May 09, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Saturday May 9th - 2015
Thanks to Olga for the pic she snapped today that aids to the suspicion that O’Connor may have in fact had a hatch and in her typical fashion, hiding her new family member quite well. I’ll let you decide, what do you see?
Thanks Olga!
She writes:
Is it small little face hiding behind Mom? Or just illusion?
Posted on May 9, 2015 8:21 pm
May 07, 2015 - Niagara Falls
Mark Nash Reports:
May 7th - 2015
A big thank you to Jacquie for her update and news on the Niagara Falls peregrines! Pretty amazing photos given that they were taken with her camera phone through a spotting scope eyepiece,, (at some very long distances I might add), from the USA side of the Niagara gorge!!
Thanks MUCH Jacquie!!!!
Jacquie writes:
Hi Mark,
Happy Peregrine season! I hope all is well with you.
I just wanted to pass on some info for the Niagara Gorge nest. I was there on April 29 and witnessed a “changing of the guard” at the nest, with the male flying in to take over for the female. I was there again today and the female was sitting tight on the nest, so they are still incubating. The nest has moved again this year, and they are back in the old nest hole, in that lovely nesting tray you guys built for them a couple years ago. So they are nice and observable again this year. I attached two of my photos from April 29. They are not the greatest quality; I took them with my phone through my spotting scope.
Jacquie
P.S. There is still ice at the top of the falls and on terrapin point!
Posted on May 8, 2015 11:19 am
May 07, 2015 - Toronto - King Street
Mark Nash Reports:
May 7th - 2015
I have some very sad news to report after my site visit today in downtown Toronto today. A huge thank you to the Dream management group and security for allowing me access to the 8 King Street facilities. This viewing perspective from this building gives us an opportunity to get a detailed look of the upper west ledge elevations of the 18 King street nest building, one that is virtually impossible to see from the west from any other location, (other than the # 8 King street building) given that the entire west view is blocked by the close proximity of the other buildings to the west.
While there are still just as many questions that remain, we do although have answers to several of the most important questions that everyone has been asking.
Today, I spent close to an hour watching Stormin (the resident adult male at the Toronto Downtown King street nest site) guarding, protecting and watching over Erin’s partial remains on one of the upper west ledge elevations of the 18 King Street nest building. A very sad event to watch, one that actually brought tears to my eyes. I must admit, that I couldn’t help feel the lose myself. A truly heartbreaking observation.
At my arrival, I quickly spotted an adult peregrine on one of the upper west elevation ledges of the nest building in what appeared to be involved in brooding activities, as the adult peregrine was incredibly unsettled, standing, laying down, standing, turning, laying down, wings partially opened, then closed, then open again, turning around and laying back down. This carried on for close to 15 minutes,, (and the peregrine did an excellent job concealing what ever it was protecting / covering) as we didn’t get a decent view of what it was concealing until much later.
The sun was high in the sky, slightly to the west, and shining directly on the upper ledges where the peregrine was observed. The bird was panting heavily and was obviously very very hot as a result of the sunlight that was flooding the west elevations and ledges.
Bingo! I thought I had finally been able to answer at one of the most often asked questions these days with regards to Erin’s whereabouts. We highly suspected that she maybe have moved to the west side upper elevations of the nest building and either incubating egg(s), or at this late stage of the breeding season, brooding recent young hatchlings!
The longer that I watched, it became more obvious that the peregrine I was watching was much smaller than a female peregrine, and looked like a male!! After closer examination with the binoculars, it became quite apparent that the peregrine I was watching was in fact a male, (not a female), and non-other than the resident adult male- Stormin,, (now clearly identified by his Solid Black band number 30 over Y),, as it became visible during one of the many twists and turns.
It had also become quite obvious that this peregrine was brooding something with a real determined effort to conceal it from both our view, and protect it from the hot blazing sun that was flooding the upper ledges. For more than 20 minutes we watched Stormin attempt to cover-up a sizable gray object that lay underneath it.
I was fortunate in that we were able to utilize a vacant office suite and simply look out through the suite windows just slightly above the ledge level over on the King street nest building. (This as opposed to having to go to the upper roof elevation to make my observations).
It wasn’t long after my arrival, and after witnessing the above events, that I realized that not only was the peregrine that we were watching not a female, but actually Stormin (the resident adult male), and too my horror, that Stormin was actually protecting the partial remains of another adult coloured peregrine,, (likely the remains of his female mate - Erin) given his overall determination throughout my hour long visit.
It was also quite apparent that the deceased peregrine he was protecting and attempting to shield from the hot sun had been plundered and partially eaten as there was a large percentage of its body missing, with hundreds of smaller feathers spread out all over the ledge - (end to end).
For close to an hour, I watched and photographed Stormin move around and overtop the deceased peregrines body, with his back to us and his wings spread open in an effort to cover it from both us and the scorching hot sun.
On two different occasions, he laid down beside the body, with his beak resting on its back while he remained motionless for several minutes at a time.
