Canadian Peregrine Foundation

!!! Quest checking eggs

April 16, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills

Marion Nash Reports:

snapped these shot yesterday.

!!! From Falcon Friends In Vancouver -Thanks for your photos

April 16, 2015 - International, National and Local News

Marion Nash Reports:

It would be very nice if a peregrine pair decided to set up housekeeping on one of our downtown buildings. At present our sightings seem generally limited to brief glimpses in the outlying areas, such as this one blasting over the beach at Boundary Bay south of Vancouver

The closest I have come in the “urban” area was this one, which appeared briefly atop a large grain terminal at the east end of Vancouver harbour (.. a site normally dominated at that time by a gyrfalcon that has been showing up each winter from the north):

Cheers,
Perry Edwards
North Vancouver

!!! Four on the Floor!

April 16, 2015 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre

Kathy Reports:

I lucked out and managed to catch Rhea Mae laying egg #4 just a few minutes ago.  Tiago was a few feet away supervising!

Canada Square; Haven Back to the Old Ledge

April 15, 2015 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Bruce Massey Reports:

I went back today to Canada Square to check on the single egg on the southwest side of the building as we weren’t convinced that this was a change in location that would last. Several years ago Haven laid three eggs on two different ledges before settling with a clutch that she later hatched out on the northwest ledge we are all familiar with. I met up with Lyn and we went upstairs with Bruce from building management and sure enough the egg on the southwest end has been abandoned and Haven is back on the old nest ledge with eggs. I left with Lyn standing watch for a changeover and hopefully confirmation on the male’s bands.

Four Eggs at William Osler

April 15, 2015 - Etobicoke - William Osler

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Thank you to Ross and Marion for the report of two eggs at William Osler. That report encouraged me to go out and visit the site today to check in and see whether further eggs had been laid.  When I pulled in I found Chessie sitting in the tower looking back at the nest ledge as if she was ready to return to the tray. I saw this as an opportunity to go upstairs and perhaps witness the changeover which would let me know where the pair is at in egg laying. I met with Ross and the two of us went upstairs to take a look at the nest tray through the monitor and the peep hole to see whether there has been any progression. We found Hurricane laying tight on the eggs and not moving. He certainly loves incubating as it is an opportunity for him to do his favorite thing which is to take a nap.  While we were watching Hurricane Ross informed me that the second egg actually arrived last Thursday and that potentially they could have a full clutch by now.  We didn’t have to wait long before Chessie came in and was demanding Hurricane give her her turn on her eggs. When the pair exchanged places, Ross was watching through the peep hole and I through the camera monitor and we were able to confirm that there are now four eggs in the nest tray.  If the second egg arrived last Thursday then potentially number three would’ve been laid on Saturday and egg number four on Monday as they lay their eggs typically every second day.  Congratulations William Osler on a full clutch and we look forward to a hatch around the second week of May.

!!! Some great photos of a new male at the Etobicoke Bloor & Islington nest site that appears to dawn a Black over Green band with Blue tape. Is it an Optical Illusion?

April 13, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

CPF Postmaster Reports:

April 13th - 2015
A huge thank you to Roger for sharing some of his photos that he was able to snap of the resident adult peregrines at the Etobicoke Bloor & Islington nest site. While we had originally identified the new resident adult male was Lucky, (a Canadian produced male peregrine), it now appears that the male now on site that Roger photographed also has a Black over Green leg band with Blue tape. Is it an Optical Illusion and the light just playing tricks on us? O’Connor also has a Black over Green leg band, but has a purple USFW band with no tape.
Photos by Roger Leekam

Defending the nest box

April 14, 2015 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill

Doug Garbutt Reports:

On Mar. 26th we noticed a 3rd falcon on site. There was an aerial battle which saw the resident male (I thought) kind of reluctantly chase a juvie female from the site. Since then there have been more confrontations. On Apr. 11th a juvie banded female was in the nest box for about an hour while the two resident adults dive bombed her. She was confident and stayed her ground. The male landed in the box briefly & left, the juvie stayed. However, later both adults entered the box & the juvie left immediately. They then  continued the battle in air. Today again there were 3 falcons on site. Who prevails remains to be seen. If the young falcon prevails, perhaps there is still hope for some success here this year since the resident female has a penchant for eating her own eggs. Fingers crossed!

