September 11, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
And more good news! Our Paige from Don Mills/Amexon was seen again today at Tommy Thompson Park (Mike confirmed it was her on Sept 3rd)…she sure likes it there! Thanks to Dana for letting us know and thanks to Norman Franke for the fantastic pictures!
She’s a beauty that’s for sure
Posted on September 11, 2023 9:02 pm
September 03, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Ok. Time for some good news! Mike McInnis was at Tommy Thompson Park Sept 3rd and took these fantastic pictures. The banded juvie is definitely one of ours but he only got the white tape, no good shot of the numbers. So it’s either Paige from Don Mills/Amexon, Pip from William Osler or Gibson from Hamilton. Now, I’m biased lol. But it sure looks like Paige. It’s in her area, plus she was positively ID’d a month ago in Tommy Thompson Park! But, since we cannot positively ID her here, it’s one of the 3. Which is fantastic. And what great shots of her! Chasing those ducks!! I think she was having a little fun lol. He also saw an unbanded juvie down there too, so it’s a very popular spot for the young to hang out.
Thanks again to Mike!
Posted on September 7, 2023 6:09 pm
August 09, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS/AMEXON : Finally doing an overdue update! I’ve been seeing less and less of the kids. But I am still seeing them… Just one at time lol. Though I did get to see 2 of them playing but at quite a distance about a week ago. Always good to see them.
We have some wonderful shots of Paige, August 3rd, when she was visiting Tommy Thompson park! Thanks to Dana’s good eye and letting me know about the post on ebird. Pictures are by Margaret Hough.
Then on August 9th, I saw her with her parent back home! Their name does fit them - they do love to wander.
Posted on August 12, 2023 6:30 pm
July 12, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS/AMEXON SPOT CHECK : Well, it took a week… After the Don Mills fledge watch was over, I was back to work so I could check almost every day for the three of them, on and off of course. At first I saw no one. Not one. But then one morning I found one on the roof.. And I didn’t have to wait long until Gordon showed me his bands! Looking good . The next time I saw one, it was Gordon again but with a parent. Ok. Then that night Sally and I saw 3 flying in the distance but were too far to make out kids or a parent with 2. But looked great! The next morning I found one on roof again.. Took a bit but she finally showed her bands-Paige!! And then Wed, I went over after work to go up to the roof and retrieve my crate .. I pulled in and saw one on the sign. Showing off her band… Lightfoot!!! Yayyy, all three! So all are still around and looking great. Maybe one these days I’ll be lucky enough to see all three together.
Posted on July 14, 2023 7:09 am
June 20, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
SPOT CHECK DON MILLS/AMEXON : All three are looking good! Yesterday I only saw 2 and from the back lol. This morning before work, I saw Paige chowing down on her breakfast and only heard another. After work, I caught a food exchange with a 2nd juvie in pursuit. They landed on a ledge 4 floors down on the nest building. Gordon had the prize! The other watched for bit then slowly moved in, and took a large portion from him. I knew right away it had to be Lightfoot as he usually fought with Paige over food and besides, she had a huge breakfast! She finally showed me her band and it was indeed Lightfoot. Lovely to see all of them.
Posted on June 20, 2023 10:25 pm
June 16, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON DAY 10!!!:
And we’re still watching… Arrived this morning to find Lightfoot low on the back of the building. She lost a lot of height… Never good. But I settled in to wait. If she flew around to the left… Trees ugh. Right would be better but the wind is bad… I watched her turtle walk back and forth, preen, sleep. Bob joined me in the late morning. We watched. Sally came late afternoon, just in time to see her fly off to the left. I saw her round the building. We headed around and thanks to some angry robins found her right away on a ledge… She lost more height and was another ledge down. Darn. It was now quite windy and she had lost more of her confidence. But she could see her parents and siblings as they all did great flights, play and her parents trying to teach her. No go. We left her low. Not the way Sally and I wanted to end our watch-we both have commitments this weekend. But we are leaving her in the best hands.. Mark and Marion! Couldn’t ask for better! And Bob said he would also drop by when he could. So we will wait for the news… She’ll either come down into very capable hands or she will fly. Sally and I are already planning our spot checks!
