May 10, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Sorry for the slight delay in our wonderful news as it was a busy weekend! Mark and I went up to check on Friday May 8 and found 3 babies hatched(no 4th egg in sight–perhaps the window washer was mistaken??). Mark had a new camera to try out which we lowered down to the ledge. Jenna was on it in a flash–left more than a few scratches on it lol!! Chester came over to warn us right away, but left after just a few minutes to watch from the ICICI building(perhaps he knows us by now??!!). Mark is still working out the kinks with this wonderful new toy–eventually he hopes to be able to show the videos here–lots to learn first. Judging by the pics, Mark thinks the babies are approx. 3 days old(5 now) so birth date May 5th!
Posted on May 10, 2015 10:47 pm
May 10, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Bruce Massey Reports:
Yesterday I went out for a site check as I know they are due for a hatch based on observations back at the end of March. I arrived at around 7am and found a peregrine on the DeBeers sign. I believe this was the male. He flew to the ledge shortly after I arrived and landed for just a moment before taking off again. A quick check it would appear. He remained roosting on the “S” of DeBeers until just after 9am when he took off, circled over the ledge twice and landed on the ICICI building. Just before 10am he took off again and this time returned to the ICICI building with food. The female, Jenna, came off of the nest ledge, took the food from Chester and immediately returned to the nest ledge. She disappeared into the back of the ledge at 9:57am with the food and came back into view at 10:06am with the remains of the meal. She flew off and stashed it on the DeBeers building and then returned to the nest ledge.
Based on this observation I believe that the first hatch may have possibly arrived at Amexon yesterday, Saturday May 8th, and it was a first feeding that I witnessed. I will be back for more observations soon.
Posted on May 10, 2015 9:25 am
April 23, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
As reported by Bruce & Tracy, our resident pair have changed locations again this year! Mark & I were up to check on the roof conditions and to confirm nesting this afternoon. Jenna was brooding and wouldn’t let us have a peek at the eggs, but the window washer(!) told me this morning there were 4 again this year. As Mark first peeked over, Chester was over in a flash to warn us(quite nicely I thought!) not to get too close! I even managed to get a peek in and a couple of pics of our lovely Jenna before I got my warning!! All looks good–as Bruce & Tracy saw incubation activity on the 30th of March, we could be looking at a hatch as early as next Friday May 1st, according to my calculations!! I know I am excited!! I attach a couple of pics–not the best as it got quite dark while we were up there(cold & windy too–anybody else sick of this??)
Posted on April 23, 2015 7:51 pm
April 04, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Tracy Simpson Reports:
For the past week Bruce Massey and I have been visiting the Amexon site to determine what the pair have been up to. We were able to confirm the identity of both adults; the unbanded female named Jenna and the banded male named Chester who is solid black 95 over Y (Canada Square hatch from 2011).
Both adults have been focusing all of their attention on the north facing ledge of the DeBeers building at 250 Ferrand with only one bird in view at a time. One bird in… …other bird out. The bird that enters this ledge then disappears to the back and remains there until relieved by the other. This behaviour was observed on Monday March 30th and we believe that they are possibly fully incubating a clutch. Last year the pair used this building but were nesting on the east facing ledge. This season they seemed to have changed things up and are trying something new.
Posted on April 4, 2015 8:53 am
March 16, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Monday March 16th - 2015
A big thank you to Olga for sending in her snap shot of Lucky and O’Connor taken this afternoon via the live nest web cam from the Bloor & Islington nest in Etobicoke site where “Lucky” may just get lucky 
It would appear that the previous resident adult male “Jack” has been replaced with the new kid on the block,, a young peregrine named “Lucky - banded Black Y over 72″ who was produced at the Don Mills & Eglinton nest site in 2013
We knew that some day, Jack’s absence would cost him this nest site, (and although Jacks whereabouts is actually not known), proof is in the photograph. Lucky is currently courting O’Connor, and it would appear that she has been very welcoming indeed!
Stay tuned…………..
Posted on March 16, 2015 2:57 pm
July 04, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
Dropped by the nest site Thursday–only saw Mac! He did some nice flying for me! On Friday I was lucky enough to see both the boys–hanging out together! Such brotherly love-wonderful to see them!
