July 03, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Mark Nash Reports:
While the “kids” maybe away from the house (or off the nest ledge) at the moment, its only for a short time. The resident adults still have the hardest part of their job still to come.
Ongoing protection, feeding and training the “teenagers” to fend for themselves is a huge task for the two resident adults.
So far, the three remaining fledglings seem to be doing quite well, staying aloft and away from the windows. The very good news: Is that each of the juveniles have all brushed up into the windows, and unlike many other birds, the young peregrines actually learn the dangers of the windows, and if they hit them softly and don’t injure themselves on these initial collisions, they do learn to stay away from glass.
This is an important lesson learned, as they will soon be picking up incredible speeds as they get older and more experienced, and if they have not learned the “window lesson “ early in their flight development, collisions with the windows at advanced ages usually results in serious injury or most often mortality due to the speeds that the juveniles are now travelling. We actually hope that they experience the “window lesson” early in their maiden flights, as they are slow and sloppy in their flights, and usually hit them softly at this stage.
For the next 30 to 60 days, the juveniles will be utilizing the nest ledge and still sleeping there most nights. Far from independent and able to feed them selves at this point, the youngsters have much to learn now that they can fly.
The adults will have to teach them many of the life skills that the juveniles will have to learn to survive to adulthood, or should I say, just survive another day)!!
Remember that by mid September, thousands of years of hard wired instincts will have the young juveniles head south on a migration and with upwards of an 80% mortality and many perils and risks, the juveniles will need all of the help that they can just to survive their first year.
The adult parents have their job cut out for them while teaching the juveniles how, what and where to hunt food, and how to recognize and escape from all of the “bad guys” out there. At this point, even their landings are terrible, as it takes allot of practice just to brake and coordinate a good landing!
Even after the juveniles have learned what to hunt (where and how to hunt it), there will be many trials and errors (misses and failures) before they are actually able to catch anything them selves, and this will take some time to hone their hunting skills. During this entire period, they will still be dependant on their adults parents for all of their food.
Stay tuned, and look to the skies, as the best viewing is yet to come!!
Posted on July 3, 2010 9:08 pm
- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Please enjoy this overview of the Yonge and Eglinton Fledgling Watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmp0liSv9II
Posted on July 2, 2010 10:06 pm
- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Cyclone,Typhoon and Tara black band 22/X are all flying well and high now. On June 30th we found all 5 Peregrine Falcons on the RIO building,Mom,Dad and 3 kids. Many strong high flights were made by all 3 juveniles. We saw Typhoon brought food,which he snatched away and took to the roof to eat. The adults put on amazing flying displays,kiting and going into dives while hunting.
July 1,all 3 juveniles again were flying high and well. The young Peregrines were making many long strong flights and making good landings. Their range is increasing with their flying abilities. Mark,Lyn and I spent a great deal of time trying to get the band number of the adult male. Both Mark and I could clearly see the Black over Green band with a number 8 over N,M,H or the number 4. Our best possibly view was hampered by glare from the sun. This bird has a black iodized US Fish and Wildlife band. We are hoping that in combination with the information that this male has an old healed injury to his right wing allows for an ID.
With all 3 young Peregrines flying so well,the official dawn to dusk fledge watch has come to an end. We will spot check the site over the next several weeks to see all is well and possibly get the other band number. We thank all of the volunteer watchers,especially Lyn for all her help,all the security and maintanence staff involved in rescues and releases,property managers for access and in general making it all possible and the many neighbors and members of the public who took interest and stopped for information and helped in rescues. Thanks to Toronto EMS and 53 Division Police as well. When all these parties work together in co-operation,Fledge Watches go amazingly well and aid their threatened Peregrine Falcons. We hope to be back same time next year!
Posted on July 2, 2010 5:59 am
June 30, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Mark Nash Reports:
Just thought I would give everyone a look of the nest building (and the actual nest ledge) from the east.
Also indicated is where little typhoon was rescued from a glass balcony - (in red).
Posted on June 30, 2010 12:22 pm
- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Today was a good day. Although both Cyclone(female) and Typhoon(male),had some hectic flights and made the watchers frantic,by the evening both were flying very high and well.