Posted on June 17, 2023 12:20 am
June 14, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON DAY 8:
I arrived to see a juvie flyoff the nest building and go west. Parent was off like a shot behind them. Lost sight of them, as I had just pulled up and didn’t have my bins out yet! I figured Gordon but who knows. Ted joined me for a bit. Parent returned alone or so I thought. Saw Lightfoot on the nest ledge. Up popped one on the roof of the nest building… Paige? No Gordon! Had he come from behind the building? Oh well, he’s good. Saw him do a few lovely flights. Then the parents were up alarm calling! In a frenzy… Two fledglings and one about to, total protective mode. Unfortunately the building had to go out into the “pit” on the roof (its like at least 10 feet down, too bad peregrines have such good sight!) but only very shortly. But after the last couple of days, they were on high alert. But, this lead to me finding Paige. No she did not pop up but the parents, once the guys had exited, were still circling and alarm calling.. And they went over to the other building and circled there briefly on one side. Paige? I walked over and found her on the sign there! Wow. Now that’s quite a feat, so I was impressed. They all stayed put for a bit. Then there she came flew from the sign trying to make roof of nest bldg and missed, touched off the concrete, recovered, out and back onto the rooftop! Way to go Paige!! Rooftop pair got fed for their efforts and even Lightfoot got a bit. Maybe to keep her down as it started to pour… Again. We even got a funnel cloud advisory! Really? What next on this watch?? Smoke, torrential rains, and funnel cloud advisory? Geez. As I was watching Lightfoot, all of a sudden Gordon popped up…he was back on the nest ledge with his sister and stayed there until the evening. Sally joined me in the afternoon.
This is her report for the rest of the day :
Bob joined us in the evening after an uneventful afternoon, with food brought in (and Paige eventually getting a large package) we started to pack up, joking that this would probably get the kids going. We jinxed ourselves. Wings flapped. The parents flew in circles for a bit as if to say OK time to settle. Paige and Gordon decided to fly off the ledge and slightly out and back, overlapping. Then Gordon repeated last night’s pre-bedtime flight. Over to Intel and back. He attempted to set off again but Mom was having none of it. We watched the peregrine version of a parent chastising their kid and pushing them ahead back home. He briefly pushed back and she literally kicked his butt. It was very entertaining.
Paige decided to try a flight over as well, but overshot the Intel building and soon came back over to ICICI. Mom didn’t go after her and Dad didn’t budge from his spot. She missed the roof landing but recovered really well, turning nicely and landing a little clumsily. After Mom flew out and back to a favourite ledge, Gordon snuck back across to Intel and landed for the night on a top ledge. And this time Mom watched him without budging. Surely they’d settle now, after 9pm? Nope. Paige flew again as well and dad briefly went after to check on her. She appeared OK on the top of Intel building. Talk about pre-bedtime zoomies. We closed the watch with Lightfoot unfledged, Gordon and Paige on Intel. These fledglings seem to be active mornings and evenings, just before close.
