Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

More pictures from the Ambassador Bridge

March 11, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Received from Paul Gosselin today:

Here are some more pictures of Voltaire and Freddie
taken on 03/11/2015. From Paul Gosselin.
The pictures were taken between 5:30 and 6:30 PM.
Could you please post them for us again. The pictures
on the box are of Freddie and the one on the pipe is
Voltaire. The picture on the wall is also Freddie.

Thanks to Paul for sharing some more great pictures of Voltaire and Freddie!

Photo Correction

March 11, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

The photo in yesterday’s post showing a falcon in flight is actually of Freddie, rather than Voltaire. The other shots are of Voltaire on the Ambassador Bridge.

Current Photos from Paul Gosselin

March 10, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Windsor volunteer, Paul Gosselin sent these beautiful photos of Voltaire taken this week at the Ambassador Bridge nest site. Voltaire looks healthy and ready for another breeding season!

Thank you to Paul, for sending these great shots!

!!! Shibikesi from Windsor sighted and photographed here at the Colonel Samuel Smith Park,,, looking very good indeed!!

March 07, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Mark Nash Reports:

March 7th - 2015
A big thank you to Athena who sent in an observation report and some great photos of a young juvenile peregrine that she was able to photograph yesterday at the Colonel Samuel Smith Park here in the Greater GTA.

After closely reviewing her photos at increased magnification, we were able to identify the Solid Black coloured band number as being S over 35, obviously with Red coloured tape. Checking with the banding database, the little peregrine falcon in Athens’s photos are non other than Shibikesi, a 2014 produced peregrine from the Ambassador Bridge nest site in Windsor Ontario!

Athena writes:
Hello there,
I recently saw and photographed a peregrine falcon in the Toronto area on March 7th. I saw it at Colonel Samuel Smith Park around 4PM. Its right leg has a red band and the left I think is black with S over 35.
There are photos attached.
It would be great to hear back from you about where this bird was banded and anything else, I’m very curious! This was the first time I have seen a banded raptor in the wild, very exciting.

Thank you for your time!
-Athena

!!! Gwenis in Fremont Ohio

February 24, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Kathy Reports:

A friend on Facebook linked me to an article about a falcon pair that have been hanging around Fremont, Ohio for the past year.  The female was confirmed as Gwenis, born in 2013 to Freddy and Voltaire.   The ONDR is keeping an eye out to see if they attempt to nest in the area this year.

The article can be found here:  http://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/local/2015/02/23/will-fremont-falcons-nest-babies/23912965/

!!! Gwenis in Ohio!!

August 12, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Kathy Reports:

Yesterday I received an email message from our good friends,Chad and Chris in Ohio, asking me to ID a peregrine falcon with black bands reading S/25.  After checking records I quickly found that she was a 2013 hatch named Gwenis, born to Freddy and Voltaire in 2013 at the Windsor Ambassador Bridge.

C&C found her at a new nest site they were checking in Fremont, Ohio.  She is also not alone and has a mate named Magic - whose own story of survival is quite miraculous.  For more details and photos of Gwenis and Magic, you can read the entire story over at C&C’s Peregrine Page.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.943593438999762.1073742097.590679534291156&type=1

Thank you Chad and Chris and congratulations to all the Windsor fans!

Flight School in Windsor

July 04, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Maureen reports:

Today I spent just two hours at the bridge. Shi Bi was high on the ledge, seemingly content. She was joined briefly by Maya and Sojourner; Lancaster landed higher up the bridge, denying a great photo op with all four in a row. Three of the four flying very well, in and out of the bridge. Mom and dad flew by but did not stick around.

Seeing how three of four are not in danger, and Shi Bi is able to fly and was on a high ledge, I made the executive decision to not stick around today. Yesterday Shi Bi did not leave that ledge, it was sort of boring watching and waiting and nothing happening. From the evening reports I am pretty confident Shi Bi can fly and land up high, certainly the other three are not having any issues.

Lancaster continues to be a good big brother, sitting with Shi Bi on the ledge and trying to entice her to fly off with him.
The CBC radio reporter dropped by briefly, just to take pictures, and I think got decent shots of all four on the east side of the bridge. The kids were compliant today. Kerri was with me today, she also got some good picks, we left just before noon.

Now the fun starts, as we can watch for pleasure, without too much worry!

maureen

And from Marliese:

I had just about the same experience in my morning stint. I took over from Cathy at 8 . Although she and Mike reported lots of flying and feeding around 7 , it was the other 3 that did the flying. Shibi was getting a suntan so I did not have much worry on my solo watch. Kerri arrived at 9:30. so I was happy to leave a bit early to get to my 10 appt. I did not leave the sign because I made the same executive decision as you that there would be little activity and little worry to come back for this afternoon. I may drop in tonight and touch base with Marilyn.

It’s Marilyn’s call when we put closure to the scheduled observations. I will be out of town for a week as of monday morning. I plan to drop in sat and sun morning for about an hour and perhaps sunday night. I will take down the calendar signs and notes. ‘
I will contact Cathy to collect her sign.
Perhaps Marilyn could contact Dan at the Bridge to let him know we are shutting down and he could get his staff to collect the pilons. Don’t know if we were supposed to put them away every night. I guess there is no hurry to return the stop signs. I have not seen the women drivers of the truck for several days.

I am so relieved that Shi Bi seems to have gained confidence in her flying and landings. Let’s hope that is the end of our panic for her.

Marliese

I came by after dinner and got to see some fun chases by Maya, Sojourner, and Lancaster. Shi Bi was being lazy and hanging out on a high ledge although she did do some great flights around.