Posted on July 9, 2014 11:16 pm
July 05, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Mark Nash Reports:
The best is yet to come!!! Photographers get your camera’s!!!
Remember that the family rearing process is far from being over, as its now dads turn. Over the next 30 plus days, the adult males will be doing most of the flight and hunt training with the fledglings, leaving the resident adult females some time to themselves to catch up on some most needed sleep and de-stress time. WE often see the adult females on the nest ledges doing some est box or nest tray rearranging and sleeping.
The fledglings will still be completely dependant on the adults for food, protection and support for the next 30 to 60 days as they will be staying very close to home around the nest buildings.
We often forget that the fledglings (I guess we can call them juveniles now, as they are the equivalent of teenagers in their mind set), still have no idea that they have actually been eating birds, as their food has been prepared by their parents. Many of the food packages have already had their heads removed, and with many of the feathers already having been removed, and as such, the juveniles have had no idea what they have actually been eating!
Of course its birds and only birds, but the young peregrines must be taught this!
They must be taught how to chase, stoop and dive for things and encouraged to chase their parents for the food. They must be shown what to hunt, how to hunt, how to catch it and how to kill it and then how to prepare it. The fledglings still have a long way to go before they are actually able to catch food themselves!
For the next few weeks, its all fun and games (at least for the fledglings),, but they are actually be taught important life skills that will prepare them for survival on their own this fall.
The fledglings, (juveniles) will succumb to a couple of thousand years to migrate in the fall and they will be on their own.
Most all of the resident territorial nesting adults at our southern Ontario urban nest sites will NOT migrate, and they will stay on territory all year. The adults have learned that you they can survive in the city all year long, (urban adaptation), and have figured out that there is an abundance of food around all year long, ideal habitat, no predation and lots of warmth from the buildings, especially from that of the illuminated signs that they roost on.
But the young of the year will go! Being creatures of habit (almost to a fault), what they know, they deal with,,, what they don’t know, they avoid! So its up to the parents to teach them as much as they can over next two months so the fledglings have the necessary life skills to be able to survive on their own. The fledgling juveniles typically migrate south to central and southern America for the winter months and have a very long trip south with many dangers.
Also remember, that the peregrine has more than an 80% mortality rate until it reaches breeding age (typically between two and three years of age), with the higher percentage of this mortality happening in the first year of their lives.
For all of the photographers out there, this is the best opportunity for some incredible photos of the adults training the fledglings over the next 30 plus days!! This is the time to really enjoy your peregrines,, so get out there with your cameras and spend some time with them!
Posted on July 5, 2014 12:04 pm
June 26, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
I dropped by today to check on our boys and right off the bat I noticed Mom hiding out on her favorite spot over at the Forrester building on the “t”!! Over the past two years Irma & I have observed Mom over there when the kids were getting too vocal or pestering her too much–and this year is no different lol!! So I knew the boys had to be on the other side of the ICICI or Debeers building and sure enough they were! Watching out(the wrong way lol–way to fake them out Mom!!) for either Chester or Jenna to come back with dinner! Glad to see all doing so well.
Pics are of Jenna on the “t”, one of the boys on the “c” facing south and the other on the “c” facing the DVP.
Posted on June 26, 2014 9:53 pm
June 23, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
I dropped by Monday and Tuesday to check on the boys–they are doing great! I watched some pretty great flying…and some pretty heart in the mouth flying!! Took a pic of them on Monday hanging out together on the ICICI building and on Tuesday I got a pic of them waiting on Debeers building on the Infor sign while Mom prepared dinner above! They are such buddies!
Posted on June 26, 2014 9:31 pm
June 22, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
It is with heavy heart that I have to report that we have lost our little Zee (aka Zeballos). She was found by the security guard today at the base of the ICICI building. By the look of it, she hit the building and died on impact. My team and I so enjoyed watching her grow, learning to fly and be such a good sister to her brothers. She will be missed.
Soar high little one.
Posted on June 22, 2014 11:02 pm
