January 14, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Lyn Reports:
Canada Square Peregrine report 20130111
I have been keeping an eye put for the peregrine pair from this location and have seen them at odd intervals.
On Wednesday this week I saw both of them. I saw what turned out to be Stormin on the east side roof of the Heart and Stroke building. I had no binoculars but I think he was having a meal. As I was staring at him I just happened to glance along Eglinton Ave. east and saw Haven struggling to fly in against the wind. Her breast feathers were really ruffled and her colour was clear - even naked eye. She made it to one of the top window uprights and stayed put for a bit.
Today I was out and about and checked the west side of Canada Square and found a peregrine sitting on the balcony railing below the nest ledge. I thought this was Haven but to be sure I fetched the binoculars and had a look. Definitely Haven. There was a rope from the roof to the ground at the third balcony over. She was unperturbed by this as she kept a look out over the west end.
Cheers
Lyn
Posted on January 14, 2013 8:39 pm
January 12, 2013 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Bruce and I visited the MEC site to check in on Cass and Sante and whether the pair were around. As with many other sites around the city, window washing stages were set up on three of the four buildings in an attempt to take advantage of the warm weather this week has provided. We searched all four towers and there was no sign of the pair who were most likely out on a hunt or over at their new fave hangout on the west side of Square One shopping mall. Three condo towers on that side of the mall have a good supply of prey hanging about and the antennas on the tops of these buildings make for amazing look out towers. While we didn’t drive over to check, we wouldn’t have been surprised to find them there.
Posted on January 14, 2013 11:35 am
January 12, 2013 - International, National and Local News
Tracy Simpson Reports:
After visiting the William Osler Hospital and finding the male from this site over there, we drove straight to the area and began an extensive search of the buildings and environs for any sign of Claire, the resident female. We searched the alt Hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, Marriot and Hampton Hotels to no avail. After combing the area, the only evidence that was to be found of peregrines in the area was the relatively new white wash found on the alt and Hilton hotels.
The lack of a sighting in and of itself means little as she could be out hunting or in an area where she cannot be seen. Given recent events at the William Osler site, we will be watching Caroga Drive and Viscount Road areas to see if Claire is re-sighted and whether she has another suitor.
Posted on January 14, 2013 11:31 am
January 14, 2013 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
On Saturday, Bruce Massey and I decided to go out and check out some of the west end nest sites and see what pairs were up to. We started our tour at the William Osler Hospital where Hurricane and Chessie have been hanging around more often lately. When we arrived, I had a male peregrine on the nest ledge and the female had just flown up to the east tower. I started snapping pictures of the male on the ledge and stopped to take a minute to review them. To my dismay, the male in my photograph staring back at me was not Hurricane. The solid black recovery band could clearly be read and I recognized it right away. The band read 35 / Y and belongs to Casper, a 2009 hatch from north Etobicoke. Hurricane is 5 over X. Casper had been holding territory and successfully produced at least one offspring in 2012 at the Hilton Garden Inn on Caroga Drive near the airport. Casper and his mate Claire had both been seen and photographed on Dec. 9th and after scrutinizing the photos I took at William Osler on Dec. 22, the pair then was still Hurricane and Chessie. I have to admit that time stopped for a minute with a wrecking ball shot to the heart when I realized that this male on site was not Hurricane. What?… …What did this mean? I was really shocked.
I set my mind to trying to confirm the identity of the female in the tower. She had just taken a bath down in the valley and was soaking wet and preening. Her position on the top of the tower did not make it easy for me to see her legs as she sat in from the edge. I can say for certain that she has a silver USFW band and a black over green recovery band; this is consistent with Chessie, not Claire. Claire dons a purple USFW band. I have more pictures to review that may clarify the recovery band number for the female but I am confident that this is Chessie. Now, back to the male…
Casper sat on the nest ledge amidst a ton of activity. Work has been going on in the peregrine off season at the hospital to maintain the facility and there were swing stages active at both the southeast and northeast corners of the building. As the stages began to lift, Casper sat and preened without concern. When they reached the nest ledge level, Chessie took offence to this and was off the tower like a shot. Casper joined her in the air but it was more like he was following rather than being invited to participate. The pair circled around the west end of the hospital and then Chessie went into a fabulous stoop over the intersection and both were gone from sight. It was clearly not a coordinated effort. Chessie was the first to return to the east tower and Casper joined her moments later. Chessie sat in the very front ( west ) portiion of the tower and Casper sat hidden at the very back ( east ) portion of the four teired tower. Now HE was soaking wet. He left the tower and flew over to the southeast corner of the nest building where the swing stages were now down and he began to preen and deal with his wet feathers.
I’ve been doing this a long time now but I still left the site wondering what this all means. I have a lot of questions that remain unanswered as our conversation with the awesome and supportive staff on security revealed no incidence of a fight and no other peregrine located during their walks of the grounds. Bruce and I also conducted an extensive ground search around the hospital, hydro tower and medical centre which revealed no sign of Hurricane. Was there a battle? Is Hurricane still alive? Did he wander away, like O’Connor last spring, only to show up somewhere else? So many questions that are ricochetting around in my head. I will be back to monitor just what is going on here with Casper and whether Hurricane re-appears. Hurricane established this site back in 2006 as a two year old and has held it ever since. I will be watching for him and watching this site as I don’t think this is settled yet. My gut feeling and observations today have me believing that this is recent.
