June 28, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
None of us thought we would be still doing this 22 days after we started, but here we are. Our morning was very quiet. Breakfast was served early and as far as I know there were no more food drops to either chicklet. Nihei had to have her nap, of course.
Tailer has now mastered soaring, and has been seen going very high in the sky. He looks wonderful! He still likes to tuck himself in the box on the Crowne.
Nihei, on the other hand, seems to like the northeastern corner of Tower 1. Her brother flies over from time to time to sit with her. This time, when he flew over, both were at the corner, flapping vigorously. We expected her to bop him off the ledge, but that didn’t happen.
Then late this afternoon, the adults issued warnings and both flew over Tower 2. It turned out to be men working on the Minto, putting up the flag for Canada Day. Eventually the adults gave up. Tailer showed up on Tower A begging for food. Nihei was out of our sight.
We were sitting under the trees across the road when Nihei was in the air! She flew across to the hotel and tried to land in the box that her brother liked, but she couldn’t, so she turned back and landed on another part of the same roof she started out from. Then it poured. We ran into the bus shelted and continued to watch. Tailer was still on Tower A behind us. We could see him in the reflection of Tower 2. She then flew across to a good landing on Tower A and walked over to join Tailer. Diana and Connor showed up on the same tower. Apparently Diana had a small piece of meat. Connor jumped in and grabbed it! He flew out overhead and dropped it and Tailer flew out and caught it! Needless to say, Nihei complained loudly. We all felt she should have been rewarded for flying with dinner, but when we eventually left, she still had not eaten.
Soon Tailer was up on Tower B. Nihei wanted to join him and slowly flapped and walked down to the closest corner and flew, or hopped over to his side. They both made it to the southwest corner.
Then we saw a strange thing. Tailer flew very fast westwards. He muffed 4 landings, made it to Tower 1, left and went around the Crowne, back, missed another landing, flew around and landed on the corner of the nest ledge, flew out again and landed in the box where he likes to sleep. That is where we left them, in the rain.
We will continue tomorrow and possibly Tuesday, but I doubt our chicklets will need us further. Let’s hope we can sit and watch as they fly and play together in the sky!
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 30, 2009 10:36 am
June 27, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
I am beginning to think our Nihei is going for a record, the most number of days without flying! Have any of you experienced this? Let me know, please!
Well, same old, same old. Our day started out the same as the day before, with Nihei still on Tower 1. She is now 49 days old, and Tailer is 50 today. Maybe she is waiting to turn 50 before she goes. She had better do it right!
Breakfast was served just before 7am. Tailer had his on the top of the Bay St Apartments, a Mourning dove which he plucked. Obviously his lessons are going well. He flies freely between all the buildings in the area, as well as on the antennas on high buildings, and never forgetting to spend time with his sister on Tower 1. I am sure he is hoping she will join him soon so they can play talon tag and do barrel rolls, and other things young falcons can share ( except food).
Diana and Connor move around between the antenna on the Carlisle, the Crowne Plaza Hotel, and the sensors on Tower C, as well as Towers 1 and 2 of Constitution Square. They bring food once in a while. I miss Horizon who was an excellent, but no nonsense mother. She would not bring food at this time, but would fly by her chicklet, holding food in her talon and making sure her baby saw it, then flying away with it. Surely Nihei would have been flying by now…… A thought!
Nihei spends her day alternating between sleeping, begging, eating, being out of sight, beetling, and again. Do we have a drama queen here? She can beg quietly, then turn up the volume, sound unhappy, then turn on the sob story, and can make herself sound absolutely miserable if she isn’t fed! Fortunately that doesn’t work as fast as she hopes for.
Tailer has adopted a habit his father, Connor used to have, sleeping in the “box” on the side of the hotel ( used to be an access door for the neon sign that used to be there).
This afternoon I had the opportunity to go up to the 21st floor to check on our Nihei. She was sleeping on her tummy, out of sight of the watchers below. That visit was to confirm that it was Tailer who flew from Tower 1, not her. We have had several moments of a false alarm now. One time this evening, Tailer had dinner on Tower 2. Just as he was cleaning up, a biplane flew overhead and he nearly jumped to Tower 1. As a chicklet suddenly flew from there to the box on the side of the hotel, everyone thought she had finally gone. Once again, I went up to the 21st floor to check it out. She was still where she had been, picking at something on the ledge, while Tailer had flown and was on the tiny ledge above the box! Diana passed by with food and he dove on her, following her to the west side. Another time had volunteers running around looking for her and finally spotting a chicklet on the side of Tower 2. When Diana came with food, it was Tailer, once again getting fed. Nihei was still on Tower 1, watching! Diana actually fed him beak to beak as if he were still a little baby……. Watching from the Delta is proving a good spot now.
