Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

!!! All Have Fledged in Windsor

July 01, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Lancaster continues to stun the volunteers with his beautiful and skillful flights. He has been very encouraging to Sojourner and Shi Bi Ke Si and keeps close watch of them, flying alongside to show them how it’s done.

Maya was last seen yesterday afternoon and despite numerous walk-abouts by many volunteers, we have not seen or heard her since yesterday. We’re trying to remain optimistic that she has found her way to a tree or nearby building.

Sojourner entertained the team this morning when she flew to the ground and splashed around in a puddle for a wee bath! She flew with Lancaster in attendance, up to a beam when she had enough splashing.

Shi Bi Ke Si launched for her first flight yesterday, stayed put for the day and tried again this morning. She had trouble gaining altitude and came to the ground between the bridge and road. We managed to walk beside her, guiding her to the fence and she quickly figured out how to climb up a chain link fence! Pictures are of Shi Bi Ke Si.

Windsor Sunday Flight Report

June 29, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

It was a wild day at the bridge with Lancaster doing some great flights, Sojourner in a tree and struggling to get enough height, and Maya coming to the ground. All are up in safety at this writing so a big sigh of relief.

Special thanks today to Cathy, Marliese, Paul G., Maureen, Jeremy, and Vicki for toughing it out and watching through heat, downpours, and some tense moments! Lots of curious people stopped to watch our falcons today.

We’re still waiting for ShiBiKeSi to take her first flight. Maybe tomorrow morning?

Thanks everyone for all your great support!
Marilyn

CTV News Windsor Link

June 27, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Here is the link to yesterday’s great coverage of the first fledge flight in Windsor this year. Lancaster stayed high and did great in the sky!

Thanks to CTV Windsor for some great shots and promotion on the Windsor site!

http://windsor.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=388587

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/life-video/video-ctv-windsor-baby-falcons-take-flight/article19356034/

Friday in Windsor

June 27, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Hi Folks,
Denise and I relieved Ted this evening. A small feeding and lots of flapping but no new flights.

As Denise and I were preparing to leave, we discovered that Lancaster was sitting on a cross bar opposite the nest. He appears to have walked along the lip of the beam and out opposite his sisters. He seems quite content there so we’ve packed up for the night.

I’m forwarding Maureen’s great report below. Hope some of you can make it out this weekend. We need people as the chicks are looking very ready.

Cheers,
Marilyn

A quiet day under the bridge. After having had some adventure, Lancaster seemed content to stick around the nest today. Cathy found him this morning on top of one of the university buildings (I think), he flew back onto the pipe and then into the nest. He hopped up onto the thin girder just above the nest, stayed there for a good while before joining the others down below. He had not had another flight as of 3:00.

Maya still looks ready to fledge, and today Shi Bi Ke Si was more active and visible, lots of wing flapping as she sat on the edge of the nest. First time I was able to see her leg band. Sojourner is keeping to herself, usually in the back or to the left of the nest.

It’s almost as though Lancaster is telling them “this flying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be - if you stay in the nest, you get fed!!”

And get fed they did, around 1:30, Voltaire came in and dropped off a good sized food package. She did not stick around and feed them. Everyone ate.

Freddie has been coming and going, he still spends time under the M on the bridge. I saw fewer fly-bys by both parents today, and there were no fly-bys with food.

Fingers crossed we get another flyer soon!

maureen​

!!! Lancaster has multiple flights!

June 26, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Maureen sent a great report of her shift and all the excitement this afternoon:
Well today was certainly more eventful than we have had of late. Lancaster kept us on our toes; after having fledged and providing good views on the girder under the bridge light standard, he disappeared for a couple of hours before finally resurfacing on a cross girder under the bridge. He hopped around up there for 20 or 30 minutes, before attempting a very short flight and landing on the girder above the pipe where Voltaire normally sits. It was impressive to see him come down and land on the small girder. At this point Freddie saw him and did fly-bys, looked like he was trying to get Lancaster to fly to the nest. That was pretty cool to watch, dad teaching him how to fly. Freddie eventually dropped off a food package on the girder and Lancaster ate for the first time today. That was just before 3:00.
The media were with us today, both CTV and CBC (radio). The 6:00 news aired a segment on the falcons, hopefully Larry and I represented well. Larry did an awesome job explaining to the reporter(Chris Campbell) what we were doing and why, and the reporter seemed truly interested, he stuck around for well over an hour, and saw Lancaster do some hopping, sadly no flight. I didn’t hear the CBC radio report.
Maya looks ready to fly also, if she hasn’t already. The other two chicks were less active. As of 3:00 the chicks in the nest had not been fed since this morning.
The makeshift ladder has been put in place on the north side of the bridge support; the bridge company took the tree limb across the street and cut it to fit, awesome job. That was done this morning.
Now that there is at least one out of the nest, the fun begins!!

maureen

I relieved Ted and Marliese around 5:45 and they filled in the following info.

