June 14, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
After a day with some great flights by Gordie and some shorter flights by Ariel, Westview and Ojibway, finally this evening number 5 was convinced to leave the nest. Volunteers were scouring the area as darkness set in as we can’t be sure of its location. Had a count of 4 Peregrines around the bridge, but not positive that we know where the 5th is tonight.
The team is polling our members for one more name and hope to have a suitable name picked soon for number 5.
Today’s photos are from Denis Dupuis, showing rooftop releases done over the past couple evenings. The Ambassador Bridge gets lots of kudos for their help when we need to return a bird to the rooftop.
Also, many thanks to our good friends at Erie Wildlife Rescue and to Dr. House at Brack Animal Hospital for the great care of our fledglings! All are healthy and feisty and eager to soar!
Posted on June 14, 2016 10:19 pm
June 13, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Gordie has been doing some beautiful flights this evening. He does seem to enjoy landing on the bridge handrails though! He took a few flights where he was chasing his parents around and eventually landed quite well on the top ledge of the bridge side abutment. Voltaire brought in a nice package to reward him.
Westview was perched in a tree beside the building he was released on last night. Eventually he climbed the tree and got back on the roof. From there, he took a flight towards the church and landed in a tree. He has moved now to another tree.
Ariel has been perched high up in a tree by the church. She seems to have a nice vantage point for watching the others.
Ojibway, (female), is being released onto the roof tonight and number 5 (still unnamed), is still in the nest, enjoying all the room!
Paul and Denis are keeping eyes on tonight’s release to make sure all goes well. Very long days for our team!
We sure need lots of eyes watching these guys this year! Many thanks to those who are spending long hours keeping track of all our fledglings!
Posted on June 13, 2016 9:57 pm
June 12, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Whew! This was quite the weekend! After the first two fledges on Thurs/Friday, we continued to have some new efforts by the young thru the weekend. The 3rd to fly is one big bird. She seemed to struggle with gaining altitude and was the one on the wire Saturday night.
Today, number 4 joined in the action and took a lovely, long flight along and under the bridge. She landed on the ground for a bit and was able to get back to a fence rail.
Many thanks to the team who endured Saturday’s stifling heat and who came back today to spend hours and hours watching the many antics! The efforts of many great volunteers are keeping our fledglings as safe as possible and we couldn’t do this without many people pitching in to help.
This has been a strange year without the normal banding done when these guys are still little and fluffy. We all feel the desire to get some kind of band on our birds while dealing with the conflicting desire to let nature alone and not interfere. So far, we have a rescued one fledgling on the ground in a yard where there was evidence of dogs onsite, one from the roadway of the Ambassador Bridge, one who was in a precarious location by a parking area, and one in the grass and trying to approach University Avenue.
We have been working with our friends at Erie Wildlife Rescue who have been graciously providing care and vet checks to ensure the well-being of our birds. We are also very fortunate to have the ongoing support of our friends at the Ambassador Bridge Corporation who have been responding to our calls of “bird in danger” and are at the site tonight with their truck/lift, helping the team release 3 fledglings to the rooftop across from the bridge.
Tomorrow morning, there will be 3 falcons on a rooftop, anxious to try flights again. Anyone who has some free time will be much appreciated coming down to help watch and protect.
Thanks everyone! You all are an amazing and dedicated team!
Posted on June 12, 2016 10:31 pm
June 11, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
After a long and very hot day, around 7:20 this evening, Fledgling 3 decided to try out its wings and took a decent first flight under the bridge. Immediately on launching, one of the parents quickly followed as if to take opportunity if a teachable moment in the sky. An attempt was made to land on a girder beam but the fledgling misjudged and chose a telephone wire instead.
The volunteer team watched from close by until about 10 pm and the fledgling seemed willing to spend the night as a “bird on a wire.” Parents brought food to the others around 9:30 pm and the remaining 2 chicks seemed happy for stay put in the nest for the night.
