female Peregrine named Gleig, hatched in 2009 at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel has nested in Buffalo NY. Gleig has had 2 chicks. They were banded on June 23rd in Buffalo at the Central Terminal nest. The chicks were both female and named Wagner and Alfreda respectively.
The excellent photos from Vicki are of the nest building, both adults and one of the young. This is great news, as this adds to the legacy of Madame X and Surge.
We appologize for the delay in posting, all available CPF staff have been busy in the field.
Posted on July 5, 2012 8:02 am
June 27, 2012 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
We apologize for the delay in posting, computer issues and everyone being busy in the field held these posts up.
reporting for: CPF Windsor Co-ordinators Dennis and Gwen.
Thanks to Jerry Peltier for these wonderful photos and all of his contributions to the CPF reports.
CPF was made aware of a new nesting site in Windsor. Jerry was able to capture photos of both the male, who is unbanded clearly in Jerry’s incredible shots and the female who is banded. In the photos you can see she has a purple US Fish and Wildlife band(they fade to look pink). This indicates she was banded in the US. Jerry,Dennis and Gwen will all be trying to get the colour band for a positive ID of the female.
Posted on July 5, 2012 7:39 am
July 04, 2012 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Thought you might be interested in seeing this Albino Red Tail we found in Bruce County
Photos by Ron James and Laureen Cote
Posted on July 5, 2012 2:44 am
