June 17, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Mark Nash Reports:
June 17th - 2014
Day two on the fledge watch.
For the most parts, I’m told that the large part of the day was a typical day on the fledge watch for the volunteers, much like watching paint dry. But, things can change very quickly as we all know, and that’s just what happened. With Environment Canada issuing severe thunderstorm warnings, heavy rain warnings with risk of flooding, high winds and risk of tornados, things were about to change for most of Ontario very very quickly!
Well, the weather man got it bang-on right this time, as that’s just what happened in Toronto (and many other parts of Ontario)! Just after 5 pm, the storm cells barrelled in and swept through southern Ontario.
With calls streaming in on my cell phone from Rudy in Kitchener Ontario on the Kitchener Waterloo peregrine fledge watch to Tracy out in Etobicoke at the Bloor & Islington peregrine fledge watch to Helena, Donna and Bob out at the Duncan Mills fledge watch, the severe weather caused all kinds of problems for both watchers and fledglings!!
The high winds swept in with torrential rain and heavy downpours that added to the challenges as two of the young Duncan Mills hatchlings ended up coming off the nest ledge!
Thank goodness to the quick response of the Duncan Mills fledge watch team as Little Cosmo - (yellow tape) was influenced by the severe weather and ended up on the ground out in front of the nest ledge at the base of the nest building moments before the torrential rain started.
A second sibling, little Hayes was also influenced by the gusty high winds and also ended up out of the nest ledge. It managed to grab hold of the concrete wall face and luckily ended up on a ledge directly below the nest ledge. * see photo attached.
Ping, one of the new fledge watchers jumped into action along with several other members of the fledge watch team managed to scoop up little Cosmo before he even realized what had happened! Bob later transferred him to a larger rescue carrier for safe keeping until I arrived on site to examine him and assess the situation.
As quick as the extreme weather moved in, it departed just a quickly, but only after leaving the GTA battered with downed trees, power outages, damaged buildings and cars as a result of blowing mail boxes and other debris having been blown around and flooding all over the city. By 7:00pm, the bad weather was all over (at least for us), and the dark clouds were quickly replaced with white fluffy clouds and much clearer skies.
Cosmo was carefully examined to ensure that he hadn’t suffered any injuries or trauma as a result of his premature departure and fall from the nest ledge, * see photos attached.
Based on the much improved weather conditions, clearing skies and his very healthy condition, I made the decision to get him back to the upper roof top of the nest building and to his parents care before darkness.
Cosmo was successfully released back to the nest building roof top without incident by 8pm. The release was supervised by Quest - (his mom) who was quick to fly in to voice her opinion of my presence on the rooftop during Cosmo’s release. By 9:30pm as darkness closed in, all three hatchlings were in view and knowing that little Cosmo was on the lower upper roof elevation surrounded by a four feet retaining wall, all was well and we closed the fledge watch down for the evening.
A huge thank you to the Berkley building management group and security for both assisting and facilitating the rescue and release this evening!!
Stay tuned, as its only just begun…………
Posted on June 18, 2014 6:45 am
June 17, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Hi Marion and CPF
I just wanted to let you know that the Grade 1 Classes loved attending the peregrine banding event. It was so exciting for all, (including us)!!.
We have been watching the babies the last 2 weeks as they grow, and now on the day my class is graduating from Grade 1 to Grade 2 it looks to me via the webcam that not all the babies are still in the nest today….could it be that they decided to graduate today too?
Thanks again,
Diane Mills, OCT
Grade 1 Teacher, L1A
Excellence in Action… Building on 50 Years of Tradition
Posted on June 17, 2014 12:48 pm
June 16, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Day one on the fledge watch - All four present and accounted for.
Monday June 16th - 2014
Being able to access the web camera to monitor the birds offers a huge advantage over the other nest sites that don’t have a camera that’s for sure!
Most of the morning was spent trying to respond to some of the 160 back logged e-mail and trying to get through some editing of the more than 1500 photos that have been shot while on the road last week from Windsor to Stoney Creek to Mississauga to Scarborough with a very aggressive record setting banding schedule for a single week period!
The Duncan Mills hatchlings have certainly been growing since I last saw them up close at their banding and they are almost ready to start taking their first flights!