I sure hope Lightfoot goes well tomorrow… I’m a bit tired from the long days lol
Posted on June 14, 2023 11:56 pm
June 13, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
UPDATE DON MILLS/AMEXON FLEDGE WATCH DAY 7: My day started at 630am with a call from Enrique from Amexon… He had found a bird down on lowest ledge of the parking garage gate! Could it be Gordon?? I was off like a shot lol. Arrived to find Paige! Scooped her up and into the crate with the great help of Enrique! Many thanks for the continued support from him(11 years now I think??). Into the car she went and went to see how her sister was doing… I drove up and much to my delight, found Gordon on the nest building roof!!! Way to go Gordon! He must have been on the ledge over from the nest and then flew up to the roof… Amazing! So all three accounted for. Next, get Paige back up to the roof. First, I gave her a check over, talked to Mark, and a few hours rest before she went home. As more rain was forecasted in the afternoon, noon was the time. But before then, Ted joined me to take some pictures. And Gordon did not disappoint. First, he flew back into the nest ledge–I thought it was a parent! But no, he was back with his sister Lightfoot! Then after a visit, he was off… Bolted out like his dad, then back and onto the top floor ledge. Then out and over to 250, tried for a letter, missed, back to nest building, touched off the upper concrete and over to the top floor ledge corner concrete where he “batted” for a minute or so, then off and flew over to the roof of the nest building!! Wow!! Great flying Gordon.. No need to worry about him. He even flew back into the nest ledge, show off lol. Ted headed out and it was now noon. Unfortunately I had no one coming until late afternoon, so I made sure she got home. It went like clockwork. She was up, minimal upset to the parents (though they did not like the crate being left up there lol… They got used it fairly quickly). They welcomed their girl back. Lovely. Gordon joined her and they had a great time. Sally and Bob joined me late afternoon and unfortunately, more rain ruined the party. It cleared around 730pm and food was delivered to the rooftop.. A tussle ensued but they both eventually got some. Then Gordon showed them how great he can fly… Rooftop to rooftop and back. He and Paige had some fun. Then, as we call it, 9 o’clock follies! Gordon got cocky and flew over to the other building, trying to entice Paige over!! Nooo… Mom put a stop to that! So, at 9pm, sun down, he flew home trying for the rooftop, just missed and dropped, flew out and Mom was out like a shot, bumping him up and around the building they went!! A few seconds later they came around with Mom under him, bumping and guiding him to the top ledge next to the nest ledge. Whew. He walked a bit then he was pancaked down for the night. And we were done… Long day but a good one! Now I hope to see some good flights from Paige and maybe one from Lightfoot?? Just not at 6 am please.Rollercoaster of a few days and emotions Sally said and it’s so true..
Here’s to tomorrow’s rollercoaster!
Cathy
Posted on June 14, 2023 1:45 am
June 12, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON DAY 6:
Sally reports:
Monday was, as predicted, horrible heavy rainy weather. Cathy had Gordon still on the same ledge, his siblings on the nest ledge and took a break to meet me to grab some lunch. Returning to the site, with rain still falling, we couldn’t see Gordon. The usual guilt set in that all fledge watchers deal with: The time taken to wait and watch and the awful timing of needing to leave your chair and then not knowing what happened. It was so windy around the building and fog had settled in, making for very poor visibility. We alternated driving around, walking, searching and watching in the car (rain) and hoping he was pancaked on the ledge. But it was becoming obvious he was not there. The parents weren’t searching and the rain kept every winged creature hunkered down for quite some time (no hunting and food brought in either).
Eventually, when the sky cleared, the nest area came to life again. Birds flying about, and Holden and Nagata flew around and off to get food. We resumed our walkabout. At one point, Holden came to corner of the nest building and dropped in food. We had heard what sounded like a juvie a little earlier…could Gordon have possibly gained that much elevation? This corner is incredibly windy and watching the parent lift up in that area, we allowed ourselves a little hope. We waited and watched. With Cathy there I took a walk out onto Eglinton which gives a great view of that corner but without my camera, my binoculars could only make out a couple of little shapes poking up above the edge.
We needed to get back to focus on the two girls who were now up on the ledge. Yay, finally Lightfoot was in full view. No flights from the girls so we closed the watch trying to feel hopeful but disappointed we couldn’t confirm Gordon’s location.
Posted on June 14, 2023 1:38 am
June 11, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS/AMEXON DAY 5:
Catch up time! Sally reports:
Sunday began with more waiting, and some rain. Anticipating another day of trying not to doze off we decided to break and return when siesta time was over (otherwise we would be snoozing with the birds!).
Bob arrived before Cathy and I and was fortunate to to see a fledgling suddenly flapping down down down then lifted up by a parent and guided onto a low ledge on the nest building, facing north (perhaps a slip/accidental fledge). Cathy arrived to the news, confirmed Gordon on the ledge and I joined Bob and Cathy shortly after. Gordon didn’t do much and we had him and his siblings in sight. Paige made an appearance on the ledge, we got her band colour, and the elusive Lightfoot showed us her head from time to time. We closed Sunday with Gordon on the low ledge.
Posted on June 14, 2023 1:33 am
