June 20, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Linda Woods Reports:
18 King St. east had it’s third fledge this afternoon at 1:10 p.m. It flew over to the very top of #1 Toronto St. and is still there at the time this report was written.( 3:10 pm)
Two of the others fledged yesterday and remain in and around the King Edward Hotel. The youngest had food delivered around 2:30 pm. I don’t anticipate that the youngest will be ready to fly for another 5 days at least.
Posted on June 20, 2009 3:12 pm
June 19, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
What an eventful day today. Tailer loves flying!
First thing this morning, Diana fed Nihei, but not Tailer. He, not happy at all, flew over to Tower A where he saw Connor, who left. A little while later, Connor brought food for Tailer, but dropped it down the side of the building. About 20 or 30 feet from the ground, he caught it and brought it back up for his son. Amazing feat!
Eventually Diana brought more food. Tailer was still on the southwest corner of Tower B. Suddenly both parents went into alarm mode, first over Tower A, and then Tower B. Men were on the roof, apparently doing their annual roof check. I went to see Security who said they would contact the men, not having realized a baby was up there. Meanwhile, Connor accompanied Tailer over to the top of the Crowne. Actually he went to the southwest corner of Tower C. After a while things calmed down.
Tailer saw Diana on the other corner of the building and flew to her. She left and he followed her, both flying over and around us and disappearing. Soon he was spied on the antenna on the Carlisle Building.
We watched Nihei as she practiced her wing-flapping at either end of her ledge, napping on the ledge at the north end, hoping for food, and disappearing out of sight at times. One time she looked like a little striped Buddha.
This evening Tailer made an attempt at getting into the west ledge, missed, turned around in the air, trying it again, and making it! We now know he can go anywhere. Diana was seen on the ledge, gently putting tiny pieces of a pigeon in his beak, as if he were a little baby.
When we left, he was at the southwest end, Nihei was inside the southeast end, Diana was up above us somewhere, and Connor was on the northwest corner of Tower 1.
Tomorrow most of our concentrations will be on Nihei, who will likely try out her wings in the air…..
Posted on June 20, 2009 1:18 am
June 19, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Definitely a better day weather wise at the Lift Bridge, but unfortunately still no sign of Berl.
When we arrived at 8:00am, we found that Truss had spent the night on the cable where we had left her last night. A meal was eventually delivered to one of the picnic tables and Truss did a tight rope walk over to it. After eating, she lay down flat and went sound to sleep for a couple of hours. The last 48 hours must have been very trying for her. At 2:30pm, she got up the nerve and flew to the next picnic table. She seemed to be searching the storage caches for something that Mom and Dad may have left behind. At 2:40pm, the bridge went up, and she took that opportunity to move to a picnic table on the lake side. Then at 2:45pm, she took flight and landed on a ledge on the buffer housing, a very narrow ledge I might add, a little shakily, but she did make it, displacing Mom while she was at it. A short time later, she got up her nerve and took flight to the roof of the Burlington Tower. She walked the edge and then in the blink of an eye, with a leap of faith and a wing flutter landed back in the nest box where she happily greeted her sister Maple. She was so happy to be home that she just flopped in the nest box.
Maple is hanging tight and doesn’t seem to want anything to do with flying. I guess Truss must have told her what happens when you come to the ground. Maple spent the afternoon, lazing around the nest box. She seemed happy to enjoy the space all to herself.
Around 6:00pm, Sir dropped off dinner to the next box and it was shared by both sisters.
When we left this evening around 9:00pm, both Truss and Maple were sitting on the edge of the box. Hopefully they will stay put till morning.
The weather for tomorrow is not sounding very good, so it may be another very long, wet day. Let’s hope the weather man is wrong.
Posted on June 19, 2009 10:54 pm
June 19, 2009 - Toronto - King Street
Linda Woods Reports:
First fledge occured around 3:15p.m., wittnessed by Neil. I looked out my living room window after checking the webcam to see where the adults were, I noticed on bird sitting on the west facing peak of # 1 Toronto. Since I didn’t hear any chatter on the radio and I didn’t think anything more of it. Wasn’t 100% sure it was a fledgling. No mention of any unusual activtiy when I returned to the site, eveything was quiet as usual.
