- All Reports
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Yesterday Bruce Massey and I took a trip out to Waterloo to visit with Caster and Statler and what a day it was!! When we arrived at around 2:30pm, before we could even get out of the car Statler had flown in with food for the little ones at the CTV tower. We raced over to the high school steps for an elevated view of the feeding and saw one, no wait two, oh yes three heads!!! What has now made it easier to see the wee ones is not only their much larger size but also the dark feathers just now coming in on their faces. That contrast made three heads very easy to see from the steps as they reached up and fought over the food that Statler was providing. After they ate all she had to offer, the chicks flopped down in a pile and were now completely out of view. Statler flew out of the nest and up to a low antenna to roost, but where was Caster?
We scanned the area and known perches for the dynamic man but were coming up empty… …wait, what’s this!… …HE’S IN THE NEST BOX!!! Bruce and I spun around like tops to face the Waterloo Sun Life building and set the scope on the box. There he sat, roosting the afternoon away in the quiet shade of the box that the CPF along with the amazing folks at Waterloo Sun Life and Bentall Kennedy Property Management Group installed in the fall. Caster! He was at home and loving it. This was great news and confirmed what our 17 years of experience had shown us time and again. A new pair in a newly colonized area will often use several different ledges and buildings, sites and spots until they find that perfect location which is most supportive of success. While they may have tried something different this year at the CTV tower, it is not uncommon and one thing is clear; that they are interested in the new nest box and are even now using it for rest and shade. Caster remained in the box napping on and off (an excellent sign of comfort) before taking off to the east. He returned shortly with food and the wee ones were fed again at 3:30pm. Now they’re really full!
For the next hour and a half, Caster and Statler flew tandem soars together, roosted on and off the antennas near the kids and exchanged vocal chups and whines. During that time Caster continued to fly up to the nest box on the Waterloo Sun Life roof (at least 4 or 5 times) and twice entered right to the back and into the shadows. At 5pm, Statler left her antenna perch and was off in hunting mode leaving Caster in the territory to watch the kids. By 5:30pm, Statler had returned with food for yet another feeding of the chicks. Each in turn got tenderly addressed after which Statler flew up to a low antenna to roost. Now the chicks were really full!! She sat for a few minutes relaxing and we turned to see that Caster had left the box. Statler was watching activity to the north that had really peaked her interest. She leaned forward with chin feathers all puffed out which made me think she was watching her mate. She kept leaning further and further forward and although I was anticipating her to fly, she just kept leaning. Finally, the head bob that told me she was going to go. Off she flew to the north and over the hospital roof but to where? We tracked her as she continued to fly and out of the corner of my eye, in came Caster from the east to the nest box. I said to Bruce that it would be an awesome way to end the day to see them both up there. HA!! STATLER FLEW RIGHT TO THE BOX AND MET CASTER THERE!! We now had both adults on the nest box at the Waterloo Sun Life building and there was an exchange on the landing platform. Now up to this point, we had only seen and confirmed Caster entering the nest box over half a dozen times throughout the 4 hours we were watching and so this was mind blowing and awesomely exciting news!! After a few minutes, Statler flew back to the tower and her chicks with, you guessed it, more food. The chicks were fed a fourth time at 6:15pm and flopped down stuffed to the max for a good nap.
How to sum up a day like this… …three chicks for Statler and Caster at the CTV tower that we could confirm by scope and photograph. This was fantastic. Caster was amazing to watch and he clearly is delighted with the new nest box on the Waterloo Sun Life and is using it regularly. The two times that he went into the depths we could see him scraping and showing keen interest in using this box in the future. He spent the entire 4 hours we were there inviting Statler to join him there by roosting on it and in it, “bond affirmation” mating with her (3 times) and bringing food to the box for her. Once the kids were well looked after and stuffed, the skies were safe and clear and the work of the day almost done, she happily joined him at the nest box. Bruce and I took our leave at this point, elated to have been a part of such an awesome, positive day for Statler and Caster. Congratulations Waterloo, the best is yet to come!!!
Posted on May 27, 2013 11:59 am
September 20, 2012 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
September 2012
Hello All
We have some great news has that been a long time in the making, and I can now finally post the story, but in the interim, I know that it has been a very long time since the Etobicoke Sun Life web camera had been active. Well, we have some GREAT NEWS, we’re back on line - LIVE once again!!
