June 17, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
CPF Postmaster Reports:
This is just a quick notice to let everyone know that has been following and watching Quest and Kendals nest site that on Friday morning, and throughout the day, the window washers will be on site to set up the swing stage and other equipment necessary to facilitate access to the nest ledge on Tuesday for the banding.
While you might see ropes hanging in front of the nest ledge, they will not casse any harm to the birds. The ropes will be nothng more than a temporary distraction from their duties.. Quest and Kendal will settle back into thier regular routines as soon as the window washers stage is set up and the human activity is off the roof area.
It is necessary to set most of this equipment up well in advacence to ensure that everything is working fine prior to the day of the banding. Any unknown equipment challenges on Tuesday would cause un-necessary delays and/or cancellation of the banding altogether.
Posted on June 17, 2011 5:01 pm
June 17, 2011 - Toronto - King Street
Harry Crawford Reports:
I made a brief visit to the site at 7:20am. Both chicks were
visible on the nest ledge. They then began flapping. Mom flew down
from the roof of the King Edward with food and began to feed them.
I didn’t think anything was going to happen now so I went over to
the Sheraton.
Posted on June 17, 2011 2:36 pm
June 17, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Dennis and I just stopped by the Bridge a few minutes ago. Lady Gaga and Spitfire were busy eating on their own and flapping like crazy. It’s amazing how much they have grown since we saw them on Wednesday afternoon. Freddie was sitting on the pipe and Voltaire flew in while we there as well.
Gwen & Dennis
Site Co-Ordinators for CPF
Posted on June 17, 2011 11:11 am
June 15, 2011 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Mark Nash Reports:
The morning started off with Lady Lamont in sight for the most parts of the day,,, but at some time from first light to 8am, Lady Nelson had taken her first flight and was no where to be found! Our worst fears given the two big bodies of water and the two busy roadways. After hours of searching both sides of the pier on the lake side them on the bay side, pure frustration led to defeat as we all retired to the base camp to do the only thing that was left,, sit and wait and watch the parents to give you a clue as to her location. Hours passed and absolutely noting!! Mom and dad were scarce at best, and when the were visible, they showed absolutely no concern on interest for their missing daughter!!!
Another fews hours passed, and more scanning with the bins and scope and still nothing. Finally, at approx. 2:45 pm, we asked the guys in the bridge if they could escort us to the roof area of the Hamilton tower roof, (now safe as we once again had lady Lamont in sight on the other tower).
Now at roof level, and by 3pm I was scanning the world. Just as I was ready to call it quits, a tiny little brown figure appeared in the massive undercarriage amongst the steel girder superstructure frame of the Burlington skyway bridge on the leading edge of a huge horizontal steel beam.
Guess WHO?? Yes, it was Lady Nelson standing several huge concrete support columns down from on the Burlington side of the canal way up in the steel I-beams!!! I radioed to the group and base camp to a more than overjoyed and very relieved crowd down at ground level.
For the next few hours we watched Lady Nelson make some very short flights (and terrible landing) through the spider web of steel superstructure undercarriage of the Skyway bridge as she made her way back closer to the lift bridge towers.
As she flew to a beam directly behind us. Dad finally appeared in our view, seemingly flying out into our view from thin air to join his daughter. Hmmmm, did he have his eye on her the entire time???
The evening had Lady Nelson finally flying over to the Hamilton tower of the lift bridge, holding up on a steel beam way up on a beam of the Hamilton tower overlooking the canal As darkness fell, and with both fledglings and both adults in sight,, (Lady Lamont back in the nest box and Lady Nelson safely on a steel beam), and both settled in for the evening, we all agreed the it was safe to pack up and go home for the evening.
It was NOT TO BE! Minutes after 9pm, both parents were again airborne alarm calling as they stoped and dove around the upper tower area above and the rear of where Lady Nelson was roosting. After more than 15 minutes of scanning the darkened beams, Sue finally spotted “Rocky the Raccoon” with her binoculars high up on the tower moving around in the shadows.
Both parents were frantic as they continued to alarm call and flew around in the darkness around the rear corner of the upper levels of the back side of the tower.
Finally, we all got a sight line on this huge raccoon slowly descending face down one of the vertical steel ladders. We all watched in horror knowing only tooo well that if “Rocky the Raccoon“ spotted Lady Nelson, it would have been likely a very bad close to the day!
