Balloons, again
June 18, 2011 - Toronto - King Street
Linda Woods Reports:

Received a report that an adult at another nest site, took out a weather balloon. This morning, view from south of the King St nest site, I could hear an adult sounding off. I looked skyward and saw an adult peregrine in climbing, flapping to gain height. Off towards the east was a small blue balloon that was floating upward.  I did a nest ledge check around noon and both Sukura and Kendal were still there.

2nd Fledge!! Max gets up the nerve.
- Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:

After days of anticipation & thinking geewiz this guy is good to go, Max took the big jump at precisely 2:25 pm today. His 1st flight took him around the tower on the 12th floor where the nest box is. He lost altitude curving around to the 8th floor roof where he landed. It’s a good spot as there’s lots of room to practice flying without too many hazards. It’s the same roof Olivia landed on after her 1st flight yesterday. She already seems like a pro flyer & is trying to show Max the ropes. All the while the young ones were having fun & practicing on the roof, Mom was watching from above. It’s hard to keep track of what is happening but when I left late today Olivia & the 2 adults were accounted for. I’m sure Max found a safe spot to spend the night. I’ll check tomorrow.

William has not been seen
June 18, 2011 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:

Lots of activity from Sunshine, she is rocking the skies. She returns numerous times to the nest ledge looking for scraps or new handouts. This evening she spent some time on the letter “Tâ€� of  the Sheraton signage, with food. Just before dark we heard lots of screaming , when Sunshine flew into view with Rhea Mae behind her. Sunshine was not going to bed! They flew in front of the Sheraton, Sunshine turned south Rhea Mae behind her. I guess it was a game. Rhea Mae kept on her until Sunshine returned to the nest ledge and Rhea Mae went to 130 Adelaide.

Food drops to the ledge throughout the day. I did numerous nest check and every time, I only saw Cinnamon and Kate, confirmed by band colours. At one time both of them were on the other camera housing lined up as if they were waiting for take off. At that time, Sunshine was in the far end nest ledge around the corner picking at crumbs, left over from a food drop. I have scoured the area looking at every roof top, window ledges. I have even checked the “Keg� both the menu and roof. No sign of William. When the adults have been flying food over the area, there has been no screaming from beyond the nest. Sunshine spends a lot of time on 120 Adelaide, both upper and lower roofs and usually on the north east side.

Marion and I have kept a close eye on the activiy of the adults and they don’t seem to be indicating the whereabouts of William. Perhaps he’ll show up tomorrow.

(Only see Cinnamon and Kate on ledge) Hope they locate Wm.

Update, 3 there now, not sure but looks like Sunshine!

[Eventually the parents get fed up and abandon the ‘teenage’ puffin. The hungry fledgling has to leave the burrow on its own, at night. The little bird then makes its way to the sea.]

Here's a little bit from the RSPB re "kids leaving the nest" - apropos the earlier story posted by Donna re Hurricane's and O'Connor's efforts.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/b/notesonnature/archive/2011/06/17/it-s-time-to-leave-home-kids.aspx

Eventually the parents get fed up and abandon the ‘teenage’ puffin. The hungry fledgling has to leave the burrow on its own, at night. The little bird then makes its way to the sea. Puffins!! 

My dad, who is 83 will be cooking for us and about 300 people this morning. He is Pres of the Kiwanis in Denville and voted Volunteer of the Year. He does so much for the Community and donates his time in helping others. He still drives the School bus every day, twice a day for the past 40 years. He's still in his own Painting business and right now WE only do decks. Yes, he's slowing down but for 83, he's more active than me. So today, he will be slinging pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage for the community for Father's Day. 

[Well dads, it's your day.]

Well dads, it's your day. Time to relax, enjoy the day with your family!

Doin their thing
and there he goes! Then her

[(This is hysterical)]

William Osler Adults Trying Everything to Get a Fledge!!
June 18, 2011 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:

(This is hysterical) 

After the return of Storm to the nest ledge today, the resident adults allowed the chicks a bit of sleep time before launching a “fledge nowâ€� campaign that was relentless.  Hurricane and O’Connor tried every trick in the “Book of Fledgeâ€� that they know to no avail.  There was a feeding at 4:o0pm by the female.  She flew up to the eastern “Hâ€� and fed herself first before landing on the southeast corner with the remains of the meal.  She was immediately mugged by Storm who then began to self feed.  O’Connor allowed this to go on for a minute until Rain grabbed the food and made a mad dash for the tray.  O’Connor flew off the ledge, came around and landed right in front of the sprinting Rain which stopped her dead in her tracks.  The resident female then plopped one massive foot on the food and mantled up which backed Rain up a good 2 feet immediately.  Seeing this behaviour from his young, Hurricane stooped the ledge and screamed at the chicks for treating O’Connor that way which had the effect of flattening them on their tummies to the ledge.  They got in trouble all right!!  The female then took the food over to them and proceed to feed as long as they remained polite.  By 5:00pm, the chicks were sound asleep and O’Connor flew in to wake them up.  She tried to tease them out with touch and go’s but that didn’t work either.  Hurricane then tried a food fly by which only made them scream louder.  Both parents then retired to the southern “Hâ€� sign for a tactical meeting and the three juveniles attempted to eavesdrop from the southeast corner.  At 7:30pm, O’Connor flew in and wound the chicks up while Hurricane pulled out all the stops; food fly bys, come soar with me flights, through the ledge “fuzz buzzesâ€�, touch and go’s and every tease out that he could think of.  He finally gave up and headed over to the tower and just screamed back at them!!  Now at 9:33pm, Hurricane has taken up his position on the northeast corner which has only served to wind them up again and at a time where I can barely see them.  I believe food just arrived in the form of a small package that will hopefully keep them down for the night.  I look forward to seeing what tactics the adults employ tomorrow.  I think its going to be a busy day!!!

