- International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
My friend,Lee Ellis sent these great photos of Saturdays Peregrine Falcon release at Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch in Toronto Ontario Canada. Canadian Peregrine Foundation’s Mark Nash and I carry the Peregrine down to be released. Marion Nash sets the Peregrine Free. The Peregrine takes flight. Lands briefly on the fence and then takes to the sky! Thanks for these great shots Lee!
Posted on October 18, 2010 11:11 pm
October 16, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
On Friday,Marion Nash called me while I was at the raptor watch I run(Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch). She asked if Id be interested in a Peregrine being released at the watch. BOY WAS I!!
The Peregrine had been rescued in Brampton after hitting a building and getting stuck on a glass balcony. It was taken to Toronto Wildlife Centre,where it was treated for a smacked up cere(nose) and swollen orbital ridge(above the eye). All other appropriate checks were done at TWC and after 8 days of rehabilitation and observation,the last 2 in a flight pen,the tundrius,adult,male Peregrine(unbanded) was ready for release. The Peregrine was transferred to CPF on Friday and was released on Saturday. A good group of my raptor watching friends had gathered,and after a little hesitation,the Peregrine took flight. He paused briefly for a look out over Lake Ontario and then began to circle. He flew higher and higher and abit further out. What a site to see this marvelous bird regain his freedom. To our complete delight and amazement,a 2nd Peregrine soon joined him. They circled together,before both resumed their southward journey. What a thrill!! Thanks to Mark and Marion for thinking of my watch site for the release. It is something those gathered wont soon forget! Here is a video I put together,and a few photos. Friends will send some pictures in the next few days,so I will add them to the site and to the video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeKm806sDdU
Posted on October 16, 2010 10:32 pm
October 08, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With a big thank you to Cynthia Head for sending in a great photo and a report of a not so typical happening in this end of the city. The photo illiterates a great shot with one of our Toronto produced juvenile peregrine falcons with a very fresh pigeon kill as it stands on the kill on the roadway (of course in traffic). Another huge thank you to an unidentified lady that stoped and parked her vehicle in front of the young not so long ago fledged juvenile to protect it from the rush hour traffic while it carried on with meal.
Over the years, we see allot of these happenings in and around the urban nest sites where we are involved in the many fledge watches. Sadly, many of the young fledglings are not so lucky with their with interaction with the local automobile traffic. In this case, it appears that the quick thinking and actions of the unidentified lady likely saved this young peregrines life.
Lets hope that this young juvenile learns NOT to repeat this same action in the future to avoid becoming another casualty in our streets.
Posted on October 14, 2010 5:52 pm
October 06, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With a big thank-you to Andy McLachlan for his photos and observation report of a feathered visitor that dropped in for a quick pigeon snack behind the Toronto City hall much to the delight of the MANY onlookers.
Although not a peregrine falcon as earlier suspected, the juvenile Coopers / Sharpe-shinned hawk was not bothered at with all of the excitement that it was causing.
Posted on October 14, 2010 4:25 pm
September 14, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
I caught this Osprey fishing at Balsam lake a couple of weeks back…..feel free to use it.
Michael Irwin
Posted on September 14, 2010 10:29 am
- International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
From Google News…Associated Press Story
Ex-soldier jailed for stealing rare falcon eggs
By RAPHAEL G. SATTER
LONDON — A former special forces soldier was jailed Thursday for attempting to sneak out of Britain with a stash of 14 rare peregrine falcon eggs hidden in socks strapped to his body.
Jeffrey Lendrum, 48, was trying to get to Dubai, where falconry is a national sport and such eggs can fetch 5,000 pounds ($11,000) each on the black market. He was caught when a cleaner spotted him behaving suspiciously in a business class lounge at Birmingham International Airport on May 3.
Lendrum originally told police he was carrying store-bought chicken eggs, which he said he used to treat a bad back, but he pleaded guilty Thursday at Warwick Crown Court, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of London.
He sat with his arms crossed and his head bowed for nearly the entire hearing.