When we left tonight, she was still on Tower 1, east corner, and Tailer was snoozing in the box, just below her.
Tomorrow???????
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 28, 2009 12:22 pm
June 26, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Arriving at 6am, Both chicklets were on Tower 1, hoping for breakfast. Tailer spotted Connor and followed him around Tower 1 and heading south. Nihei started to beetle westward along the north side, and disappeared inside. A few minutes later, Diana delivered breakfast to Tailer on Tower 2. She then went to the antenna on the Carlisle. Soon, Tailer flew to join Diana, but she left as soon as he arrived. For a while Connor was on the southwest corner of the Crowne. There may have been a food drop to Nihei near the northwest corner of Tower 1.
Just after 7, Tailer went flying with Diana, twisting and turning in the air. What a superb flyer! She eventually gave up but he continued for a few more minutes.
Closer to 7:30 Nihei suddenly appears at the northwest corner of Tower 1, bathed in shining gold from the early morning sun. She is so beautiful. Of course, I had not my camera at this moment, but will hold it in myself always.
Within a half hour, she was on her belly, sleeping. Her parents were on the antenna of the Carlisle, flying off and on a few times. She awoke and showed us a few wing-flaps. This kind of activity went on most of the day.
We had a few exciting times when someone would say that Nihei had flown to this location or that location. As we needed confirmation by sighting Tailer at the same time, all eyes were turned upwards. Unfortunately none of these times worked out as we soon would see a head on Tower 1, Nihei every time. She went to the southwest corner only once, staying north most of the day. Tailer was everywhere, including the top of Tower 3 for the first time. He is in and out of the ledge on the Crowne and in and out of the wires of the antenna on Tower C, all with no trouble!
We had some rain around noon, but the really interesting time was the thunderstorm this evening. The sound of it was resounding, as if it were right next to us. After the storm was over, we looked for our chicklets, and there they were, up on Tower 1 together, looking like a pair of drowned rats! They were so disheveled, and appeared to be grooming each other’s heads.
As we left, we were not sure Nihei was fed again, much to her dismay. If they would withhold her food, she would probably be in the air now. There is such a thing as over feeding your children….
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 27, 2009 1:35 am
June 25, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With the day so hot, it is little surprise that our Nihei is still atop Tower 1. As the air started to cool down a bit this evening, she became a bit more active and beetled around the edge faster than before. Let’s hope this is the prelude to flying tomorrow.
Tailer seems to like the antenna on the Carlisle Building the best. He is often found there. He spent time there with his mother several times today. He also had lessons in catching food dropped by Connor and never missed a beat! At one time today, he went to the top of the antenna with his wings out straight, feeling the wind, and appeared to rise up in the air with no effort of his wings.
The parents are still trying incentive flying to get Nihei off the Tower. I wish they would stop feeding her until she flies. Right now she has little reason to fly since she gets most of what she wants by sitting on the ledge of Tower 1.
I think she will soon try her wings out again, especially as we are very short of volunteers, many shifts have no one signed up. However, when she goes, let’s hope she does it right……….
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 26, 2009 9:47 am
June 24, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Our little monkey is still up on Tower 1, looking very much like a gargoyle at times….
This morning she was at the southwest corner and in a bit headed for the northeast corner, seemingly her favourite. Tailer was on the northwest corner of Tower 2. Soon he flew around, ending up on the Carlisle antenna, and went to sleep way up there.
Diana was seen on the same antenna while Connor was on the ledge of the hotel. Eventually Tailer joins Nihei on Tower 1. She was out of sight often and was thought to have taken her first flight. However that was soon found to be untrue as she was seen on “her” corner. It had been Tailer who had been flying around.
Since she was out of sight at times, there is no confirmation of any food drops today, until a very small one for Nihei. There is no record of food for Tailer, but he could have followed an adult and eaten elsewere.
Once again, she seems to be doing little activities other than beetling along the edges. Her parents are still doing incentive flying, past her, over her, near her, sometimes landing on the edge near her, then taking off. They are certainly working hard at parenting!
Tailer is very adept at landing on the antenna on Tower C, this time landing on the very point of a vertical tube rather than a radial arm. Then he flew over to the antenna on the Carlisle.
Tonight Nancy and Anouk stayed later. She perked up around 9:30, when they were leaving, flapping her wings and going back to her corner.
