With a thank you to Peter Zadorozny from Delta B.C. Canada for sending us some of his shots of a gyrfalcon that he photographed between Dec. 2009 - Feb., 2010
With a big thank you to Ken Hale Sr. for his observation report and the photos that he took on December 7th from Balsam Lake Ontario, that show a good view of some first, second and third year juvenile bald eagles, and the adult bald eagles. He writes: Surprised to see Bald Eagles. There were a total of 9 birds. The photo date was December 7th, 2010 taken in the south Bay of Balsam Lake Ontario. They were a long ways out on the lake and I had to use a 300mm lens without a tripod.
Feel free to use any of the pictures.
Ken Hale Sr.
On Friday I was contacted by Iain,who sent a few photos of a juvenile,Peregrine Falcon he had seen at Tommy Thompson Park(The Leslie Street Spit),3 weeks ago. The young Peregrine had the black band with white numbers/letters 46/Y. I sent the info to Marion Nash at CPF and she got back to me with the identity of the young male. His name is Peter,and he was banded in Hamilton at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel site in 2010. Peter was 525grams at banding. The Hamilton Peregrines are named with local figures or history in mind.This is how Peters name came to be:
St. Peter’s Infirmary was founded in 1890 with room for 14 patients. Recognized as a hospital under the Public Hospital Acts in 1931, by the 1970s St. Peter’s had grown to accommodate 284 mainly geriatric patients. Presently part of the St. Peter’s Health System, the hospital now specializes in the care of adults of all ages with chronic illness.
A little of Peter’s history:
Peter took his first flight as per below:
June 16, 2010 - At 16:20 this afternoon Peter left the Sheraton ledge and flew out over King Street. It landed a few minutes later on the adjacent Thompson building and seems just fine.
His adult Parents are known as Madame X(originally name Runaround Sue) who arrived in 2001 on site. Madame X was hatched on a bridge on Pennsylvania Route 309, the Cross-Valley Expressway in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Banded as a hatchling on 7 June 1999 she was known to the falcon watchers in Northeast PA as ‘Runaround Sue’, a name suggested after she was found running along the expressway guide wall one morning. Her Father is Surge,the resident male since 2004. Surge was hatched in Etobicoke at the Islington and Bloor site (now the Sunlife Centre) in 2002.
Information about Peter and his Mom came from the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/ . The co-ordinator there has been been given this good news about Peter and was glad to hear it.
Reports from bird watchers and photographers are very important to the ongoing monitoring of Peregrine Falcons. Please contact CPF with your observations and tell your friends to as well. Send observations/photos to postmaster@peregrine-foundation.ca or frank@peregrine-foundation.ca We will do all we can to provide information to you regarding the Peregrine you have sighted.
Over the weekend of Dec 4/5 both adult Peregrine Falcons were on territory at the Burlington/Hamilton Liftbridge. Great to know they remain in the area!
I am sorry the pic. are not very good they were taken after 5:00 pm approx. 3-4 weeks ago & I rushed to get the pics.. I saw it had what appeared to be a rather big pigeon that gave this hawk all he could do to lift it up on the roof. It was almost the same size as it’s kill. although it was a slight bit bigger. I was shocked to see this bird as I have NEVER seen a hawk in all my yrs.! It was a beauty.
I saw it sometime between the 1st & the 4th of Nov. 2010. If I had not finally taken a couple of pics. I would still think it was a dream. I was taken back by this bird on the shed roof & a bird, I believe was a pigeon & a good sized one at that ! It had the pray hanging of the roof of the shed & was trying to lift it up with one leg I have no idea how many times it tried to get it up before it succeeded. I thought it was going to fall of with it’s kill at least once!
I must say it was amazing to see this bird lift the prey up to the roof then pulling the feathers etc. I had to leave for a awhile & when I looked again the bird & it’s kill were gone! I am still awestruck by it. I am in Lr. Sackville, Nova Scotia, and the pictures were taken from in side my house. By all means you may publish the pictures if you think they are good enough.
Thanks again.
Mary
Regards,
Mary Cooke
Nova Scotia, Canada.
Good morning!
What a treat this morning to see Rhea Mae (I think) enjoying the sunshine on the stand pipe! I’m glad to see them still around.
Regards-Eileen
On September 12th of 2010,Denis Gauthier spotted and photographed a Peregrine Falcon in flight,at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering,Ontario, Canada. Denis snapped a few terrific photos. He posted them recently to the Toronto and Southern Ontario Birding Board,where I saw them and could tell the bird has a Canadian band on his leg. Upon further investigation,CPF volunteer Kathy found the identity to be that of Kendal. The original posting of Kendals banding can be found here.
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/c/sightings/toronto-king-street/page/8/
June 02, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Kendal 536grams 24days old 33/y
The significance of this sighting is that there is a female Peregrine Falcon from Rochester,New York named Quest,that is being satellite tracked,who is consistantly being placed at the Power Plant there. I know the gang in Rochester is very excited to hear this news.
Please enjoy the terrific photos which Denis Gauthier has allowed us to use. Thanks Denis!
On September 12th of 2010,Denis Gauthier spotted and photographed a Peregrine Falcon in flight,at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering,Ontario, Canada. Denis snapped a few terrific photos. He posted them recently to the Toronto and Southern Ontario Birding Board,where I saw them and could tell the bird has a Canadian band on his leg. Upon further investigation,CPF volunteer Kathy found the identity to be that of Kendal. The original posting of Kendals banding can be found here.
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/c/sightings/toronto-king-street/page/8/
June 02, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Kendal 536grams 24days old 33/y
The significance of this sighting is also that there is a female Peregrine Falcon from Rochester,New York named Quest,that is being satellite tracked,which is consistantly being placed at the Power Plant there. I know the gang in Rochester is very excited to hear this news.
Please enjoy the terrific photos which Denis Gauthier has allowed us to use. Thanks Denis!
Both our adult peregrines are still here too! In October Jack was onsite for several hours a day spending time with Angel. It was almost like the old days when he only had her as his mate. But alas in November he’s been dividing his time between sites I assume as he is only here sporadically now. I do sometimes hear them chupping to each other in the mornings before he flies off in the direction of his other site .
A few weeks ago when we had some Spring like weather, I did witness them go off flying together towards the lake. The past few weeks Angel has settled into her usual routine of hunting off the towers in the early morning and dozing on her perch and keeping warm the rest of the day.