Prized in falconry for their phenomenal speed — they are thought to reach up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour when they dive — the birds are a protected species under British law.
Judge Christopher Hodson said Lendrum’s crime hurt not only the local area “but in some measure to the planet and its future” and sentenced him to 30 months in jail.
Lendrum, an Irish citizen, has previous convictions for stealing rare eggs in Canada and Zimbabwe. A former member of the special forces of Rhodesia, as Zimbabwe was known before its independence, he has apparently put his military training to use — at various points either rappelling down a cliff or lowering himself from a helicopter to reach particularly remote nests.
Guy Shorrock, with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said he believed Lendrum had been stealing eggs for years.
“It’s clearly very lucrative,” he said. “He has a very good buyer in the Middle East for these birds and he probably receives tens of thousands of pounds (dollars) for his trouble.”
Retired police officer Andy McWilliam, who worked on the case for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said he was hoping to meet Lendrum behind bars to learn more about his tactics.
As for the eggs themselves, quick-thinking police made sure they were kept warm. Eleven out of the 14 have hatched, and most of the falcon chicks have since been returned to wild.
___
Online:
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ site on peregrine falcons: http://bit.ly/cLOK5I
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Posted on August 20, 2010 4:33 pm
August 06, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Since July 26 Bill and I have been following the goings on of a couple of adults peregrines who have been hanging out on the hydro towers at Brant and Ghent Streets in downtown Burlington, ON. Yesterday I was finally able to see a band number, black band 29 over Y. Mark Nash has advised that this is none other than McKenzie who was banded May 26, 2009 at the Etobicoke Sun Life Centre at Bloor and Islington. The female is unbanded.
I wonder if we are going to have a new nesting pair in Burlington, Ont???
Posted on August 6, 2010 3:22 pm
July 23, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
Today at William Osler Heath Centre,CPF,Ministry of Natural Resources and Osler management and staff took part in the first banding ceremony ever at the facility. The Ontario Stewardship Rangers were in attendance and assisted with the banding.
The extraction was a little tricky today,as one of the chicks,believed to be a male,eluded Mark Heaton of MNR,running around on the ledge out of range. As a result this chick will be banded at a later date if it should be rescued at fledge time. One chick,a beautiful healthy female was banded today. She will be named in the near future,stay tuned for a coming post. Those who took part will also be more thoroughly identified and thanked! The particulars of todays banding:
Female,25 days old,weighing in at a very healthy 890 grams,black over black band,23/X.
The chick was very vocal. Ashleigh from the Ontario Stewardship Rangers held the chick,while Mark Heaton from the Ministry of Natural Resources banded the bird.
The adults and proud parents on site were confirmed to be:
Female:named O’Connor,hatched 05/06/07 at the Landmark Building in Summit County Ohio. Banded on 05/24/07 .
Male: named Hurricane, who hatched in 2004 on the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Many thanks to William Osler Health Centre security,maintanence and management for their help today and fine care which they take of their birds on an ongoing basis. The Osler folks are very proud hosts of this nest.
Posted on July 24, 2010 4:11 am
July 18, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Reports:
Just a few minutes ago myself and several others from the BCAW Falcon board were finally able to clearly see the bands on the new female that has been making herself at home in Columbus, Ohio! She was spotted a few months back by Chad & Chris in Ohio so luckily I still had her information at hand.
“Black 32 over Black X banded Pefa was produced at the Hamilton Sheraton hotel nest site last year in 2009, banded on June 2nd as a female at approx. 26 days old, weighing 1014 grams (empty crop) and was named Durand.
Her parents were Madam X and Surge - (Surge was hatched and produced at the Etobicoke - Bloor and Islington (Sun Life Centre) nest site in 2002.”
Posted on July 18, 2010 9:10 am
July 08, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Matt MacGillivray Reports:
10TV reports that Scout, a nesting Peregrine Falcon on the Rhodes Tower in Ohio, was struck by a worker with a broom before falling 40 stories to it’s death. Read the full story here. (via @10tv on twitter).
Posted on July 8, 2010 8:36 am