Since all 4 are flying well and seem to be mastering their landings, I would suggest that the need for vigilant watch shifts is behind us for this year. Hurray!!

Heart-felt thanks to all of our dedicated watch team. We’ve gladly added some new members to the team this year and are very grateful for their commitment of time and energy keeping the kids safe!

Now we can sit back and enjoy the antics of flight school.

By the way, I printed up some nifty “Falcon Watch Volunteer” signs for our cars. I have a stack in my car so I’ll be glad to pass along so you don’t get hassled when you’re at the bridge this summer.

Thanks again and keep your eyes toward the skies!
Marilyn

Thursday in Windsor

July 03, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Hi Folks,
Maureen reports:
not a whole lot going on at the bridge today. Shi Bi stayed on the same ledge on the east side of the bridge all day - she actually sat quite still for a long time and only became active once the rain started. Then she walked about a bit and flapped her wings. Why couldn’t she sit still in the bad weather???? Luckily she didn’t fall or get blown off the ledge!

All four chicks were on that side of the bridge for the afternoon - Shi Bi by herself and the other three up a ledge. Freddie and Voltaire were visible as well.

Hopefully Shi Bi will take some good flights so we can relax. Lancaster tried to show her how to do it, also both parents did fly-bys. She wasn’t moving off that ledge.

They were fed this morning. Actually Freddie left a food package dangling from a girder under the bridge; it eventually fell to the ground. Two days in a row, Freddie lost /dropped food. Tsk.

Marleisse, Ted and I have put “Falcon Watch” signs in our cars; Marliesse made them. The security guy seems unwilling/ unable to know which cars are ours.

Fingers crossed Shi Bi gets airborne and stays airborne!! Everyone else is flying nicely.

maureen

For this evening, some great flights by all 4! Shi Bi took some great high flights, was chased by her brother and is landing up very high. She got to the top of the abutment and sat under the hand rails for a while. She looks great in the air!

Lancaster spent some time chasing parents and sisters. He’s a quick learner!

The fun has begun! Keep watching the sky!
Marilyn

Flight School in Windsor

July 02, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

From Marliese:
Noon report: all are accounted for and up off the ground (whew) . Cathy, Maureen and Marliese have been led on a merry chase all morning.
Cathy and Vicky found all 3 somewhere in the girders or roofs and Shibi on the girder where we left her last night. By 9 the other 3 were all on Assumption College Roof with Voltaire presiding on the cross. Shibi decided to join them and actually made a decent long high flight but unfortunately has a lousy sense of direction and poor landing skills. In the next two hours she made a number of decent flights and sloppy landings including one on a lamppost until she finally decided it was safer on her original girder, but didn’t make that and landed on the big cherry picker. That was too boring so she hopped to the parking lot fence where she sat for the next hour. Her three siblings made repeated fly bys and sat guard duty above until Lancaster could not stand it any more and flew down to sit beside her on the fence….what a brother. He tried to give flying lessons and finally gave up. Eventually she took off toward Huron Church and the river, mad chase, but she had actually turned and landed safely on the large concrete slab right under the bridge and tucked herself into a corner exhausted. She had not been feed this morning.

Maureen reports:

Well Shi Bi spent some time on the concrete under the bridge, looked totally exhausted. She did stay put for a while, then went for a walk around the perimeter of the ledge. Thankfully no drama. After a couple of hours she (without warning!) took off and got quite high, flew over the bridge and landed finally on a girder under the bridge, the second one from the top, still pretty high. Lancaster flew up to see her, looked like he gave her a little kiss, they touched beaks. So sweet He has been such a good brother, sitting with her on the fence today. And they didn’t communicate while on the fence - I thought they might.

When I left Ted and Marliesse, Shi Bi and Lancaster were on that same girder, Maya was just above the pipe, didn’t see Sojourner, but she had been flying in and out. No feedings while I was there today.

Given that Shi Bi is indeed able to fly, she should be okay provided she is rested. Today she was unable to even get as high as the chain link fence - she actually flew into the fence about 2 feet up, clung on with her feet, then climbed to the top. When she flew off the fence, she had trouble even getting onto the tire of the cherry picker, she was on the ground again, took her a few tries to get any altitude.Given that, it was nice to see her fly high finally.

Also, when she was on the fence she sat on one leg for a good while; her banded leg was tucked up close to her body. Something to watch perhaps.

For this evening, Shi Bi has had a few more flights and some landing issues. She found herself in the grass on the south side of University and quickly walked back to the bridge’s big lift and walked up to the highest point. From there, she took off and managed to get some decent altitude and eventually managed a rough landing on a ledge on the east side of the bridge. Lancaster immediately flew in and greeted her. They are both laying down next to each other since.

Sojourner flew in at the same time with Shi Bi and Lancaster and landed one ledge higher. The 3 have been content on their ledges.

Maya has been sitting under the bridge for a long time.

Freddie just arrived with dinner and landed next to Sojourner. Lancaster and Shi Bi quickly hopped back up and are reminding Daddy that they are hungry too! Lancaster didn’t wait around, but took off and circled up to join Sojourner for dinner. The 2 of them dined well and Shi Bi and Maya were not fed while I stayed.

Hoping for more good flight lessons tomorrow!

Thank you to all of our dedicated and passionate watch team!!

!!! Maya Has Reappeared!

July 01, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

We are pleased to report that Dave spotted Maya perched atop a student dorm building 2 blocks east of the bridge! All are now accounted for.