July 15, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Simcoe was busy defending the nest as Tracy and Kathy from CPF collected the little hatchling at the Oshawa Lakeridge hospital nest site this past weekend. The hatchling was named “Salveo”, (which means in good health) in a name the chick contest by the Hospital staff later that day. You can see the yellow tape on Simcoe’s band that I placed overtop of his Silver USFW band at his banding. Many thanks to Tracy from the CPF for the being able to capture some great pictures of Simcoe.
Marion
Posted on July 15, 2014 2:15 pm
July 12, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
July 12th - 2014
Tracy was able to confirm via photographs that she was able to take at the nest ledge during the extraction of the young hatchling that her two parents are in fact Simcoe who was produced at the Canada Square nest site at Yonge & Eglinton in 2012 and Alfrieda from Buffalo NY in 2012, confirmed via their leg band numbers.
What a great day and a successful banding! A huge thank you to all of the Lakeridge Hospital staff and their administration for hosting the banding event and making the day such a great success! A big thank you goes out to Mark Heaton from the Aurora District of the Ministry of Natural Resources who gave up yet another one of his days off to come out and band Oshawa Lakeridge Hospital’s newest resident, a young female peregrine hatchling that was produced by Oshawa’s first resident pair of peregrine falcons!
A huge thank you to the CPF team, Marion Nash, Tracy Simpson and Kathy Smith who also gave up yet another weekend of their time to pull this event together from our end to ensure that the young hatchling was extracted and returned back to her parents on the upper roof top.
Shortly after 10am, a huge crowd assembled down in the main lobby of the Lakeridge hospital, and by 10:20am, the star attraction had finally arrived from the roof. The entire outside rooftop nest ledge was viewed live from a colour GoPro camera worn by Tracy and Kathy that was displayed live-real-time on a large flat screen colour monitor that the hospital set up in the lobby beside the banding table to allow live viewing of the rooftop happenings.
Tracy and Kathy from the CPF were responsible this go-round to both safely extract the young peregrine hatchling from the upper roof elevation and to then remain on the upper oputside nest ledge elevation to distract both of the resident adult peregrine parents so that they wouldn’t realize that their young hatchling was missing during its absence for the banding. Marion from the CPF manned the banding table this banding to assist Mark Heaton from the MNR to do the banding.
Mark Nash from the CPF manned the mic and public address system to walk the audience through the banding procedure and to answer any questions throughout the banding event, and to take some of the photos to document the event.
A big thank you to Walter Raemisch who sent us some great photos of little SALVEO during her banding! Thank you Walter!
The particulars: The young hatchling was weighed, checked for its health, and successfully banded and named without incident and safely returned back it parents.
The little female hatchling, - now 28 days old,, (now identified clearly as a female, weighed 910 grams and was named “Salveo” by the hospital staff after a name the chick contest was completed). The name Salveo means “To be well, To be in good health”),, and that couldn’t have been any further from the truth, as she was a very healthy baby peregrine hatchling indeed!
She was banded with a Solid Black Canadian Recovery leg band number - Y over 90 and in typical fashion, a small piece of coloured Red tape was applied to her Silver USFW band so she can be easily identified at distance during her fledge period.
Tracy was able to confirm via photographs that she was able to take at the nest ledge level after the extraction that her two parents are in fact Simcoe and Alfrieda, confirmed via their leg band numbers.
Ernest (Earnie) Schouwerwou was on hand (the hospital staffer that first discovered the peregrines on the hospital less than a week ago) to help with the banding and was able to hold little Salveo during the banding process.
A great day indeed, with an incredible team of people that really scrambled in very short notice to make this all happen!!
The hospital has agreed to work with CPF and plans are now underway to have CPF manufacture and install a proper nest box on the hospital for their resident peregrines thus ensuring that they have more accommodating nesting conditions down the road.
As we have long since learned, with that of many of the urban nest sites, that a properly constructed nest box with the appropriate nesting sub-straight and drainage can make the difference from a total failure (or partial hatch) to a much better situation for the nesting adults, and increased production and success rate for the adults. There was also talk of a nest camera which would be a very welcomed addition to the nest, as it provides a great management tool to help with the logistics and management of the nest, in addition to being an incredible educational opportunity for all!
Stay tuned……………….