[Falcon chick still reluctant to fly]

Falcon chick still reluctant to fly

Richmond's chicken-hearted falcon showed little interest again Friday in making its first flight from a 21st-story ledge downtown.

The peregrine falcon was released Thursday morning from a temporary pen by its nest on Riverfront Plaza, 901 E. Byrd St. Young falcons usually fly within a couple of hours of release.

"This is not what we expected, which is often the case in wildlife management," said Stephen Living, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

A pair of the rare falcons has nested downtown since 2003, but this was the first year they produced just one chick. That meant the reluctant falcon had no sibling to urge it on.

"When birds fledge, we've noticed there's a 'me too,' " Living said. The chick looks healthy, he added.

Barbara Slatcher, a Hanover County wildlife-rehabilitation expert, offered another explanation: As an "only child," the chick was spoiled with extra food and attention. "She doesn't want to leave the comforts of home."  (Harlequin!)  

Experts and volunteers watched Friday from Kanawha Plaza, ready to assist if the crow-sized chick plummeted into traffic. The parent birds flew by the chick a couple of times, apparently offering encouragement.

The chick peered over the ledge and flapped its wings occasionally, but by early evening it hadn't flown. The falcon watch enters its third day this morning.

Peregrine falcons were nearly wiped out by pesticides in the 1950s and '60s. Virginia scientists are trying to help the majestic predators rebuild their numbers.

There are only about two dozen nests in Virginia, so every chick counts.

Steve Living, a biologist with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, used a spotting scope Friday to watch a peregrine falcon chick on the BB&T building in downtown Richmond. The department's Ray Fernald also was waiting for the falcon chick to fly. (he looks bored)

Richmond Times Dispatch

Great close-ups Paul. Soon!!

Sure hope they consider giving Quest an enclosed box so she won't have to spend half her days being an Mumbrella from the sun & rain next year.

Funny you are talking about this as Frank told me that last night on our fledge watch that Quest will likely be getting a nestbox with cover once the season is done.  This one was done quickly to respond to an urgent situation.

That is funny...she's a first in many ways!

Nice, they are baking in that sun but when Harlie starts hopping out, she'll/he'll go right to that shaded corner.

By Laura Zuckerman Laura Zuckerman – Fri Jun 17, 7:56 pm ET

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A deer fawn apparently dropped by a bald eagle onto a high-voltage line was behind a power outage this week in western Montana, a Northwestern Energy official said on Friday.

"It's a first-time thing," Northwestern spokeswoman Michelle Sullivan said. "A deer dangling on the line, that's never happened before."

Sullivan said linemen investigating the cause of the outage in a rural neighborhood of East Missoula couldn't believe their eyes when they found the carcass of the fawn draped over electric wires more than two stories high.

Workers blamed the eagle after homeowner Lee Bridges reported that one of the birds had spent 15 minutes perched in a spruce in her yard that morning just after the neighborhood lost electricity.

When Northwestern crews arrived, Bridges approached a repairman to learn what caused the outage.

"He pointed up to the sky and said, 'There's your problem -- a flying deer,'" said Bridges.

She said the eagle, one of a family nesting on the nearby Clark Fork River, had likely been plotting how to retrieve what remained of its prey.

Bridges collected her camera and began shooting pictures.

"I thought nobody was going to believe this," she said.

Bald eagles can have wingspans of nearly 8 feet and weigh up to 14 pounds. Accounts suggest the fawn was just days old, if that.

Northwestern's Sullivan said the outage lasted roughly half an hour and affected about 30 homes.

The regional company serves about 665,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

OMG!!!!

Mumbrella as nycbird says. She looks sweaty but prob not.

well, you can't really see them that good but they are specks down there below the nest.

Joyce MAK and Brian, in the circle

Archer calling for Beauty
She heard him
he tries to explain why he is so late
She ain't buyin it
and you can tell your gf too!
Why me?

Both out there now. Making a racket.