Early this evening , Bruce and I were sitting at the corner of Court St. and Toronto St, when an adult flew over to # 1Toronto with prey. At this time I noticed a second bird there with it’s tail flushed against the flashing of the roof top. I didn’t think this was typical adult behaviour. Bruce walked around and stated that it was an adult feeding an adult. I wasn’t too sure about that, but then, who knows what urban peregrines don’t do anymore.
Moments later the adult took off towards the nest building and the juvie right behind. Good second flight high and steady over the King Edward.
The second fledge occured around 6:30p.m. and flew over # 33 Victoria St. it came eventually came to rest on the south facing mezzanine of # 33 Victoria St. Another good strong flight wittnessed by Paul.
The two flew another time and both ended on the ballroom roof of the King Edward Hotel. The male was initally out of view but made it’s way over to the female and both settled for the time being.
Another fly around and and the male ended on the top of the chimney of KEH.
Eventually the female moved over to the base of the chimney and tucked in for the night. The male directly above, was lying down, and hopefully for the night.
Good strong flights, no misses or major slips, YES! that is the way to do it. Let’s hope they continue to do well
Today, many new faces dropped by the check on the status of the young ones.
I am sure everyone will be happy to hear that they have finally started to fly.
Posted on June 19, 2009 10:20 pm
June 18, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:
Attached are photos of Truss taken just before her release from the roof of the Burlington Tower. She appeared healthy and definitely feisty.
Posted on June 19, 2009 10:19 pm
June 19, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Kathy Smith Reports:
I arrived with my daughter Jenn around 2pm. today. The 3 fledglings were flapping and hopping back and forth along the east and south ledge. Dad seems to spend alot of time hunting to the west and brought in food twice between 2:30 & 3:30pm. Then the little one were full and went down for a knap. They were back up and active by 5pm and another food package came. Mom who sit on the hydro tower most of the time keeping a close eye on the activities, came over to help with the feeding. They wondered the east side of the ledge and as the sun moved over the building they move to the north side to soak it up. There were a few hop, skip & jumps until another food package came in @ 7:13pm and the larger of the 3 took off with it and mom decided to beak feed and made sure they all got their share. They returnd to the north side of the ledge for a lay down. Tracy joined me around 7pm, and after discuss the days events I left the watch in her faithful hands.
Posted on June 19, 2009 9:18 pm
June 19, 2009 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
Sarah Washington Reports:
Not sure where to start, but there has been lots of action. We have had one rescue, and it went very smootly. Strathcona was in good health and when she was relased at the top of the Sheraton, she flew right to the nest… and today 4 days later has finally flown again.
Durand had the mis fortune of being “bumped” out of the nest 2 days ago and she was not happy, we know that because she landed on a lower roof and started “beaking off”. She has flown 3 or 4 more times and is amazing! She has done the bat a couple of times on walls close by, but recovered well.
Dixon, the male has been doing vey well also. Short flights but they are strong. They are staying close to the nest and doing short trips back and forth. Landing has not been as smooth but that will come with time.
Now for Gleig, she is still in the nest. She will be starved out of it by parents. They have been doing lots of fly by’s, almost as if to say “Come fly with me”.
Overall, we are all happy with how things are going.
Posted on June 19, 2009 10:42 am
June 17, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Kathy Smith Reports:
I was out at the William Olser site breifly on Wed. All three babies were activly exersising their wings and running the whole east side of the building. Saw both parents keeping a close eye. I’ll be back out for a full watch Fri.
Posted on June 19, 2009 7:53 am
June 18, 2009 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Mark Nash Reports:
Today was not much unlike yesterday, cold, rainy, damp and over cast. High winds from the lake, and gloomy. Sadly, as the early morning watch drew on, it became quite apparent that something was wrong. One bird in the rescue carrier waiting to be released, one bird on the nest box ledge,, and ….. OH GOD, only one bird on the nest box ledge!! NONE in the nest box itself. This is not Berl, it’s Maple,, the smallest, youngest female that is the one on the nest box ledge!
