Quest (2008) and Skye - Toronto/Don Mills

[Carol P.]

All a-ok for Quest and Skye's little ones.  Good news!   

[Donna]

Very sunny!

[MAK]

!! Fledge Watch day 3,, - Cosmo safe on the roof and little brother Hayes looses another floor!
June 18, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

Wednesday June 18th - 2014
Quickly update as I was not here today, but received the updated highlights from Marion tonight. Sadly, I was not able to pick Marion up until after 11pm this evening as I was called to downtown Toronto after work tonight to assist Linda in the release of two of her fledglings that were rescued from the busy Toronto downtown sidewalks this morning from the Toronto Sheraton Hotel nest site. A long day again for all of us. A successful release by the way, with all four of the Toronto Sheraton hatchlings back on their nest ledge!

As for Little Cosmo at the Duncan Mills nest site, he was still on the lower roof top elevation by dark this evening and doing just fine. While he can’t be seen due to the high retaining wall that surrounds this lower roof elevation, Quest did come in with food on at least two occasions today and fed him, (food in, parent stays on the same room elevation for an extended period of time, then reappears without a full crop herself and no food in hand). Either Quest is suddenly shy about being seen eating in public, or she’s taking food into Cosmo :-) Quest also spent time throughout the day keeping a close eye on Cosmo from the same roof retaining wall.

Little Hayes lost yet another floor of height while involved in all of his ledge-hopping today, and despite both Sky’s and Quests teasing with food and screaming at him throughout the day, Hayes refused to fly,,, (preferring to run and ledge hop all day). As a result, Hayes was not fed today by either parent.

The two other siblings remained on the nest ledge all day, exercising their wings, running along the nest ledge and doing allot of resting.

By 11pm, all four hatchlings were present and accounted for.
Stay tuned……….

Thanks for the update Donna and Mark! 

[Dumpsterkitty]

!!! Fledge Watch - Day 4
June 19, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills
Mark Nash Reports:

Thursday June 19th - 2014
A good fourth day on the watch with Cosmo making seven short flights while roof-topping chasing his parents around for food, and Little Hayes finally coming to the ground, (and after a short but intense foot chase), was successfully released back to the nest building roof top.

The other two young hatchlings still remain lounging around on the nest ledge by the end of the day.
Posted on June 19, 2014 11:33 pm

[Kris G.]

!!! Fledge Watch - Day 4
June 19, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

Thursday June 19th - 2014
A good fourth day on the Duncan Mills fledge watch with little Cosmo finally being located on the east upper roof elevation of 240 Duncan Mill Road and made seven short flights while chasing his parents around for food, and Little Hayes finally coming to the ground, (and after a short but intense foot chase around both buildings - on both sides of the street), was successfully scooped-up and later released back to the nest building roof top.

The other two Duncan Mills hatchlings still remain lounging around on the nest ledge by the end of the day.

By 11am, the day was not sounding so good as the calls came in from two other fledge watch groups with some very sad news of mortalities. Rob from the Etobicoke fledge watch team reported that one of their young fledglings had slammed into the glass windows of one of the office towers and was killed on impact.

Tony from the Sun Life Kitchener Waterloo fledge watch team called shortly after Rob to report that one of their young fledglings had also flown into the glass windows of the office tower and also died on impact as a result of that collision. By early afternoon, the third bad news call came in from Tony at the Kitchener Waterloo fledge watch team explaining that a second KW fledgling had just been killed as a result of an impact with a building.

For us here at the Duncan Mills fledge watch, the news was, thank-goodness much better, but I must admit, I was hesitant to answer the next 14 calls that came in over the balance of the day.

Over the course of the day, little Hayes stumbled off the ledge yet again and fluttered down to a lower window ledge elevation (now only two stories from the ground) as he continued to ledge hop from one end of the building to the other while screaming most of the day at his parents for attention and food. Several of the 220 tenants came across the street to speak with us asking if there was anything that they could do for him as his screaming was almost unbearable to listen to for many of the occupants inside the building.

I gotta admit, his constant whaling throughout the day was quite un-nerving and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little guy.

Quest on the other hand was , spent a large part of her afternoon ignoring him, and actually spent a large part of her afternoon lounging around on the nest ledge with the Stormy and Rainbow on the nest ledge. She actually spent several hours laying down in front of the nest box with them in quite a heart warming family session of touching beaks with each other.

Sky, (the resident adult male) on the other hand, spent most of his afternoon in the shade in typical peregrine fashion, on the top of the window sil under the roof overhang on the corner of the 240 Duncan Mill road building.

By early evening,, around 8pm- (just around the falcon follies time when peregrine usually get frisky and start flying again), all of the action took place. Little Hayes finally came down to the ground and only after several foot chases and three ground rescue attempts later, was finally scooped up from the ground in the carrier safe and sound.

Little Cosmo was finally located on the upper roof elevation on the east side of 240 Duncan Mill Road after not being seen for almost two days since his release back to the 220 nest building roof top.

Cosmo was the super star of the day, as he made several very strong flights (actually eight flights) from the roof tops of 220, 240, 225 and back again while chasing both his parents around for food. He was finally rewarded and fed by Quest on the roof top of 225.

Sky did bring in several pigeons today and Quest quickly snatched his food deliveries and fed the two nest box hatchlings during the falcon follies period. Little Hayes was the only one that didn’t get food today. As a matter of fact, Hayes didn’t get food yesterday as well but not to be worried, as he is still dealing with allot of baby fat, clearly evident after the physical examination I completed prior to his release back to the roof this evening.