!!! Markham and Milner update

April 14, 2015 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages

Marion Nash Reports:

Kathy and I went out to take a look at the Yellow Pages nest today to see 3 eggs now for the Petra/Yellow Pages Falcons. The male was not in site but the female was closely guarding her eggs and would not fly off so I was not able to confirm her band numbers.

William Osler Nest - 2 Eggs!!

April 14, 2015 - Etobicoke - William Osler

Marion Nash Reports:

April 14- 2015
Reports from the hospital today has 2 eggs in nest so far.

Brampton site from March 30th

April 14, 2015 - Brampton - Courthouse

Marion Nash Reports:

Interesting week in Brampton march 30th … was the first day we observed a male here with the female that has been here all winter. He was very small with a heavily barred breast , he may have been here for a few days.

By Sunday he was replaced by a larger , lighter coloured male.
This photo was taken on the 31st and is the newer male.
Friday the 4th , copulation was observed twice. and today she was on the balcony below the top ledge , outside the glass, walking back and forth and turning around. There is a spot at each end a triangle shape about 3ft long by 2ft at the widest that may have gravel.
Because it is on a balcony with glass panels it would be a problem.
We are hoping for a better result than the last two years.

Ok looks like we are serious at the Courthouse ….
last night definitely One bird …. then at 645 am the female was on the North ledge and as I changed positions , she disappeared ..I believe she walked back in … and this evening at 730 pm both falcons there and looking very comfortable.
he was on the north ledge closest to #10 and she was top NE corner , close to the spot on the ledge that she seems interested in.

Since Winston spotted them there every time I have gone by …. at least one falcon has been on the building.
I have taken to calling her ….. Hope …. as in …. Im really …. really hoping things work out well this year for Peregrine falcons in Brampton this year.

Fri morn at 645 she walked out from NE the corner of that ledge and after 3 mins left and headed south. No sign of male.
Spent two hours poking around Fri evening , Nada found her downtown on George st at dark no sign of male.

Sat morning , out early nada either location, around 10 am found 1 downtown moving around a lot bldg to bldg, agitated.

Ten minitues later, saw two wheeling around over the 4 corners, I was moving , dont know M or F. but exact same size, ignoring 2 pigeons that flew right close to them.
by 1020 a Female(very dark) settled in on a bldg and ate. Then was still very agitated, moving around every couple of minutes.
I suspect that they saw another Peregrine from the CH and came back downtown. and are still fighting over territory.
all I can do is keep watching.

Still weird out here in Brampton. Back and forth between downtown and the Court House.
Sat evening at 730 … female on the CH north ledge. just sitting … then Sunday nada till I found two downtown on George st at 1pm.
In the evening, Maria and I went on a tour , ending up at the CH. At 730 a peregrine came in and circled the building … alighting on a cell tower south end. It ignored 3 pigeons below it on the library roof.
It took off over our heads and I realized it was the small Male with the almost darkly coloured breast (not the male in Winston’s and my pics) that I had first seen downtown the week earlier…That was replaced at some point.
He buzzed the yellow apartments south. ( about 600 yds SE of the Court House)… then suddenly we had three peregrines … the female had come off the roof of the Apts and joined in the chase.
It went out of sight … but the Female returned and landed N side kind of mid roof and walked in out of sight …. she reappeared in about a minute …. and sat there … we left her there…
last week I mentioned that she was very agitated one time I watched her downtown.
Then just for S&G.we checked downtown to see if we did have two pairs …. fighting over territories.
All I can do is keep watching.
I observed copulation sat midday. and last weekend. So she has to be ready to lay eggs …. just where.
This morning at 630 … a female was on the East corner of the North ledge of the Courthouse… she left and mated with a male at 645 … and he went out on a hunt west. at about 650 am.
Winston texted me and reported Pefas on the north side midmorning and Maria observed two Falcons on the courthouse …. mid afternoon.
Six minutes later she was Downtown and observed our spare male Peregrine …. Downtown on the George st building.
We have had some real drama here in Brampton …. but it seems settled that the lighter …. slightly larger male is the man. Sunday evening the female helped that male chase off an interloper. She has been on the courthouse almost continuously since Midday Sunday , and mating has been observed twice.
The primary site of interest is a spot on the East end of a ledge on the North side of the Brampton courthouse Hwy 10 just south of Steeles.
I will be doing early Morning and evening checks , Winston will be providing midday observations until we have established that we are hopefully in the family way here in Brampton.
Winston, Toivo and Maria