I spent most of the later afternoon and evening with the Duncan Mills family along with members of the fledge watch team as we organized and planned for the next days to come.
I got a great opportunity to see Quest again up close as she spent several hours roosting quite peacefully on top of the nest box watching her brood play together on the nest ledge beneath her. I can’t help but feel that she was thinking the very same thoughts as I was having, - “the dawn before the storm”! One of the last times that she may have to get some rest before the kids will be out terrorizing the world, and have both her and Sky in a panic flying all over to keep track of her kids.
By 8:45pm it was evident that the four hatchlings were not going anywhere and we responded to Cathy Kerr’s call to come down to the Don Mills nest site to lend a hand, as her last young fledgling had a number of short not so good flights ending up losing allot of altitude and eventually landing and clinging on a window ledge just two storeys up above the main parking lot.
Stay tuned………..
Posted on June 17, 2014 7:16 am
June 13, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
The 2 boys will be 35 and 36 days old this Sunday and now are very active in this cooler weather so we are going to spot check them this Saturday but officially the watch begins this Sunday in the afternoon.
We will be on site after the banding of the falcon chicks in Stony Creek so we hope to see you there at about 1:30 please come out to help if you can and we will meet you at street level in front of 225 Duncan Mill Rd.
Thanks!
Marion
Posted on June 13, 2014 2:50 pm
June 01, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
I did, I did see a falcon!
What on earth was this little bird thinking.
Posted on June 2, 2014 8:56 am
June 02, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Mark Nash Reports:
Banding Photos
Some great shots sent in by Ann Brokelman of Quest and John Millar as he attempts to extract the hatchlings from the nest box for banding. As you can see, I don’t think that John will be on Quests X-Mass card list again this year. Sky, (the resident adult male), was on hand to provide Quest some moral support, but clearly he was a little confused as to the events this morning.
I’m sure that next year he will be better prepared to deal with John.
Also, a good shot with some of the school children at the banding.
Enjoy……
Posted on June 2, 2014 8:48 am
May 28, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
Banding Day - May 28th - 2014
We would like to thank Harlequin once again for hosting the banding event this year of the young peregrine chicks produced at 220 Duncan Mill Rd nest site and all of their incredible support to both the CPF and the peregrines. This year we were joined by students from Bayview Glen School who were so excited to see the banding and meet the little young peregrine hatchlings.
A huge thank you to John Millar for going to the ledge to do the extraction (and return them), and to Donna and Christine for all of their efforts behind the scenes organizing. A big thank you to the 220 Duncan Mills tenants and board of directors for their support and allowing us to invade their facilities once again.
A huge thank you to Mark from the Aurora district of the MNR for coming in to band the hatchlings again this year.
There were 4 healthy babies all weighing in at a very healthy weight.
655 grams female 18 days old named Stormy
465 grams male 17 days old named Cosmo
710 grams female 18 days old named Rainbow-Dash
510 grams male 18 days old named Hayes
Photos to come.
Posted on June 1, 2014 8:27 pm
May 28, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Mark Nash Reports:
Wednesday May 28th - 2014
A good morning indeed at the Duncan Mills nest site as four very healthy peregrine chicks were successfully banded, named and returned safely back to Quest and Sky this morning.
More details and lots of photos to come,, stay tuned….
Posted on May 28, 2014 10:30 pm
May 21, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
May 21st - 2014
A quick look at the Quest and family today finds Quest tending to her new family in an effort to keep them dry from the rainy conditions today. While its not really cold, the blustery winds combined with the rain yet again today make for yet another wet damp day.
The young hatchlings are growing quickly for sure!
We’re all looking forward to the banding!
Stay tuned………..
Posted on May 21, 2014 11:44 am
May 13, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
To everyone watching the Duncan Mill Rd. falcon family.
Banding day for the chicks is set for May 28th at 10:00 AM at the Harlequin office. Should be fun to watch as sky the new father might just give our volunteer rock climber something to remember him by. Keep an eye on the web cam May 28th.
A very big thank you to Harlequin for once again hosting the banding!!!
Posted on May 14, 2014 11:10 am