On several other occasions we watched Stormin gingerly stumbled and move around the body with closed fists so as to not to cause any damage to the carcass with his sharp talons,, (very similar to the way that incubating and brooding adults move around when they are on eggs and / or have young hatchlings). On several occasions, while he was laying down beside the carcass, he vocalized at its lifeless body.
Again, I must admit, the entire event was truly heartbreaking to watch and I couldn’t help feel Stormin’s distress and really couldn’t watch any more. It was during the third time as I watched Stormin laid down beside the carcass and rested his beak on the head of the remains that I had enough and I packed up and left for the day.
I have refrained from posting the more graphic photos and photo-shopped out some of the more gory part of the images and hoping that my observation report will suffice to explain (in-part) what has taken place.
It is worth noting that the “bright red flesh” that we observed on the carcass - (as opposed to a dark red or black coloured flesh that is consistent to long exposures to the sun and air), tells yet another part of the story and some evidence of the timelines, in that the peregrine carcass was very fresh.
After speaking with Linda later this evening, it would appear that she saw both Erin and Stormin this past weekend. While the cause of her demise will likely forever remain a mystery, there is some comfort knowing that she was obviously still with Stormin on site at a familiar place, one that she has called her home for the past 14 plus years.
Posted on May 8, 2015 3:13 am
May 07, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
On Wednesday, May 6 just after 2, the 4th egg was still nestled in with the hatchlings.
Today, at 9:00 this morning, Karen reported that Mystery left the nest and there were definitely 4 babies in the nest. Shortly after she returned with a meal for all. Sometime between Wednesday afternoon and this morning the fourth fluffy chick broke free of it’s shell! Better late than never little one! Caster arrived later with more food but ate most of it himself and took the package away. At 9:29, the babies were all huddled together for a few minutes until one of the adults came back at about 9:38. The protective parents aren’t leaving them alone for long!
Later on in the afternoon, at 3:30 Mystery flew out again leaving the fledglings alone for a few minutes and came back with a blue jay. She plucked out pieces of it and gently offered it to the little ones. The four hungry babies were wobbling on their small bodies and big heads to get their portion of the meal. Feeding continued for a few minutes and then Mystery took the blue jay out of the nest box and came back a few minutes later with the blue jay. Caster came in and covered the young ones and fussed with them a bit. Again Mystery left and came back with the blue jay. And a third and fourth time she went out and came back but this time it could have been another blue jay, as it looked a little fresher. This went on for over an hour. After the numerous feeds and fussing from Caster and Mystery the little ones final conked out after all the food. Caster is very good at stepping in and covering the babies as soon as Mystery leaves.
Posted on May 8, 2015 12:23 am
May 07, 2015 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Marilyn Weller Reports:
Taken from a FB post:
BREAKING NEWS! Chris Becher and Barb Baldinger have identified the new male at the new GM/former Lowe Campbell Ewald Building in Warren, MI! He is General Brock with an all black band of 22/V. He hatched at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario and was banded on May 18, 2012. He was named by elementary students from Windsor’s General Brock Public School who witnessed the banding.
He made several stops before showing up in Warren. Local birder, Tom Heatley saw General… Brock on October 21, 2012 at the North Marsh of Lake St. Clair Metropark in Harrison Township, Michigan. Last year, Chris and Barb saw him at both the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Grosse Pointe and the “Nine Mile Tower” (Shore Club Apartments & Marina) in St. Clair Shores. At both of those locations, he was with a female named Theresa (black/red, 20/W), from St. Mary’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
It is interesting to note that this is not the same “new male” who out competed Magellan at this site last September. That male had a black/red band and was never identified. So, sometime over the winter, General Brock took over. He and Isabella (b/r, 74/X) are currently nesting on the roof of the new GM building.
Posted on May 7, 2015 9:07 pm
May 05, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
On Monday, May 4, Mystery and Caster were a lot more restless than usual. There were frequent shift changes and they fussed in the nest, moving pebbles around. At lunch time, one of the adults had brought a bird in and tucked it next to the adult sitting on the nest. Mystery was probably feeling (and seeing) one or more of the eggs in its “pipping” stage, which is when the chick first starts to break a hole in the egg shell using its egg tooth, which is a hard bump on top of the beak. 4 eggs were still visible when Caster came in for a shift change around 5:00 but Mystery was not leaving those eggs! Early this morning, the CTV live feed was down and shortly before 9:00, the feed was fixed and an eggshell could be seen, tossed away from the nest. While Mystery repositioned over the nest, a first glimpse of a downy, white chick could be seen wriggling in the half shell underneath it.
At a shift change at 11:00, 2 fluffy white chicks were confirmed to be hatched and a hole, could be seen in egg number 3. The third fluffy chick appeared shortly thereafter!!! Caster brought in a fresh kill and the young eyasses (baby falcons) had their first feed by 1:00. A second feed happened later in the afternoon as those young chicks sure are hungry! Congratulations to proud parents, Mystery and Caster!!!
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=607374
(If everything goes well, banding will take place in 18-28 days. The fledge watch will start at the beginning of June. Anyone interested in joining the team, please go to the volunteer section on the main page to sign up.)
Posted on May 5, 2015 11:33 pm