We have noticed one primary wing feather missing. This was not from today as we saw it that way a while ago. This, coupled with heat and humidity, as well as weight may be the reason she is taking longer to get going. Don’t give up! It will happen.
Posted on June 25, 2009 2:20 pm
June 23, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
I arrived downtown about 5:35 this morning. Jorgen arrived a few minutes later. We didn’t see Nihei at first and went around to look for a bit. Then we did see her, still clinging to the window ledge! She seemed to sleep a bit, then look around. Connor flew past her to land on a sensor on the side of Tower C, then back in front of her, but she wouldn’t fly yet. I had to leave, but Jorgen stayed, good thing. After 9am she left the hotel and flew over Queen St. She tried to get on a couple of buildings like the Podium but missed her mark. Her flight was ok, and so was her landing, on the ground. He went to her, gathered her up in a towel and took her back up to the roof of Tower 1 in the box while the others on shift waited below.
Back on the roof, she did little for a long time. She was fed close to 11 by Diana who then went to feed Tailer. He has been a whiz at flying, and seems to really enjoy his wings. He showed us how easy it is for him to land up on the antenna of Tower C!
The adults did more incentive flying, still not working. She beetled from one end to the other once in a while, causing the volunteers to move from location to location, just in case she would suddenly fly. What a game. When we left tonight, she was on the west, south west area of the hotel. We left Anouk still watching, just in case. She was to leave when it got too dark to see. I hope she got home before it was time to get up……..
The morning shift may have to look for Nihei should she decide to try her wings again. She did not seem to want to settle down for the night!
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 23, 2009 11:02 pm
June 22, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Our young lady stayed on Tower 1 where we left her last night. We have had the opportunity to see her with Tailer who loves flying but who seems contented to spend time with his sister between bouts of flying. We have seen him plop down next to her, she sitting up and he flat on his belly. Sometimes both parents are also up there. Most of the day has been rather quiet, with most sightings from the ground of one or both chicklets sitting on the edge, or beetling it along the ledges. My reference is to the view we have of a falcon hunched over as it walks. From the ground, we don’t see the legs, so a rounded object is moving along the ledge very much like watching beetles moving along.
She still had not flown in the evening, so I left around 7:30. Then around 9, she flew, this time landing on the Crowne Plaza Hotel, on a window ledge on the 9th floor! The ledges below the windows are slanted, with little to give security to a bird who, to us is big, to the building is very small. She is most likely holding on by just a few talons…… It grew too dark for the volunteers to see her, so they left her there, with her parents on nearby buildings, watching her, and her brother up on the ledge.
We will again check on her in the morning, hopefully to find her in a better position on a nearby building.
As you can see, she still isn’t out of the woods yet, and the call for volunteers goes on. A few are giving much more of their time than we had expected,and I cannot thank them enough! Please see if there are a few more hours you can give for Nihei’s fledging period.
Cheers, Eve
Posted on June 23, 2009 8:30 pm
June 21, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
What a day! I arrived downtown around 5:30 this morning and started by looking and listening, to nothing. Tailer was no longer on the Marriott. After a walkabout I found Connor on Tower A, Diana on the antenna of the Standard Life Building, Nihei on her ledge and still no Tailer. When the others joined in, they went to have a look and I stayed to check on Nihei, just in case she flew.
Finally at nearly 8, Diana flew to Tower 1 with a kill, followed by Tailer. I went to the Penthouse of the Crowne to make sure it was Tailer ( yes). Then the “fun” began……
Right at 9:45, Nihei left the ledge. She flew towards Tower 1, circled a bit, headed towards Tower A, and ran into trouble as she had no height, having stayed level with her ledge. She may have glanced off the middle of the west side. We watched in horror as she tumbled down, down and landed with her wings spread apart on the down ramp of the Crowne. Everyone ran over there and Chris rescued her while I called Bill. Once he arrived, we went inside Tower 2 and Nihei was banded. She is a hefty 1060 gms! Wow! We have never had such a large female. She takes after her mother. Her black band on her left leg has 80 over X, very recognizable in large white lettering. Chris and Marie took her in the box back up to the ledge. It took a minute for her to emerge as she seemed to like the box.
Suddenly she was off the ledge again. And, once again, we watched in horror as she flew to the middle of the west side of Tower A and fell down, catching her talon on a metal bar. She got free and continued to fall, landing on a ledge just by the down ramp, the same on as before. This time she was rescued by Anouk, passed to Eve and taken back to the Constitution Square. After being briefly checked, she was put into the box and put in a cool corner, and left to rest. She was exhausted and slept for a few hours.
