July 06, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Intermittent flights from all three youngsters today, mainly when there was food to be had.
There was one quick game of tag-you’re-it and one attempt at talon touching. These were mostly instigated by Ramjet. He does pester his sisters.
Saw all three youngsters. I have attached a coupled of pictures.
The peregrines are from left to right - Tinia, Imagine and Ramjet. They were on top of Canada Square above the concrete wall and just to the left of the same.
Cheers
Lyn
Posted on July 7, 2013 7:03 pm
July 05, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills
Mark Nash Reports:
July 5th - 2013
A huge thank you to Sally and the Harlequin team who has been keeping a close eye on the two young fledglings over the past week.
With supporting observations from Murray and several other local watchers, we can confirm that Luna and Carina are doing just fine!!
While although spotty in their appearances in any one view now that the two fledglings are flying so well, they are tearing up the skies never the less.
As with most of the fledglings at this age and stage of their development, Luna and Carina are really tearing up the skies and both Quest and Kendal are having an extremely difficult time finding hiding places to avoid the constant (relentless pursuit) of their offspring!!
Terrorizing this parents is an understatement!! Both Luna and Carina have also been observed now chasing the local bird community and although they are not yet capable of actually catching their own food without assistance from their parents, they are both now aggressively trying! One of the fledglings was successful in catching a bird in a joint hunt with Kendal!!
The “catch-me-if-you-can”, “tag-your-it” and “hurry-up-and-catch-it” games are really paying off as both their flight skills and awareness has improved 100% since the time we spent in the streets on actual fledge watch. We are not seeing labour of our fruits and the result of the rescues that we performed during their early stages of the fledge!
Both parents are involved in mid-air food drops with the kids, mid-air food transfers, and intense games of chase-me and catch-me if you can while teasing them with food in the air! The fledglings are now building up some incredible speed and mid-air maneuvering like pro’s with mid-air side spins, roll-overs and roll-downs!
These are flight skills that the fledglings need to develop (and very necessary survival skills) that will allow them to be successful in both their hunts and defending themselves down the road when they are on their own without parental care and protection.
These essential life skills will hopefully provide the fledglings the ability to survive to adulthood and beyond.
Come-on folks,, time to get out there with your cameras, as this is the real FUN part of the process. There is some of the BEST photograph opportunities to be had at this stage of the fledglings development!!!
Your observations and photos are most welcomed. Don’t hesitate to send them in, as we would love to post them!!!
Share with others.
Stay tuned…………..
Posted on July 6, 2013 2:31 pm
July 05, 2013 - Toronto - Hearn Power Station
Mark Nash Reports:
June 29th and July 5th -2013
Sorry for the lack of updates and postings as we have still been in the field on the watch at several other nest sites and had to mobilize our available manpower and resources to other areas of most need.
As you know, there is only so many of us that are actually mobile with vehicles and the ability to get around to the many nest sites to do a physical check,, and given that we are still very back-logged with observation reports that we have yet to get posted, (most of them being delivered to us by phone call-ins) as opposed to these folks doing their own web site postings), it has as you might imagine, been a monumental task to get everything logged, written down, and eventually posted after being in the streets ourselves 16 plus hours a day. By the time many of us get home in the evenings after a 14 to 16 hour stint in the streets on the watch, finally getting home most often only arriving after 11pm, its all that most of us can do just to get something to eat and crawl into bed, knowing that 5am comes early again and we’re back out into the streets on the fledge watch for another 15 plus hours the nest day!
That being said, we are still very active doing spot checks in between the still ongoing fledge watches and the Hearn nest site has not gone unchecked.
While this is an older update (from Saturday June 1st) I combination with the most recent update from yesterday - (June 5th), both observation reports are consistent, in that it would appear that Peter and his mate have finally given up on their nesting activities, AND appear to have abandoned the site altogether.
I was personally down to Hearn on Saturday June 29th after coming from the Yellow Pages fledge watch, and spent several hours until darkness and never observed any peregrine activity at all. While not unusual for the most parts given the incredible expanse of the Hearn plant , you can usually see activity in the later evening hours just before dark during their prime hunting times, (this especially given that their is a territorial nesting pair on site). Sadly, the most recent observation report that was just received yesterday - (Friday July 5th) by one of our local watchers, confirms that there has been no activity at the nest site itself and also concludes that the pair have abandoned the site.
It is most confusing that the pair might have actually abandoned the territory altogether?? Only time will tell and we will be soon be able to ramp up our monitoring in a few days after the last of the intense fledge watches are completed. We have had to re-start a fledge watch at the Etobicoke Bloor & Islington nest site due to the re-release of little “Lizzy” that has spent the last 9 days under intensive care after colliding with a window and suffered partial paralyzes as a result of the spinal swelling.
the good news for her, is that she has been released back to her parent care in record time, and is now starting to fly again. The best news, is that both of her parents are attending and both she and one of her younger siblings have teamed up and seem inseparable together.