I have posted a few of the photos I took on Saturday that revealed this news to me. They aren’t fabulous as they are meant to show that the band number on the male is 35 /Y and not 5 / X. As much as we try to not get emotionally attached to these birds, it is almost impossible given the intense study, time commitment and monitoring that the CPF and its volunteers does. You invariably get attached to someone somewhere. Hurricane and O’Connor were my “IT” pair. Together they were unstoppable and as separate individuals, they are absolutely fabulous to watch. O’Connor shocked me with her disappearance and rediscovery last spring. Now Hurricane. Still, anything is possible.
Posted on January 14, 2013 11:14 am
January 12, 2013 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
On Saturday, the temperatures soared and the skies were bright. This certainly had many birds thinking spring and the pair at Toronto Sheraton Hotel were no exception. One of our sharp eyed camera watchers caught Rhea Mae and Tiago on Saturday in the nest tray having a discussion and the pair were on and off the ledge throughout the day. It was great to see them on camera and we look forward to the coming season with them.
Posted on January 14, 2013 9:59 am
January 07, 2013 - Mississauga - Holcim
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I had a delivery to make in the Oakville area and decided to stop in at the Holcim site to check up on Storm and Caspian. As I was pulling up, Storm swooped in from the east and flew up to a ledge on the Avonhead Road side of the plant. As I slowed for a look, I found that Storm had landed right near Caspian and both adults were home!! It was great to see the pair together. After a few minutes of roosting and preening, Caspian took off in hot pursuit of dinner with Storm hot on her heels hoping for a bite. I will be back again to visit with this fabulous pair as winter marches on towards spring.
Posted on January 7, 2013 10:50 pm
January 07, 2013 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
The new female identified recently in Brampton, Midnight from Ohio, has been seen regularly hanging out behind the Shoppers World plaza at Hwy 10 and Steeles where a sizable flock of pigeons roost. I have seen her there several times over the past week and today she gave me a show stopping flight demo!! She was roosting on the top of a building and then went from roost to pursuit in 10 seconds flat!! I grabbed my camera and had no time to adjust for lighting. Take the picture!! Wait… …put car in park… …OK now TAKE THE PICTURE QUICK!!! I was able to snap a few shots of Midnight amongst a chaotic swirl of pigeons and I was amazed to see that she was not successful in singling one out. Merely browsing I guess. Sightings have been reported over the past month of the unbanded female in the area but I have yet to see her around. She may have found a location that I have yet to discover. I will be back again to look for Milton, the resident male, and follow up on the progress of who is who, where and when as we head towards nesting season in Brampton.
Posted on January 7, 2013 10:44 pm
January 07, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
A big thank you to Julie Nyman for allowing us to share these photos she took over the holidays on Dec. 27th with you. The Minto Towers condos are across the street from Canada Square and there is an exhaust vent that has become a favored perch of the resident pair Stormin and Haven. Julie was able to capture a once in a lifetime photo of the pair roosting together on the same vent and a moment later, arguing over who’s crowding the bed!! Excellent and amazing shots!! It is awesome to see the size difference between wee Stormin and big Haven!
Posted on January 7, 2013 10:33 pm
January 06, 2013 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:
Please read this article. An active Bald Eagles nest was destroyed with Ministry of Natural Resources permission. This is in Haldimand County, a spot in Ontario where endangered Bald Eagles nest as well as threatened species the Short-eared Owl.
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2013/01/11/pov-no-room-for-eagles-in-green-energy-act
Posted on January 6, 2013 11:05 pm
January 04, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
So before I left the office I decided to see if our dynamic duo had moved at all and in fact by 3:30 both were gone from the ledge. So I went out the back entrance thinking I might catch them on the Moneris sign when suddenly I saw O’Connor’s reflection in the glass doing recon over the rooftops and the area where I had removed the RTH earlier this morning.
She flew over to the West Tower building and landed on the edge as I walked down towards that tower. I had to put my head down as the wind was so sharp but I swear only about a minute went by when suddenly I heard her and jerked my head up. She was way over by Jack’s ‘Man Cave’ building and I honestly thought I’d lost my mind. No way she could get there that fast could she? Well she can and was engaged in dive bombing another RTH that was hunting over that area.
She dove and chased and wailed on that bird until I saw both go down, the RTH was by some new condo towers further out and O’Connor above the bird headingg into a partial stoop. I only saw one bird come up and it was our fearless falcon. I waited and watched as she flew right back to the edge of the Moneris building and parked herself there looking quite pleased with herself.
She’s had a busy day and she’s quite a contrast to our previous female who, in weather as bitter as this, would rather stay somewhere warm and out of sight! This girl is going to keep me on my toes!
Posted on January 4, 2013 5:38 pm