Thank goodness that McKenzie and Cirrus continued their pursuit of Rocky as I`m sure that it was their encouragement that kept Rocky both distracted and on the move down the tower and
past Lady Nelson.
By 10pm, Rocky had finally made its way to the lover bridge road way area and disappeared into the darkness.
We all crossed our fingers that Rocky had enough of McKenzie and Cirrus and officially closed down the fledge watch for the evening.
Stay tuned……
Posted on June 17, 2011 2:55 am
June 16, 2011 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
First off let me say, stay tuned for Mark Nash’s report from yesterday about Rocky Raccoon. It is quite a story.
It was another trying day at the Lift Bridge. I don’t know how we would have handled any more than 2 juveniles. 3 sets of eyes are just not enough to keep up with them. I couldn’t begin to write a whole report for the day so this is just a recap.
When Bill and I arrived at the Bridge this morning at 8am, Lady Nelson was nowhere to be found and the search began. No luck!! Several hours later, Mark just happened to look up at the Control Tower (on the Hamilton Bay side) and lo and behold, Missy had worked her way over to the edge and there she sat in full view. She spent the next couple of hours making her way around the Control Tower, ending up just over the walkway and the road. She was sitting right above a “Danger Sign” and she was most definitely in danger. A decision was made to rescue her before the next lift of the bridge. Well that didn’t work out too well. She took off out over the canal and tried to land on the Burlington Tower, missed, came around and tried to land on the Burlington Hydro Tower, missed and landed in the trees somewhere???
The search was on. Over the bridge, search the ground, search the trees, search the towers. If it wasn’t for the Red Wing Blackbirds and Baltimore Orioles dive bombing her we would never have found her.
At around 4:30pm Bill and I decided to take a break and go home for a bite to eat. When we got back around 6:30pm, Lady Nelson was no longer in the tree and was MIA. By this time, some backup had arrived and the search was on once again, over the bridge, etc. etc. etc.
An hour or so later, she was finally spotted by Robert Williams on the upper beam on the bay side of the Bridge. When we left at 9pm, that’s where she was. I don’t think that she had been fed all day. She must be one very hungry and tired bird.
While all this was going on with Lady Nelson, Lady Lamont was no angel either. She is flying well and holding her altitude, but the landings are still not very good. When we left this evening, she was sitting out in the open on one of the cable wires.
Even while all this searching was going on Mom and Dad continued to entertain us with their hunting skills. I have never seen anything like it. In all my years of falcon watching I have never seen a pigeon plucked out of the air. Well today I finally saw it. Mom and Dad working together, it’s quite a sight.
Keeping our fingers crossed that all will be well when we arrive in the morning. Photos to follow.
Posted on June 16, 2011 10:14 pm
June 16, 2011 - Toronto - King Street
Linda Woods Reports:
Sukura and Kendal are still at home on the nest ledge. Sukura is darkening very fast now that we finally have warm weather. Little evidence of fluff on her. She no longer has the white haze. Kendal still looks like he has fluff across the top of his head. This evening, one adult in view sitting on the Spire of the church, while Sukura and Kendal sat on the nest looking outward. Minimal flapping, no vocalization. At 8p.m. both Sukura and Kendal went behind the nest pillar and out of my view. At the same time the adult on the Spire was gone. I don’t know where the adults are camping out for the night, but tucked in where they still have a view of the nest ledge. All was quiet for the most part and I closed the watch for the evening at 8:45p.m.
Posted on June 16, 2011 9:50 pm
June 16, 2011 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:
Sunshine continues to impress all of us with her wonderful flight skills. Zoe reported today, the Sunshine made it up to the KPMG signage to join an adult , but didn’t stay long. The others are still enjoying meals at home, with not a lot of activity late this afternoon.Some vocalization when the adults come into view. Cinnamon still has evidence of white on him. Kate is looking more and more like Sunshine as she matures and darkens. I think this might be the weekend for another fledge.