Lancaster had a big flight just before I arrived and tried landing on the steeple. Guess he did a big slide down the steeple and took off. We haven’t been able to spot him since. Marliese and Ted did walks thru the church grounds and checked trees and rooftops but can’t spot him. Given his strong flights I’m not too worried but of course would feel better if we knew for sure where he is.

More feedings during my watch, lots of flights around by Freddie and Voltaire, but still no sign of Lancaster. All quiet in the nest now.

The excitement has begun!
Marilyn

!!! Lancaster Fledged!

June 26, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

I had an excited call from Marliese letting me know that Cathy and Larry were on hand to see Lancaster take his first flight around 7:40 this morning. They report that he flew up and landed near the pipe under the bridge!

There may be some adventuresome siblings ready to join Lancaster today so come on down and help with the excitement of witnessing those first flights!

It’s a beautiful day to be watching the sky!
Marilyn

Still Waiting in Windsor

June 25, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Hi Folks,
I received this report from Maureen who had the mid-day/afternoon watch:

Another slow-wish day at the bridge. The highlight today was the shower of feathers this morning as Voltaire cleaned a kill up in the girders. By the feathers it looked to be a pigeon, but the size of the food package looked more like gull. Hard to say. It was a good feed for all four chicks, at around 10:30. Voltaire fed them all, then went back on the pipe where she stayed for most of the day, returning to the nest briefly and dropping off a much smaller food package at around noon. Freddie has been here and there, when I left at 3:00 he was under the “M†on the bridge.

Looks like most activity has come from Maya and Lancaster, some flapping and hopping but not a whole lot. The other two have spent most of the day hunkered down to the left of the nest.

No one looks too ready/eager to fly yet, and they have been fairly quiet in the nest.

A CTV reporter stopped by briefly for a chat, looked at the birds, and left his business card with Marliesse, said to email or text when there is a fledge.
Other than that, a quiet day.

Maureen

I relieved Ted this evening and he too had a quiet watch during the late afternoon/early evening. On my watch, a bit of flapping but not much action on the ledge. All 4 chicks have shed most of the downy feathers and look very good. Any time now!

Keep looking up!
Marilyn

Tuesday in Windsor

June 24, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Lots of activity in the nest but no one took their first flight. Still waiting for the real action to begin.

The afternoon crew took cover in cars during the storm today so BIG THANKS for keeping watch in horrible conditions!!

We could really use some extra help mid-afternoons to early evenings. We’re shorthanded from 3 to 6 weekdays so if you can break free, your assistance would be much appreciated.

The weekend is fast approaching and it would be great to pencil in some shifts. Please feel free to sign up on the grease board at the bridge or to let me know if you have time to watch this weekend. I’m pretty confident we’ll have flights to watch by the weekend.

Thanks to all who are coming out to keep watching and to help in the event of any difficulties!
Cheers,
Marilyn

Windsor Sunday Update

June 22, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Marilyn Weller Reports:

Hi Everyone,
It was a fairly quiet day at the site today. Several feedings throughout the day, lots of flapping and hopping about, but no one took their first launch yet.

Shibikesi was out in plain sight this evening and had a nice meal from Voltaire. She has been staying low and out of sight most of the time so it was good to see her today.

I want to welcome Kerri to the watch team. She was at the banding and has stopped by in her spare time. She will be around when she can so be sure to welcome her.

We’ll be saying a brief good-bye to Paul who leaves for the way north on Tuesday. He will be away for 10 days so we’ll miss his ever-ready ability to pop in, watch, tend to grounded fledglings, carry stop signs and other supplies, and to come to the rescue with rather innovative solutions to falcon dilemmas (i.e., “the falcon ladder). We wish Paul and Karen safe travels!

We have coverage for much of our week but do have some gaps in the afternoon schedule. If you find yourself with some free time, please come by and sit a spell!

Thanks everyone. Keep looking up!
Marilyn

!!! Some great shots from Larry at the Windsor banding!

June 20, 2014 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge

Mark Nash Reports:

A big thank you to Larry Ludwicki for sending in some of his photos of the banding.
Enjoy!