I arrived to find Cyclone on the roof of the nest building,and it took ages to see Typhoon. Cyclone gave us fits flying and hiding. Typhoon just stayed hidden most of the day giving us only hints of a possible bird on the nestledge. Harry and I scrambled madly when we saw Cyclone take off and go very low near Yonge and Eglinton. We thought she was going to the ground. Soon I saw her coming back towards me,barely clearing the traffic of Eglinton Ave,then the old TTC bus bays,heading in the direction of the raised parking garage. After some searching I tried going up a ramp and there she was on the wall of the parking garage. She was fine and reasonably high. At 12:48pm she finally took flight again and landed first on 53 Police Divsion. From there it aborted a landing on the Aviva building and ended up on the roof of `the reflective building`. We then lost sight of both juveniles for some time. While searches were done,eventually both were seen flying.
Mark Nash arrived with Tara,the name chosen for the 2nd female to come down from the nest. Tara`s band number is 22 over x . She has no tape.
At 810pm food was brought in. Both siblings were fed. Tara was returned to the ledge at about 930pm by Mark Nash. She was a very nasty bird to Mark.
Posted on June 29, 2010 11:56 pm
June 28, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
The good news is we did everything right and rescued 2 of young Peregrines. One was rescued successfully,but the impact suffered caused it to succomb to its injuries later. The ride home for the fledge watchers was very sombre. The other bird,the unbanded female was rescued after landing in a tree and eventually coming to the ground. She will be banded and released tomorrow.
We thought the day was done with the remaining 2 youngsters on the TTC building,but at after 9pm and 2 feedings,the female chick flew to the aentena atop the nest building. The male made a good flight and landed on the roof of the nest building.
In all a day of defeat and triumph. Sadly this is the reality of being a young Peregrine Falcon,life is not easy for them. Hazzards of fledging and later migration,result in a high mortality rate of 80% in their first year. Knowing we do our best to help the Peregrine Falcon beat the odds is what we have to look at. We are hoping for a much better day tomorrow.
Posted on June 29, 2010 12:01 am
June 28, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Zoe Berger Reports:
Frank and Harry were there when I arrived - watching the 3 chicks (the 2 rescued chicks and the female who had been doing lots of flapping the past 3 days and apparently finally fledged) on the black building where the Eglinton busses turn in and out (constantly!).
We still had one in the nest - the male who had not been flapping at all the 3 days I’d been watching. We kept eyes on the 3, sometimes 1 completely out of sight…and all of a sudden we had to decide who the 4 birds on that building were. It appears that quiet little guy fledged on his own totally unnoticed. We checked and definitely had 4 chicks on the black building. After lots of sitting all around, Frank and I suddenly had to get up to watch the path of a chick flying…and we BOTH watched it pass a tree and not come out the other side. We both walked up and down the roads in the area, both scanned the tree many times and finally Frank listened to a robin on the roof next to the tree where we had lost that chick on and sure enough there he was. The quiet non-flapping male had gotten himself trapped in many oak leaves and branches. Shortly after locating him he was really ready to get out of that mess and tried as best as he could to fly out - but he was trapped by a few leafless branches right above him and could not get flight…his wings got tangled in the bare branches and he lost his footing and literally fluttered in slo-mo down to the street just out of traffic. Frank got the towel and we checked him as best as we could and got him in the carrier which was taken by Lyn to her cool and comfy apt - all of which coincided with Lyn arriving at the scene just after the rescue. So, rescue #3 from the site, he will be banded too (3 of 4 chicks).
Just before I left one of the female chicks took flight north across Eglinton and had a very good landing. Linda and Bruce had arrived so I left. Can’t wait for the update from Frank of what happened after I left.
I wanted to add more photos but my computer is not cooperating…!