Some history:
After more than 15 years of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, the original Etobicoke nest web camera that we installed back in 1997 started to give us problems a few years ago,, (actually, the camera was never the problem). The older technology and way of getting the camera images to the world wide web and the CPF web site depended on a computer, a computer operating system (Microsoft) and lots of other very expensive security software and other peripheral equipment and components to actually get the camera signal to the world wide web and the CPF web site.
As you know, since theos days back in 1995, Microsoft has changed their computer operating system many times,, from Windows 95, to Windows 98, to Windows 2000, then to Windows XP, Windows 7 and most recently to Window 8. We have been there for this entire ride!
We have had the Etobicoke web cam running almost continuously since 1997.
I know, as I helped install it. Every time Microsoft changed their operating system, sooner or later, the software that was needed to process the camera image became non-functional and failed. Eventually, many of the companies that engineered, designed and developed the security software we utilized either went out of business and/or the few that did survive and were able to keep up with the Microsoft operating system changes had to start from the beginning and re-invent themselves and commit huge resources back into additional research and development to redesign and redevelop their software to work with the newer MS systems. Sadly, most of the newer this newer software quickly became out of reach for us given the cost to replace it.
As such, we did our best to patchwork-quilt the problems as they say, to keep the PC computers going for the last 5 years until it just became impossible for us to fix without some a major money investment to purchase the new software. In addition to the Microsoft operating system challenges and the software conflicts, there still remained the actual PC problems.
If your lucky, the average desktop computer only lasts 3 to 5 years on average, I can tell you with a great deal of experience if you are running them 24 hours a day, 365 days a years for 15 plus years, both the consumer desktop PC’s (and their hard drives) were simply not made to withstand this type of use. As such, we went through five different computers (at the Etobicoke nest site alone).
Each time, the new replacement PC was installed, it had to be reprogrammed, had new software installed, patches, fixes and a host of other replacement peripherals that always needed to be replace and/or upgraded.
Also remembering that all of these cameras and computers are hooked up and located on site (not at our head office) and these remote locations and distances from us caused many other very labour intensive expensive challenges.
Remember, in our early days, we had live web cameras installed at the university of Guelph, Richmond Hill town hall, Hamilton Sheraton hotel, Ottawa Crowne Plaza, Ottawa Constitution Square, Toronto King Street, the Toronto Sheraton hotel, the Mountsberg Conservation Authority and at Charleston lake out in the bush on top of a cliff at our Brockville peregrine hack box.
I can begin to tell you all of the equipment we have been through, (and had to maintain and / or) over the past 17 years. Think about all of the cameras, cabling, PC’s, monitors, key boards, mice, and allot of other peripheral components and equipment that was needed to make all of the systems functional!
I would be afraid to tell you what we have been through and the things we’re had to do over the past 17 years to do to keep them all going, (let alone to install them) over the years! Remembering that have historically never had more than four staff members (all of which are and have always been only seasonally employed by CPF) and have had had to have other employs to afford the luxury’s of working with CPF.
Well, we’re finally into the next century of camera technology where the desktop computer and ALL of the other peripheral components is no longer necessary, THANK GOODNESS!!! New technological IPZ colour HD security cameras are small, self contained and have their own computer like processors all included in a camera housing not much bigger that a small upside down cereal bowl.
With the support of allot of people working feverishly behind the scenes, and some very long late night hours week days and weekends alike, with allot of miles and travel time in between, and incredible support from our new partners and sponsors, and ongoing and continued support from some of our existing partners, we are back live!
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Chris and David Currie from Damar Security and their partners and supporters at Sony Security Systems, Peter at the Etobicoke Sun life centre, Kevin at Sky Reach Window Cleaning, Matt MacGillivray the CPF web master and all of the CPF staff and volunteers who stuck with us and helped make this all happen!
The man hours put in alone (aside of the preparation, equipment and supplies involved) is enough to make most people’s head spin.
Lastly, but certainly not least, to a very special supporter, Donna and Mel at Harlequin who were instrumental with the introductions that got the ball rolling for us with this revised project in the first place, and to Marion, Tracy, Bruce and Kathy and Kathy, Baylie, Dianna and Big Frank who have forever been very active behind the scenes all year long(before, during and after keeping a very close watchful eye monitoring the Etobicoke birds and keeping us all updated and informed as to the birds activities while we have been blind without a camera. Hundreds of additional man hours both off season over the past couple of years.