Posted on June 16, 2011 9:43 pm
June 16, 2011 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Although we didn’t have a fledge occur today, it was still an exciting time at the William Osler Hospital nest site. All three of the chicks were on the east side of the building at the nest tray today and spent the better part of their time there. A small feeding was brought in by Hurricane, the resident male, at approximately 1:30pm that he dropped and left for the young to consume on their own. A great deal of flap-hopping ( flopping more like it ) went on by all three until Bruce Massey arrived. The resident female O’Connor spent the majority of the time patrolling the air space within a two to three kilometre radius around the nest building while Hurricane held the fort on the hydro tower. Hurricane is clearly becoming impatient with the young juveniles lack of interest in flight. Bruce watched as Hurricane did a fly through of the nest ledge as the chicks were all sleeping and buzzed them so closely as to put them all on their feet immediately. During one of O’Connor’s forays, I happened to look up to the north and at about a 1 or 2 kilometre distance I could see a perfectly round and large red balloon. It occurred to me that the balloon might be an atmospheric survey balloon and I wondered whether O’Connor had seen it. Seconds later I got my answer as I watched a bird stoop the balloon, it deflated and then fell to the ground out of my sight. While I can’t confirm for certain that it was O’Connor, I have no doubts in my mind whatsoever. After the deflation, she returned to her perch on the hydro tower within 5 minutes and came in from the direction that the balloon went down. I can safely say that this year the resident female here has given me more than my fair share of “I can’t believe it” moments.
At 6:07pm, Hurricane came into the nest ledge with a rather large package of food for the young. Bruce and I were once again astounded at the ferocity with which the chicks approached him and then quickly mugged him for the food. Hurricane just stood aside and looked back at O’Connor who was overseeing the entire event from the hydro tower with a very confused and helpless look. When she offered no assistance, he wrestled the food back from the young and began to beak feed each chick in hyper drive!! I’ve never seen a head move so fast!! Moments later Hurricane accepted the futility of his efforts and abandoned the package with the young. At 6:49pm, O’Connor flew in and took the remains of the package and fed herself while the chicks sat 4 feet away and vocalized. They made no move to rush the female, they just stood and watched. Within 5 minutes, O’Connor took the food over to the young and began to beak feed them in the most polite, calm and organized fashion. It was such a stark contrast to what Hurricane experienced that Bruce and I wondered if we’d been out in the sun too long and were seeing things!!! After being cropped up as full as can be, the three juveniles settled in for a nice, long nap. A big thank you to all of the William Osler Hospital staff and security for their interest and support of this family of falcons!! Hopefully tomorrow will be the big day and the first of our young will take flight.
Posted on June 16, 2011 9:30 pm
June 16, 2011 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:
Jupiter is doing exceptionally well and looks to be quite large when flying with mom so her flight skills are quite impressive to say the least!
Hera is doing well, had a bit of trouble with two landings and ended up batting up the side of the wall but he was only inches from the roof. He then let go and circled around and went into the ledge near the nest ledge! Jupiter flew right into the nest ledge a few minutes ago.
Skye has decided to visit the former retaining wall Hera was on yesterday, he lost height after leaving the window ledge and fluttered down to the low rooftops. He’s now perched on the wall watching traffic and Frank is watching him!
Posted on June 16, 2011 1:02 pm
June 15, 2011 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Today was a day of peregrine “hide and seek” as the three juveniles made efforts to escape the heat of the day. Upon arrival, I searched the ledge and was only able to locate two of the young and so began the rounds of the building in search of Storm, our little male that was not in my sights. After circling the building 4 times, Bruce Massey arrived and we were witness to the resident female O’Connor doing a low fly through on the southern side of the hospital above the building mechanical area. Bruce and I thought that maybe Storm had fledged and ended up on a low roof and we set out to confirm whether he was actually there. Of course it turned out the the little one was hiding behind one of the “H” signs on the south side and that O’Connor’s fly through was to let a goose know that its presence at “her hospital” was inappropriate. By this time we had confirmed that each juvenile had found its very own “H” sign to hide behind and stay out of the heat; Rain on the north side, Wind on the east side and Storm napping away on the south side.
At 4:00pm Hurricane flew into the south side ledge and Storm went ultrasonic with the screaming. At this point O’Connor flew over to modify his behaviour with a stern “quiet!!” and that lasted until she left the ledge. Storm mobbed Hurricane until he brought food over and spoon fed the little one. It is very apparent that the parents are now weaning the young and attempting to encourage them to take their first flights. Both adults now sit on the hydro tower to the east and perch about a foot apart. They are also doing fly bys with food in an attempt to tease the youngsters to the air but so far to no avail. The evening closed off with some very silly behaviour from Wind and Rain as the two would pounce on each others tails when the other wasn’t looking and Storm was happy just to nap away the evening as all the running after Dad and hyperdrive screaming had tuckered him right out. I certainly expect to see a fledge any day now and will be keeping you up to date on events as they unfold.
Posted on June 16, 2011 11:59 am