Posted on July 13, 2014 2:03 pm
July 11, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
CPF Postmaster Reports:
July 10th - 2014
Some great news to report,, in that Simcoe, the young peregrine that was produced here at the Canada Square nest site at Yonge & Eglinton back in 2012 has surfaced with a mate, and they have been successful in producing their first hatchling in Oshawa, at the Lakeridge Health Centre Hospital.
We have scheduled a banding for this young hatchling this Saturday - July 12th at 10am, and you are all invited to attend.
You can read the whole story on the CPF web site - International, National and local news pages at:
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/c/sightings/international-national-local-peregrine-news
Posted on July 11, 2014 3:37 am
July 09, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
This is a really short report.
I can state categorically that I saw all three juveniles this evening. As usual I was unable to identify them by band colour but their colour and full tails indicated they were the juveniles. Haven has a couple of tail feathers and wing feathers missing and Malik also has tail feathers missing. All the tail feathers were there on the birds seen today.
They were full of the joys for a short while then they disappeared.
They flew high over Canada Square and then increased their height and flew around and over the tall condo on Yonge street. It was wonderful to see all three playing together! One would separate from the other two and disappear only to reappear again and join the twosome. There was a game of catch-me-if-you-can, tag-you’re-it, talon touching and of course touch-’n-go where the juvie lightly touches down on some high point then flies to the next one. I only had about twenty minutes of intermittent activity and then nothing at which point I left.
Lyn
Posted on July 10, 2014 12:03 am
July 07, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I know I saw Haven and Malik and I definitely saw two juveniles. I think I saw a third one, simply because there was a *lone flier*.
After eleven minutes of scanning buildings, the very threatening dark sky in the south and the rest of the sky I found two juveniles on the Canada Square building, just sitting! Two minutes late Malik breezed in to check on things and flew over Canada Square which set the juvies into action and a whole lot of squawking. One rose to meet Malik and both of them flew towards Rio-Can (RC) just as the second juvie took flight and also headed to RC.
Malik flew to a perch on the south face of RC and one of the juvies perched for a minute or two on the antenna atop Canada Square. A gull came wandering into peregrine airspace from somewhere south and flew over the bus bays to the Y/E intersection. The juvie on the antenna launched himself after the gull and overshot the bird. He just could not help himself!! The gull must have known it was dealing with a juvie because it made a quick turn and reversed direction and when the juvie was back on its tail the gull simply turned again and flew off. The juvie then flew to the side of RC. What was he thinking? Better yet, what was he going to do with the gull had he caught it?? I think a case of **eyes bigger than tummy**.
Haven flew north and disappeared but she returned in 15 minutes and a juvie REALLY squawked because Haven had a food parcel. There were two juveniles in the air and one took the food parcel from Haven and flew onto Canada Square to an area where I could not see it. A mere two minutes later a juvie circled Canada Square and then landed on the top south east corner of RC. A second juvie went into a slight stoop south on Yonge.
I saw Haven circling Canada Square and then she disappeared on the east of RC. Malik remained where he had been for ages on the south face of the building. Then I left.
Lyn
Posted on July 8, 2014 11:46 am
July 06, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Once again I am not sure exactly how many peregrines I saw today. Going out on a limb I think I did see the family of five – all at different times.
When I first arrived one juvenile (solo) flew across Duplex Ave and went west. Shortly after that I saw the *twosome tandem* flying together. They landed on the south west corner of Rio-Can (RC). Six minutes later a juvie flew in from the south and also landed on Rio-Can.
Later on I saw the twosome in the air, they really do fly beautifully together, over RC, head towards Canada Square, veer off and fly over the bus bays instead and then one kicked into high speed and a stoop over Duplex. The second juvie did the same and was actually chasing a small bird which flew for its life. I do not know if this was a successful hunt or not as the two, hunter and hunted, disappeared behind 53 Division. At this point there was still one peregrine left on the south west corner of RC but I could not ID it as either a juvenile or adult.
Malik showed up briefly, much later on and did a sortie over RC which brought a juvenile out, squawking and chasing him until he picked up speed and simply flew off. The juvie returned to RC.
At 6:45pm I spotted Haven on the third ledge south. She looked as if she was having another bad feather day and I am sure she had been sleeping on that ledge. She eventually flew off.