The second part of the story starts back in September of 2012 when we met some great folks from Damar Security Systems based out of Sarnia Ontario.
More of the story to come and some interesting photos you need to see.
Stay tuned…
Posted on May 27, 2013 3:15 am
May 24, 2013 - International, National and Local News
Mark Nash Reports:
May 24th - 2013
A quick site visit this afternoon and just at the right time!! A changing of the guard allowed me to capture a few photographs of Chester along with his new mate and family members.
With blustery winds (and actually quite cool), it made for some great flying conditions for Chester and his mate, especially for some great kiting action. Both Chester and his new mate utilized the constant winds to freeze frame themselves in mid air both above my head (and inn my face) and do some great kiting while I was visiting.
It didn’t take them long to figure out the stoop angles and utilize the wind to their advantage as I was quickly chased off the roof and in short order! I can re-confirm that the resident adult female is not banded, and that Chester is in-fact the resident male. And boy, is Chester aggressive!!
Thank goodness for digital technology (and a digital camera) with some decent shutter speeds, as the vast majority of my shots were taken as I was scurrying back to the roof entrance doorway to seek the protection it offered once I was inside! Got allot of blurry scenery and blue sky shots - (and some of my feet)!
I was able to get a few photos and took my leave - QUICKLY!!!
Enjoy
Stay tuned………….
Posted on May 26, 2013 5:54 pm
May 24, 2013 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Mark Nash Reports:
May 24th - 2013
Hatch - May 17th - 2013
Congratulations Petra, you have a hatch!!
Finally able to get back to the Scarborough nest site to check up on the love-birds and I’m delighted to report that there has been a hatch!! Arrived just a right time, in the middle of a changing of the guard and was able to take a few quick photos of the resident adult female - Linn and her new hatchlings!
Although I can confirm that there has indeed been a hatch (and we can see at least two young hatchlings - aged at approx. a week old as of this date when the photos were taken), we can only see two hatchlings of them so far. As you can see in the photo where Linn is brooding her offspring, she has tucked them underneath a six plus inch overhang on the nest ledge that makes it virtually impossible to underneath it, regardless of the angle.
We know that there were four eggs, although none are visible during this visit. At this point, we can only guess just how many hatchlings there are until they get a little bigger or more mobile.. They we’re all huddled together in very tight condensed pile, all tucked inn under the overhang as you can see by the photos.
So at this point given the size of the hatchlings, they are looking to be about 8 days old as of Saturday May 25th, making a hatch date of May 17th - 2013
Enjoy,,,, more to come…….
Posted on May 26, 2013 5:25 pm
May 26, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Last night on my way to the Raptor Centre, I decided to pop in on Chessie and Hurricane for a look at what they are up to these days. For the first time since this site was colonized by Hurricane in 2006, the William Osler Hospital has successfully hatched four chicks which I am sure has Hurricane just elated. When I pulled in I initially didn’t see either adult but it wasn’t long before the air show began!! All I can say is that Hurricane is over the moon happy. For just over an hour, he did not stop hunting. He would land on the corner, look down at his newly hatched family and was immediately off. You could imagine his thoughts as he looked down the ledge to see 4 chicks and a massive female mate all waiting for him to get a move on. He flew 8 hunting forays after which I stopped counting and he was successful in three of those attempts. He plucked one bird out of the air so fast I couldn’t see it and also brought home two impressively massive pigeons from behind the hospital. Chessie was less active but equally as amazing bringing home one pigeon of her own and stooping another above me that narrowly escaped. All of this in very gusty conditions that at one point almost knocked Chessie right on her face as she sat on the eastern “H” sign. Hurricane on the other hand made it look easy, as if there wasn’t a breeze to be had. When Chessie went tail over tea kettle Hurricane flew up to the “H” on the opposite end and looked at her as if to ask, “Are you alright dear?”
Most of the hunts were right over the parking lot above my head and were so spectacular and inspiring. Those flights were actually too close for me to photograph but I did manage to get some shots of the overjoyed parents as they filled each and every “H” sign with cache after cache. We look forward to the new family emerging from the tray and becoming active on the ledge in the weeks to come. This is going to be awesome!!
Posted on May 26, 2013 11:18 am
