March 31, 2011 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With news just in before April fools day, (and no joke), we can report that the Hamilton birds have laid their first egg. With two attending adults on territory (still believed to be Surge and Madam X), we are all looking forward to additional eggs, and of course a successful hatch and fledge.
Stay tuned……
Posted on April 13, 2011 3:12 pm
September 30, 2010 - New York - Prescott-Ogdensburg Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
From Mary Beth Washburton - New York state - Very sad that 3 of the 4 chicks did not survive, BUT the one that did had quite a journey. The surviving chick was rescued from the river when it was about a week away from fledging. She spent two nights in rehab and I took her back to the bridge and she made it!!
Postmaster Notes:
While this high fledgling mortality is a typical happening at most bridge nesting sites where the nests are directly over large spans of water, it is still never the less heart braking to see this happen year after year at these same sites. While many man made structures can offer an incredibly good nesting situation, some (as in this case) are not so safe. As always, a big part of the equation and success is as we have all said, location, location, location!
Posted on April 13, 2011 2:41 pm
April 13, 2011 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Hi Frank,
Peregrine report 20110412 at abouyt 4:20pm
I went looking for the peregrines today and found just one sitting on one of the window ledges at the top of the Rio-Can building. I watched for five minutes and then left. From the colour I could see on the chest it was the female I was watching. She had her back facing west and was enjoying the sun on it.
I could not see onto the nest ledge and did check the other buildings around to see if I could see the male but I came up empty. Not sure where he was.
In recent days the male has been seen though.
Cheers
Lyn
Posted on April 13, 2011 12:43 am
March 22, 2011 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
March 22nd - A big thank you to Dave Timmerman from the Sacramento Ca area in the USA for sending us the attached photo he snapped of a male Northern Harrier during a “fly-by”. A good ID shot indeed for all to see.
David writes: The bird was tracking what appeared to be a small field mouse that it eventually caught.
Photo by David Timmerman
Posted on April 12, 2011 4:34 pm
April 12, 2011 - Toronto - Don Mills
Tracy Simpson Reports:
The CPF head office received a phone call today from a woman in an office building at 225 Duncan Mills Road in East York about a pair of peregrine falcons occupying the building across from her on the uppermost ledge. Her description of the female was an odd one that had us all buzzing in the office… …she has an antenna on her back!! After checking her travel diary… …oh boy its Quest!!!! For the last 5 days, she has been hanging around this particular building and has herself a handsome male suitor. Her presence at the site was brought to our attention by Donna Hayes, CEO of Harlequin Enterprises, and we do indeed have a Peregrine romance in the making! Bruce Massey, one of our longest standing volunteers, was immediately dispatched to confirm her band number and determine which ledge they were interested in. It is without a doubt Quest. There are no eggs as of yet but it is our hope that they are not long off. While there, Bruce was able to note in and out ledge visits by the pair and lots of communication between the two. Donna Hayes graciously allowed Bruce access to the office directly across from the nest ledge to confirm band numbers and sent us the first picture of the mother to hopefully-be sleepily sunning herself off and on throughout the afternoon. We will be watching very closely to see if Quest indeed lays eggs and raises her family here in Toronto. It would be quite an honor to host a such a magnificent female and be a part of the living legacy.
Posted on April 12, 2011 4:23 pm
April 03, 2011 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
With a huge thank you to Terry Osborne who first alerted us of peregrine activity in Brampton, Bruce Massey from the CPF has been visiting the Brampton area regularly to get a handle on the birds activity. After several visits, and just when he thought he had the peregrines pegged and showing great interest in a ledge on the Brampton courthouse, the same pair was later observed at yet another serious of buildings well over a km away from the Courthouse building itself. .
The adult male dawns a Balck over Green coloured leg band, (and a USFW coloured band on the other leg). The adult female is NOT banded at all. We have yet to identify the digits on the males band and still trying to identify the digits so we can trace his origin.
While this is very typical of a pairs behaviour when they are looking for “their ideal nest ledge”, (what ever that is), it does make things difficult for us to know where and when the peregrines have decided to set up house.
Usually, the adult male has already chosen several good nesting spots with in the territory that he has been holding and protecting over the past weeks and months, and he goes to great length to show his new mate all of the nifty places within his protected territory. While the male actually believes that it is “he” that decides and chooses the final nest ledge within the territory, it is actually his female mate that chooses the spot within the given territory that she will lay “her eggs” on and raise “her” family at.
Hey guys, does this sound at all familiar?
In any case, we need your support to help us identify the spot that the peregrine have finally chosen to settle in at, as we can never have enough eyes to skies given that the birds are very mobile and still activity looking.
We are interested in knowing where the peregrines have finally settled in, and asking for your help with observation reports of the birds being seen “regularly” on a ledge of a building.
Typically the peregrines will NOT be interested in the flat upper roof areas to nest, and instinctually prefer a suitable ledge BELOW the higher flat top elevations.
Please give us a call or send us an e-mail if you are seeing the peregrines spending any increased amount of time on the actual ledges of a building. Any photos are most welcomed, especially ones that we can use to identify the males band numbers!
The search begins!
Sincerely
CPF Postmaster
Posted on April 12, 2011 11:01 am
April 01, 2011 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 1st - Its not often that we get such a good clear shot of a Coopers hawk, and felt it well worth posting for everyone to see.
A big thank you to Nicole for sending in this great photo of her feathered friend that has been a regular visitor in her back yard these past days.
The photo was taken on Friday, April 1st, 2011 in Mississauga, Ont, Cda. by Nicole Kreutzberg.
The the adult female Coopers hawk hung out in my yard for all of Friday night and all of Saturday…had a few kills and wow, doesn’t even leave a scrap behind.
A regular visitor these days
Nicole Kreutzberg
Posted on April 12, 2011 10:03 am
May 12, 2010 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
A big thank you to Gary and Valerie for sending us this shot of some baby American Kestrels. The adult Kestrels have been nesting and producing offspring in their workshop for the last three years and have produced offspring each year. Great mouse and bug control at its best! Also helps keep some of thoes other pesky birds away.
Thanks Gary and Valerie.
Posted on April 11, 2011 11:00 pm
March 21, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Some additional great photos sent in to us by Collette showing the Freddie is very busy these past days, and it looks like he is really cleaning up the neighbourhood.
Posted on April 11, 2011 10:39 pm
April 10, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
CPF Postmaster Reports:
April 10th - While we are unsure as to the exact date that the egg(s) were laid, and still really don’t know when full time incubation started, it appears that full time incubation is well underway.
Again some good photos from Collette clearly showing that Voltaire is now in full time incubation mode!
Best guess as to a hatch date, given what we do know, - we can expect to see a hatch between the first and second week of May.
Some nice shots of Freddie in flight!
Posted on April 11, 2011 10:21 pm