Obviously, any and all observations of the Hearn site is most welcomed, as we are understandably both a little confused at the recent happenings. While we often see failed nest attempts, total abandonment of the territory by a pair that have already have a real affinity to the territory is very unusual indeed.
Your assiastance is most needed to help us do some observations at this site.
Stay tuned………………….
Posted on July 6, 2013 1:45 pm
July 06, 2013 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Mark Nash Reports:
July 5th- 2013
Sorry for the lack of updates and postings as we have still been in the field on the watch at several other nest sites and had to mobilize our available manpower and resources to other areas of most need.
That being said, we are still very active doing spot checks in between the ongoing watches at nest sites where we have just finished the intense fledge watches and the Yellow pages nest site has not gone unchecked.
While we’re back to extremely hot and humid weather conditions, (with several days of back to back pouring rain, smog alerts and blistering sun thrown into the mix), the two young fledglings are still flying well, holding their altitude and now terrorizing their poor adult parents in the air in their quest for attention and food!
During the heat of the day, both of the adults are finding it MUCH harder to find hiding places to avoid the constant pursuit of the fledglings!! The good news, is that we have documented many air food transfers with each of the fledglings diving and stooping and now catching the food offerings that the adults are offering them, and we are now seeing the fledglings starting to chase some of the resident birds in the neighbourhood.
While they not capable of actually catching any live prey as yet, they are now trying - really hard!! The cat and mouse games, and the catch-me-if-you-can games between the two fledglings is just incredible to watch!!!
The spurts of actions lasts 15 minutes at a time, with an hour of rest and recharge periods, you can now see them very active throughout the entire day, all day now. How they deal with this extremely humid and hot weather is beyond me, as it has been almost debilitating for the rest of us here at street level especially with all of the heat radiating off the concrete surfaces that surround us!
Bring your camera’s out folks, as the show is absolutely spectacular!!
Posted on July 6, 2013 12:48 pm
July 06, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Big smile here!
I was out again from 5-8 and there were odd flurries of activity by individuals or two at a time. However twice I saw three juvies at one time.
The first occasion was when all three were on the Rio-Can roof. They were spread out but definitely juvies and Maggie and Dermot agreed with me.
The second time was after they had been doing their own thing but came together at Duiplex and Eglinton and did a bit of talon touching and then some tag. After that they were all exhausted and went to different spots to roost and nap.
Stormin did his fatherly best to get them back in the air by flying high over Yonge/Eglinton/Duplex and made numerous circles there but no-one was interested. He even buzzed one of them a couple of times but they were tired out.
Cheers
Lyn
Posted on July 6, 2013 12:08 am
July 04, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
This week I had the heartbreaking opportunity to get somewhat near a few of the beautiful falcons in my neighbourhood. She got stuck on a balcony on Monday morning and it took me ranting at security and management in the building about it until Thursday morning before they would go check on her. Going to have a little chat with building management about a way to get help to animals in such cases, faster, as a result. I wish I had known there were people looking for her but if it ever happens again, the call will come quickly.
Hopefully she has been seen since she found her way off that balcony last night. It was hard for me to tell if she was badly injured or not from the distance and angle I couldn’t see her well enough. I can’t say that I have seen her since and I have been looking. I took a few shots of her and thought I would pass them to you. At one point she had a visitor…a sibling perhaps?
I don’t know how many people have burst into tears with relief when one of these birds is saved but I certainly burst into happy tears this morning when I heard she must be flying free again. I would love to know if she’s been adopted by anyone. If not, I would love to know what her name is so I can jump right on that! Or I will simply pick another bird, if she’s already been adopted. I can’t thank you enough for the work that you all do.
Sincerely ,
Shannon
Posted on July 5, 2013 11:58 pm
July 05, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
After being out for about ten minutes I saw a peregrine juvie flying to Rio-Can, around the Duplex side, try a landing on the very top of the NW corner. That did not work so she continued flying back to Canada Square where she tried a landing on the big antenna. That also did not work. She repeated her journey and finally found a perch on the antenna but only for a short while as Haven flew in with a pigeon and the peregrine on the antenna chased her, squawking madly.
I lost both of them in the gap south of Canada Square. I walked to Y/E intersection and Haven flew onto the west side of Canada Square and perched. I caught a tail at the very corner of the CIBC building. Definitely peregrine! So I walked up to the cinema entrance just above Eglinton on Yonge and stood on that balcony and took pictures.