Paul Gosselin sent a couple a great close ups of #3 sitting on the wire and watching the volunteers.
Posted on June 11, 2016 11:00 pm
June 10, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Staff of the Ambassador Bridge advised our team of their recent discovery of a 2nd nest site on the bridge. Tina Borden of the Ambassador Bridge Corporation provided this phot of a female on the nest earlier this spring. Tina reports the nest has been abandoned about a month ago, but the eggs are still there. We believe this may be the female that challenged Voltaire last year for her nest. Tina will try and pinpoint the location of the “rogue” nest!
Posted on June 10, 2016 9:47 pm
June 10, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Own of the fledglings took flight today and made a couple of nice passes by the bridge before landing on a handrail atop the bridge. The bird walked the rail until it came to a lamppost and decided to hop down onto the sidewalk running parallel to the bridge roadway and the traffic heading into the US. Workers on the bridge called down to report the fledgling was walking along next the road. One of the volunteers immediately called the Ambassador Bridge Corporation and they quickly sent a truck and picked up the other volunteer, Steve Atkins, who fortunately had his passport with him. The Ambassador Bridge staff drove Steve onto the bridge where eventually, Steve was able to safely capture the fledgling.
An exciting day for our team and certainly a great experience in the rapid response and support of our friends at the Ambassador Bridge Corporation.
This fledgling will be banded tomorrow and the team has decided to name it in memory of the great one, Gordie Howe.
The other fledgling rescued yesterday, remains in the care of Erie Wildlife and we hope to release both on Saturday. That fledgling (a male), has been given the name, Westview, in honour of a local school whose mascot is the falcon.
Our deepest thanks go out to the staff of the Ambassador Bridge Corporation who are helping us keep an eye on our young!
We also learned from staff of the bridge that they discovered a second nest tucked into a girder about midway across the bridge with 3 eggs in the nest. They reported seeing a Peregrine earlier in the spring and had assumed that Voltaire and Victor had relocated due to the recent construction. Now we wonder whether this was the female that had presumably fought with Voltaire last spring. Looks like the Ambassador Bridge is getting a reputation among Peregrines as prime real estate for new families!
Posted on June 10, 2016 9:18 pm
June 09, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Yesterday morning we had a report that the first of our fledglings took a couple of nice flights and was able to return to the nest tray. Today, one of the chicks appeared to lose its footing while perched on a steel girder under the bridge. After a looping flight, the fledgling had a rough landing in a tree and then dropped to the ground. Volunteers were able to rescue the fledgling and he was later banded and identified as male. There was a slight injury to one wing, so to play it safe, the fledgling was taken to an area rehab for the night. We are hopeful that this male will be able to be released tomorrow.
Paul Gosselin sent a great shot of fledglings on the nest tray, taken this evening. Beautiful shot of the open wing!
Posted on June 9, 2016 9:09 pm
June 05, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
The 5 fledglings are getting lots of exercise and growing quickly. Paul sent some photos this evening showing a feeding time and a parent carrying in a meal for the young.
Looks like there should be some first flights very soon!
Posted on June 5, 2016 9:10 pm
May 31, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Here a some photos from this evening. Nice to be able to see the development of the fledglings!
Posted on May 31, 2016 9:26 pm
May 31, 2016 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
I received an excited call from Paul this evening, letting me know he had spotted a 5th fledgling in the nest. I went to the bridge and met up with Paul and we saw 4 chicks for quite a while, and then, finally, the 5th appeared.
Denis Dupuis had been down earlier in the day and made the same discovery. Denis shared some of his photos from today, showing the fledglings in and about the nest area. Paul will be sending some of his shots later which I will post too.
This will be a challenging year to keep track of 5 fledglings learning to be Peregrines! There is a lot of flapping activity already so I would expect first efforts could be within the next week or so.
Posted on May 31, 2016 8:52 pm