Meanwhile Tailer was found to be on the Marriott with a parent who soon flew away. Amazingly, the parents never saw Nihei leave either time. They did begin to look for her after a while, once they realized she was not on the ledge.
Once evening arrived, Lorraine and I took the boxed falcon up to the roof of Tower 1 to release her there. She had more room than on her ledge. She made her way to the side of the roof, tried to jump on the outer ledge, failed, and decided to take a nap, a wise move. We descended to the street and all watched anxiously from the sidewalk. Eventually she was seen on the outer ledge. As we watched, she moved along the ledge, exploring one way, then the other, back and forth, walking like a little beetle. It was interesting to see her brother across on Tower 2. He then flew past her to the ledge. Show off!
Connor had brought a bit of food to her, but it wasn’t much. Soon Diana brought more and fed her daughter on the ledge, with Connor keeping watch on the corner. Tailer couldn’t stand it and flew to the ledge also. The whole family there. I raced up to the penthouse again with my camera to record this. Diana was feeding Nihei and Tailer was creeping closer, one step at at time, watching his mother. As soon as Diana flew away, he ran to his sister’s side, and jumped on the food, eating as fast as he could. Nihei just watched him. When he was done, both sat together. What a sight!
Back on the sidewalk, we still stared up for glimpses of our chicklets, and hoping that Nihei would not fly anywhere tonight. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 23, 2009 8:17 pm
June 20, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
I wonder sometimes just how much time we have put in staring at a building just in case a chicklet shows itself…… If you had asked me that 13 years ago, when I became involved with this venture, I would have said not much time. Now I know different!
This morning Tailer was still on the west side of the hotel and Nihei was still on the east side. Food drops today were small in size. Unfortunately Connor and Diana haven’t worked this out as Horizon had. Withhold food to get more activity. Just when we thought Nihei was ready to fly, Connor would show up with another snack, and Diana never stopped him. Frustrating for the watchers……
In the middle of the afternoon, some of us were suddenly on the run after Nihei as she flew in a southwesterly direction, only to find out it was Diana flying and Nihei was still in her spot! Many times in the past years, we have been fooled like this, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Early this evening there was some enticement flying by the adults, trying to stimulate Nihei into her first flight, to no avail.
We realized we had not seen Tailer in some time on the west ledge, so we started to search. He was found to be on top of the hotel. His poor distressed mother was looking around for him, not realizing he was right above her! A little while later, he left the Crowne and tried to get up on Tower C, but missed and bumped a window, tumbling a few feet down before recovering and trying to get back to the west ledge, missing that and flying east, to be found on a ledge on the west side of the Ottawa Marriott Hotel. He immediately flopped onto his belly and went to sleep. He was there when we left. Meanwhile Diana showed up with food for Nihei who attacked her. We think it was another small snack as she was up on the ledge rather quickly. She continues to beg for food every time she sees a parent.
I hope she does not get fed so often tomorrow, and that she will finally take her first flight.
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 20, 2009 10:49 pm
June 19, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
What an eventful day today. Tailer loves flying!
First thing this morning, Diana fed Nihei, but not Tailer. He, not happy at all, flew over to Tower A where he saw Connor, who left. A little while later, Connor brought food for Tailer, but dropped it down the side of the building. About 20 or 30 feet from the ground, he caught it and brought it back up for his son. Amazing feat!
Eventually Diana brought more food. Tailer was still on the southwest corner of Tower B. Suddenly both parents went into alarm mode, first over Tower A, and then Tower B. Men were on the roof, apparently doing their annual roof check. I went to see Security who said they would contact the men, not having realized a baby was up there. Meanwhile, Connor accompanied Tailer over to the top of the Crowne. Actually he went to the southwest corner of Tower C. After a while things calmed down.
Tailer saw Diana on the other corner of the building and flew to her. She left and he followed her, both flying over and around us and disappearing. Soon he was spied on the antenna on the Carlisle Building.
We watched Nihei as she practiced her wing-flapping at either end of her ledge, napping on the ledge at the north end, hoping for food, and disappearing out of sight at times. One time she looked like a little striped Buddha.
This evening Tailer made an attempt at getting into the west ledge, missed, turned around in the air, trying it again, and making it! We now know he can go anywhere. Diana was seen on the ledge, gently putting tiny pieces of a pigeon in his beak, as if he were a little baby.
When we left, he was at the southwest end, Nihei was inside the southeast end, Diana was up above us somewhere, and Connor was on the northwest corner of Tower 1.
Tomorrow most of our concentrations will be on Nihei, who will likely try out her wings in the air…..
Posted on June 20, 2009 1:18 am