Hours later after turning the entire area upside down scanning and searching the fields, the beaches, the docks, the towers, the rocks, the parking lots, the bridge, the beams, the towers and every nook and cranny, some terrible sobering thoughts surfaced: Berl had obviously fledged at some point in the very early morning hours and has in fact gone missing. Not a trace. As the day passed, numerous other searches were conducted by all, together and independently, all with the same result, and by the end of the day as darkness fell, Berl had not be found.
Despite the gloomy day, there was some good news. Truss, now dried off and recharged was released back to the wild to her family without a hitch. Once again the fledge watch team sprung into action, positioning themselves at all four points around the towers and bridge, radios in hand: they poised themselves for Truss’s release from the roof of the north tower. Despite the high winds and a risky daylight release, and with the direction and supervision of the bridge staff, Truss’s release went like a routine everyday happening. Thank goodness!!! A half and hour later, Truss eventually left the roof top of the north tower with a very short flight out and back around to the land on the overhead cables high up on the north tower. Throughout the afternoon she was visited by both of her parents and encouraged to take another flight. But this time, Truss would have no part of it. For the balance of the day light hours, she remained on the overhead cables only a few short meters from the nest box. Her sister Maple (now for the first time) was observed roosting on the leading edge of the nest box landing platform, just as her two older sisters had done. On one occasion, mom did bring in a small food scrap to Truss, but sadly Truss was unable to balance on the cable and hold the food at the same time, and eventually dropped the food without getting a second mouthful.
No food again today for Truss! Maple was fed at least once by the parents, but for the most parts, both juveniles did without. Both parents were observed making many attempts at catching food today, but the it was quite obvious that the rain and heavy mist in the air took its toll on the adults ability to catch food. They spent most of the day very wet.
With a huge thank you for to all of the fledge watch team, the bridge staff and the many other supporters that helped throughout the day.
Only a special few actually know what it is really like to put in 12 to 16 hours a day standing in the streets or the field enduring the rain and cold or the heat and humidity day after day trying to make a small difference, to give something back to the small creatures in this world that really have no voice in this hustle bustle world that we live in. The world that we control and manipulate to suit our needs, not theirs. Life in the big city and in the fast lane for these small fragile creatures with voices that go unnoticed, clinging and holding on to a tiny space trying to survive for another day. Just one small page for the life and times of a falcon watcher on a fledge watch, and an urban falcon family in the big city.
I know that I can speak for us all in the hope that tomorrow brings some warmer temps., and maybe the return of Berl.
Stay tuned,,,
Posted on June 19, 2009 1:51 am
June 18, 2009 - Ottawa - Delta Ottawa City Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Tailer decided to stay home today, although several times he looked as if he was going to fly again. It is not unusual for a chicklet to rest a few hours or a few days before flying again. Food drops were scarce as well. Both chicklets were seen together off and on all day. They went to the northeast corner, where some wing-flapping was seen.
By evening both were back at the southeast corner. At one point they were side by side near the string that hangs down from the roof about 1/2 way along the ledge, Tailer in his usual pose and Nihei with her face turned outward. We have had the opportunity to see more of her, and we do believe we have a female. Although neither chicklet would sit up side by side, we have seen them together, from the shoulders up and she is bulkier than he is. She has not yet sat with her tail out and hanging down as her brother does. Maybe tomorrow.
The adults were not as active today, possibly due to the light rain that arrived part way through the day. They did fly around the Crowne occasionally. Connor was seen fleeing from the inside of the ledge, probably having checked out the possibility of leftovers. Nihei took exception to this as she determined she was starving and let everyone know all evening. Diana was on Tower 2, which crew both chicklets to the southeast corner. As we left, we still heard loud persistent calling, volume stepped up at times. How can Diana and Connor ignore that?
Eve Ticknor
Posted on June 19, 2009 12:18 am