All the juveniles are flying very well. They do struggle against the wind and none can fly like the adults yet but their flights are strong and high!
Lyn
Posted on July 7, 2014 12:40 pm
July 05, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I was out for a short period this evening and managed to see three of the peregrines, Haven, Malik and a juvie unless the juvies pulled the old switcheroo on me. I just cannot ID band colour when they are flying!
Anyway, today I shared Mark’s horror at the antics of Haven and Malik!!
I think there was a hunting lesson in progress. Firstly, Haven went into a stoop along Yonge street and ended up really low, just above the roof of the TD bank building and getting lower. Then Malik did more or less the same thing along Eglinton. He was so low I could not see him even when I stood up and dashed to the corner where I was sitting! Pigeons of course went everywhere and a juvie flew south on Yonge just as a pigeon flew over its head. The juvie did a *180* behind Canada Square and came back but it was too late, THAT pigeon had gone!
On another occasion Malik went into a stoop north on Yonge from over Canada Square. It was really steep because by the time he was just north of the Y/E intersection he was already low but he missed. He came back from around the corner at Y/E, low over the bus bays, skimming them really, rose a bit to cross Duplex and then disappeared over the homes behind the Police Station.
The juvenile who was around flew up to the antenna atop Canada Square, lightly touched it, hovered and then flew off. Not quite kiting. Later on he flew from somewhere behind or around the condo’s, up Yonge around the Rio-Can building and back to Canada Square where he did the *touch and go* thing again and then flew north.
That was the extent of the activity.
Lyn
Posted on July 6, 2014 11:24 am
July 05, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
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 12:01 pm
July 04, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I sat out for over two hours today and had brief glimpses of the Canada Square peregrine family. I was lucky enough to see all five at once !
Malik was on Rio-Can (RC)when I arrived but flew shortly after that. Haven flew in and perched. A few minutes later Malik returned and the two of them spent almost the two hours there. A juvenile flew from somewhere at the north end of the apartment building at 411 Duplex Ave went around the east side of RC, south and circled over Canada Square before flying back to RC.
The *twosome* then took to the air briefly and disappeared over RC.
Finally I had Haven and Malik still on RC and the *twosome* in tandem, with the third one close by over RC. I saw brief interaction between the solo flier and one of the *twosome* - they talon touched and then one of them flew up Duplex Ave to the apartment building at 500 Duplex. I know I always have the number wrong but it is the first tall building on the west side above Eglinton. The little guy flew to the antenna on top if the building.
There was a brief lull in activity and then I saw another juvie flying to the same building, join the juvie there and they flew together.
That was it. A brief encounter in the late afternoon. I was chatting to a friend and when I looked up later on, both Malik and Haven had flown so I came home.
All three juvies are flying well and when flying with the wind they are fast! Thank goodness they do that above the buildings!
Lyn
Posted on July 5, 2014 10:06 am
July 03, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
I was out yesterday evening for a bit and believe that I saw all three babies. I did see one baby on his own and then at some point later see the two together so I am assuming that meant I saw all three. There was a point when one of the babies was chasing a gull. The gull was unconcerned and, although it jinked and dived, there was no panic stricken scream from it. I also saw Haven and Malik at different times. Poor Haven looked as if she really was having a *fuzzy feather* day. Her feathers appeared to be all over the place but in the end she did get them under some control, especially when not sitting in the oncoming wind!
Today, Thursday, was a much quieter day from a peregrine stand point. I only saw Haven, Malik briefly and I believe just one juvie. I did not see the daredevil duo around, at least not together. They may have appeared alone at different intervals but I think not. Haven was sitting atop the tall condo across Yonge from Canada Square when Malik flew to Rio-Can and settled on the south east corner. Haven was there in a flash and attempted to take the food parcel from him. He grabbed it and flew to the south west corner with Haven hot on his tail. A juvie appeared out of nowhere and followed Haven who by this time had the food parcel. She and the juvie attempted a transfer and I thought I saw the food parcel fall free. I must have been mistaken because the next thing I saw was the juvie on the roof of Rio-Can and he was eating.
Haven flew over Canada Square and when I was not looking land on the third ledge south. The juvie flew to the south east corner of Rio-Can, Malik eventually flew in and sat on one of the window uprights and that is where I left them.
Lyn
Posted on July 4, 2014 12:25 am