Posted on June 28, 2010 8:48 pm
June 27, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Mark Nash Reports:
A long day in the heat with endless traffic delays and tie-ups due to the G8/20 and looking like a police state, we did our best to navigate around the city trying to do the rescues and re-releases of the three downed juvenile fledglings. Now on the road from Bloor & Islington back to the CPF centre in Woodbridge to hook up with Mark from the OMNR, and with Tracy on the road to pick up one of the earlier rescued downed fledglings from the Up-town Yonge & Eglinton nest site that was also trapped behind the glass on a condo balcony, we all assembled at the CPF raptor centre to get the two young fledglings banded. The Good news, with one juvenile male and one female fledgling in hand, both birds were banded without incident and in good time. The heat, sun and humidity was although debilitating at times for all of us, and the juveniles were re-hydrated with fresh water from spray bottle on numerous occasions. Reports from the watch team at Yonge & Eglinton still indicating that the other two juveniles are still on the nest ledge.
Obviously one is a male and the other one given its much larger size in comparison is a female.
With banding successful completed, its back on the road yet again to Yonge & Eglinton nest site for the release of the two banded fledglings. After hooking up with Lyn and Frank who were holding the fort at the fledge watch, we waiting for darkness and let up of the torrential rains to do the release back to the nest building.
The two banded juveniles will be named:
For the first young female - (banded 21 over X) - was named “Cyclone “ - (violent hurricane) - given her robust energy and very nasty attitude, this is a most suitable name for her!
For the young male, (banded *6 over D), he was named “Typhoon”,, - (very appropriate given the torrential flooding and rain storming that we are currently experiencing in Toronto at the moment !
Under the cover of darkness (and with two juveniles still on the nest ledge),, we were escorted by building security to a lower balcony ledge just below the actual nest ledge to do the release of Typhoon and Cycloon. A big thank-you to Tracy, Big Frank, Lyn, Marion, building security and the building management for allowing access, and Mark Heaton, his son, and both of this parents for assisting with the banding, the rescue and the release of these two fledglings!
A very special thanks also to Toronto Wildlife and The Toronto Animal Services for their support, and to Zoe, Bruce, Jan and Linda - (some of the greatest fledge watch team members in the world) for also coming to our rescue (or should I say to the birds rescue) . As you can see, there are MANY involved in the rescue of these birds here in the urban settings.
Stay tuned………
There are still two more to fledge…….
Posted on June 28, 2010 2:22 pm
- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Today all hands were on deck again,as we had 2 young Peregrines that might just fly. Bruce,Linda,Zoey,Brian,Lyn and I attended the site today for various periods. We had many local folks who showed a great deal of interest and were glad to have the extra help from Deborah and John. The female juvenile Peregrine looks ready to go at any time. Her brother not so much. They were fed at least 2 times today. Mom did bring in a whole bird and left it on the ledge. The juveniles must have been abit confused as they never did get into it,letting Mom come some hours later and beak to beak feed them.
At 845pm,Mark and Marion Nash arrived with the 2 rescued birds. Mark Heaton of the Ministry of Natural Resources had attended at our Raptor Centre at Kortright Centre For Conservation and banded the 2. This is very important,as the US has a Peregrine Harvest..wild birds can be taken by falconers and kept. Any bird with a band is considered part of a recovery program and cannot be kept,so we took this opportunity to band both rescued birds.
The so far unnamed birds which were banded are:
Female..45 days old…898 grams band 21/x with green tape
Male…42 days old…*6/D (sideways 6 over D) with red tape
Mark,Marion,Lyn and I were escorted by security and the release was done under cover of darkness around 945pm. Thanks to the security crew at 2180 Yonge for their help. Tomorrow will be very interesting with 4 birds likely to be out flying. A full watch team will be on site to keep track of them!
Posted on June 28, 2010 1:30 am
- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
After a hectic first day of putting together a watch team and many calls,day 2 saw everyone come together. Bruce arrived for a very early start to the watch and witnessed one feeding. I arrived at about 9am,and located Bruce easily. Soon Lyn and Zoe joined us. Jan and Linda later came by to see the nest. There was a steady rain for most of the day. We saw both juveniles and both parents. We know the adult female is unbanded and the adult male is Black over Green..so far alphanumeric ID hasnt been made. This indicates he is from the US north-east. We are hopeful that with a scope we will read the numbers. We saw another feeding before the rain got much heavier and we left for the day,youngsters well fed and thoroughly soaked. As one watcher lives very near the location,we asked she call us if it stopped raining long enough to warrent going back. Stay tuned for more!
Posted on June 26, 2010 9:05 pm