I suspected that this was Imagine. Only one shot shows promise of a blue band. The little bird was very hungry and I don’t believe she removed too many feathers before digging in. She just ate and ate and about fifteen or so minutes after I first saw her eating she paused, looked around and then began removing feathers before tucking in again.
She ate for about 50 minutes and at that point I was beginning to see her *cleaning the bones* so I went into the bank. When I came out she had gone.
Cheers
Lyn
I will be out again later provided it has stopped raining!
I have attached Lyn’s photo and yes it is blue tape so yes it is Imagine safe and sound with her family!
Marion
Posted on July 5, 2013 10:06 pm
July 05, 2013 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:
July 5th - 2013
Today was a huge relief for us here in Port Colborne. The only surviving young hatchling we have was successfully transferred from the narrow I-beam it was hatched on to the safety of our nest box!
The extraction and transfer was done by Mark Nash from the CPF and Anne Yagi from the MNR. It all went like clockwork as the bird was safety removed from the narrow I-beam & and transferred into the box. Special thanks to ADM management for their support and cooperation, and to Rolf Numsen for ensuring all safety measures were followed.
As to be expected, Mom & Dad were not too happy about the whole affair, (and Mark will not be on their X-Mass card list again this year), however, this will give the young peregrine hatchling a shot at survival.
Later in the evening Mom was able to locate her missing chick in the nest box and everything returned back to normal. I’m sure she was quite relieved. We know very well from the past, that if the hatchling had not been moved, it surely would have fallen to it death from the narrow I-beam and perished as did its other sibling this season. This could have easily been a repeat story when three other hatchlings several years ago fell to their death when the resident adult female was forced to nest on the I-beam due to a rouge female peregrine that had been fighting with and terrorizing our resident pair to take over the nest box.
Sadly, as you know, this year the same thing has been happening with competition from yet another rouge sub-adult female fighting with our resident pair for the nest box and territory. While we were not able to recover the body of the second young hatchling that disappeared this season, (believed also to also have fallen to its death from the narrow I-beam where our resident adult female was forced to lay and successfully hatch two of the her eggs), we have at least been able save this little one in time.
We are looking forward to about 10 days +/- from now, when they will return to band the baby hatchling.
As a foot note, remember that CPF could not transfer the young hatchlings until they reached an age when the young hatchlings are able to regulate their body temperature, (in the on-sight that it took the parents some time to finally give up their searching of the old I-beam nest location and attend to the hatchling in the nest box). The hatchling is now somewhat mobile at this age, and can now migrate around the nest box to also get in and out of the direct sunlight for shade (and visa versa for warmth) when not being brooded by the adults.
As you recall, CPF had to perform a similar action many years at our site when the resident adult female successfully hatched eggs on this same I-beam. The year prior to this, all three of the young hatchlings produced fell to their death. A nest box was manufactured by CPF and installed by us and the following year, and when the adults re-nested on the I-beam, and the hatchlings were successfully transferred to the new nest box.
All survived to successfully fledge and grew to healthy juveniles attended by their adult parents.
Up until this year, the nest box has been used each year by our resident adults.
Stay tuned for more updates……..
Posted on July 5, 2013 10:06 pm
July 05, 2013 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
On July 5th,
Michael reported: “I was over there on Friday around noon for half an hour and found Statler on her usual post on the antenna on the King’s Towers, one of the boys on the antenna beside the TV station and Miss Fran on the TV tower making a lot of noise. After a while, she flew over to annoy her brother for a while before going on a brief flight and then back to the tower. There she continued to make noise and then flew over to join her mom at the
King’s Tower. Statler eventually decided she’d had enough and departed for downtown Kitchener while Frannie made a couple of short, noisy flights and finally alighted back on the drum at the tower.”
Lisa reported: “I’ve seen them at Sun Life quite frequently in the last few days.
Posted on July 5, 2013 1:45 pm
July 04, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
For the last 3 days Lyn has only seen 2 Juveniles at a time and today finally got the band colours, they were Red and white Ramjet and Tinia.
We were preparing to do a full search and a roof top scan when a call came into the office from security at 2181 Young St that they had a falcon stuck on a glass front balcony. guess who!
I contacted Mark Nash who was just finishing up with the watch at Bloor and Islington for the evening and he headed out to rescue Imagine at 11:30 in the evening.
When Mark got there at midnight he was escorted up to the balcony she was on but no bird was there so they checked all 4 balconies at that level. Mark could see exactly where she had been because she had pooped all over the corner of the balcony floor defiantly enough to have been there for the last 3 days.
Somehow she finally got off on her own sometime after 10:30 PM when the security guard had last seen her. Good for her another lesson learned I hope.
Lyn will be going out tomorrow morning to have a look for her and see where she is now she will be hungry and will likely head home to get food.
stay tuned,
Marion
Posted on July 5, 2013 10:18 am
