Diana is brooding in the same location as last year, at the southeast end of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Due to the delays, I think the hatching will take place in the first week of June, with the Falcon Watch starting closer to the end of June. Stay tuned for updates as we get them.
Eve Ticknor
Good morning, all, just to let you know that the falcons have been spotted this morning (Wednesday Apr. 28/2010) at 10:15 à 10:25 a.m. Male sighted in flight and on CP hotel SE corner (last year’s nest site) TWO females in air above at the same time (both were larger than the bird that landed on CP and of about equal size some “chasing” observed but male did not participate but was watching from a distance and followed when the two females headed north over the East Memorial Block). Heard calling KEE__YAAK_YAAK_YAAK from male when he was on the CP Hotel ledge; neither female responded as far as I could tell. There is a crow’s nest in one of the trees on the Place de Ville patio area (smoking area), and is in perfect sight line from the SE corner of the CP Hotel, female crow is currently brooding her eggs; perhaps this will become a “lunch-counter” for the falcons once the baby crows begin to fledge. Keep in touch and have a great day…
Scott
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Yesterday morning a falcon lands on the west side of the Crowne Plaza, near the north end.
There is alot of vocalizing for several minutes, then Diana appears near the north end of that side.
Conner then flies over to the light senser on Tower C, facing west.
Today, both falcons are on the west side of the hotel again.
phil
Yesterday afternoon, around 4pm, I saw Diana on the south face of the Coats Building. She was pretty fluffed up but was looking around, not for hunting. I have no idea where Connor was, as I then passed around the Crowne but he wasn’t there.
Eve Ticknor
8:30 am.
I think it is tailor heading for the antenna on the Bradson building, there is an adult there. Once he arrives, the adult takes off,,,tailor follows, with lots of calling. He then starts chasing pigeons, and at one point comes within about 10 meters of the ground of the parking lot across from the Crowne! {he is looking down at me at one point} With no success he ends up on the veterans building and tries again..the pigeons just scatter. He flies over to the top of the Crowne and continues to vocalize. no one else in sight at this time.
Phil
On Sunday morning both of our juneniles were flying together in front of the
Hello all, I know some have been worried about the lack of Nihei sightings but this morning at 11:15 I spotted two young falcons playing about the south west corner of Place de Ville “C”.
Chris Traynor
Eve Ticknor
Connor, Nihei and Tailer photos taken by Chris Traynor.
Eve Ticknor
This is our last day, and it has been a strange one. Other than seeing the adults sitting here and there, I had little sightings of any falcons. I’d see one on the west side of the Crowne and 1 on the Carlisle antenna. Tailer was seen once in a long while, but didn’t do any of his usual flying overhead as he did yesterday. Once Diana took him over the river for lessons, perhaps in hunting. As for Nihei, she has been out of sight all day.
Our next to last day! We had no one on 6 - 9 so this report starts at 9am. I found Nihei still on the southwest corner of Tower B while Tailer was on the southwest corner of the roof of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Both our adults were on the Carlisle antenna.
Just after 10am, Diana brought food to Tower B where her daughter was sitting, but Tailer, who followed her there, grabbed it first and all Nihei could do was watch and wait until he had finished. Diana flew off and Connor sat on the antenna of Tower C. After eating, he flew to Tower A and his sister immediately jumped on the rest of the food for herself.
At 11:30 Nihei left Tower B. She headed towards the gap between Towers 2 and 3, changed her direction and went between Towers 1 and 2. Her flight was a good, steady one, maintaining her height and speed. She disappeared! We started our search, while Nancy put out the news. Our eyes searched every building top edge, every balcony and ledge, and in between without seeing her. Eventually I had the feeling she was somewhere on the top of the Minto Suites. That is a logical place to go when first flying in that gap. Diana then flew close to the top row of windows at the northwest part. Tailer went flying and showing off all his tricks and lessons, and most of that took place right above the Suites. We settled down to watch the roof from different places. We saw Tailer and the adults at various times flying around here and there, but mostly where they could see the Suites. We watched the new OC Transpo Double Decker bus pass by. We had many people pass by to see if Nihei had flown, and a few disappointed that they could not see any falcons.
Around 4, Tailer came speeding by to the antenna on Tower C, tickled the top of an upright post, and sped away again, as if practicing his stoop horizontally. He came back and landed on a red “hub” on that antenna. How comfortable he is with his flying!
And then the rain came. We still hadn’t seen Nihei, so I went up to the penthouse of the Crowne to have a look at the roofs around. I checked all the ledges, etc but still no chicklet.
Just before 7:30 there was another food drop to Tailer at the northwest corner of Tower 1, so up I went again with Nancy, for another check, still without our baby. Tailer was really working over what looked like the body of a pigeon minus the head and wings.
After 8, Chris came over and decided to go up on the roof of Tower 2 for a look. Sure enough, he found her, as he has in the past! She was on that roof, sitting on a satellite dish! We had thought she had moved from the Suites to Constitution Square, but thought Tower 1, not 2. So much for our thoughts.
Tomorrow should bring a day of eyes upwards, hoping to see Nihei flying, as well as enjoying Tailer and his parents. How lucky we are to have this family in Ottawa.
Eve Ticknor