Stay tuned…………..

Posted on June 19, 2014 11:33 pm
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

[Carol P.]

I so look forward to our own "falcon follies".   

Glad to hear that Quest and Skye's fledges are doing good so far.  I had to smile when I read this in Mark's report, "Little Hayes finally coming to the ground, (and after a short but intense foot chase around both buildings - on both sides of the street), was successfully scooped-up and later released back to the nest building roof top", just imagining Mark and the other volunteers chasing Hayes around on foot. 

We had a similar "almost rescue" with his mom Quest who came to ground on her fledge day.  She was able to get herself up to a low building and all was good after that.   

Thanks for posting the daily reports from our friends up north Kris, Donna and Ei!

[valhalla]

Thanks for posting the daily reports from our friends up north Kris, Donna and Ei!

 

[Kris G.]

Report plus great pics by Ann Brokelman!

 http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2014/06/sightings/some-great-photos-from-ann-brokelman/

[Donna]

Let's have great flights with no hits! Great pics!!

[Kris G.]

Let's have great flights with no hits! Great pics!!

         

[MAK]

Let's have great flights with no hits! Great pics!!

 

[Donna]

Stormy slips, falls, flies too low!!
June 20, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills

Cathy Kerr Reports:

Never a dull day at Harlequin it seems!!!  Sue reported an exciting morning with Hayes having his first flight over to the top of 240 Duncanmill!  Way to go Hayes!!  And Cosmo returned home to the nest ledge–quite a feat!!  And there they remained for most of the afternoon with Quest hanging out with the girls and Cosmo– having afternoon naps in, on and in front of the nest box! Then they woke up!  Hayes flew to Harlequin’s top ledge, then over to the roof of the nest building.  He stayed there awhile but flew back over to 240 where he stayed and was there when we left for the night!

Now the other three were preening, wingersizing,enjoying the sun.  While Cosmo & Rainbow were doing some lovely beaking, Stormy decided to do some wingersizing and slipped off the ledge!!  She fell a few stories, then flew, very low to the building east of Harlequin where she landed on their driveway, not knowing what the heck had happened I’m sure!  We found her and after a failed attempt at grabbing her, she flew, so low she passed within a hair of my ankle, back towards the nest building only to land outside the nest on the road!!  To our horror I must add!  Our team of rescuers raced out to stop traffic and try and get her, but she would have none of it!! Back she flew, past us, to land right beside the road in front of 240.  We stopped a bus(tho to be fair he/she was slowing down–probably wondering what the heck a bunch of people were doing running down the road!!  what a sight we must of been!!) and finally, Stormy was scooped up, so to speak, by Bonnie!   Stormy was deposited in a crate and safely tucked away with Sam in the Harlequin building until she could be put back up on the roof of the nest building by Mark at dark.

Thanks to all our team, Bonnie, Bob, Ping, Madison & Jessica for an exciting rescue!!

[Donna]

Last peregrine at harlequin out of nest
She was sitting in the garden in front of harlequin. Flew across and landed on 1st level
Red band
So 3 on 220 and 1 on 240  Ann B

[MAK]

Stormy slips, falls, flies too low!!
June 20, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills

Cathy Kerr Reports:

Never a dull day at Harlequin it seems!!!  Sue reported an exciting morning with Hayes having his first flight over to the top of 240 Duncanmill!  Way to go Hayes!!  And Cosmo returned home to the nest ledge–quite a feat!!  And there they remained for most of the afternoon with Quest hanging out with the girls and Cosmo– having afternoon naps in, on and in front of the nest box! Then they woke up!  Hayes flew to Harlequin’s top ledge, then over to the roof of the nest building.  He stayed there awhile but flew back over to 240 where he stayed and was there when we left for the night!

Now the other three were preening, wingersizing,enjoying the sun.  While Cosmo & Rainbow were doing some lovely beaking, Stormy decided to do some wingersizing and slipped off the ledge!!  She fell a few stories, then flew, very low to the building east of Harlequin where she landed on their driveway, not knowing what the heck had happened I’m sure!  We found her and after a failed attempt at grabbing her, she flew, so low she passed within a hair of my ankle, back towards the nest building only to land outside the nest on the road!!  To our horror I must add!  Our team of rescuers raced out to stop traffic and try and get her, but she would have none of it!! Back she flew, past us, to land right beside the road in front of 240.  We stopped a bus(tho to be fair he/she was slowing down–probably wondering what the heck a bunch of people were doing running down the road!!  what a sight we must of been!!) and finally, Stormy was scooped up, so to speak, by Bonnie!   Stormy was deposited in a crate and safely tucked away with Sam in the Harlequin building until she could be put back up on the roof of the nest building by Mark at dark.

Thanks to all our team, Bonnie, Bob, Ping, Madison & Jessica for an exciting rescue!!

Great job guys! 

[Donna]

!!! Young fledgling takes up some new hobbies :-)
June 21, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

June 21st - 2014
Thank goodness its the weekend and the rally race they we usually see going on out on Duncan Mills road has ceased for at least a few days! A very slow say - (well at least for a while) when all kayos brakes loose! It was one of those days and started with Ann arriving in the morning and not finding anyone. Then after much searching, one by one of the peregrines were located, except for one,, Rain-bow Dash!! After an extended period of a frustrating long search around all of the buildings, parking lots and rooftop leading edges, she returns to the 225 stairs and is distracted by a small noise. As she turns, guess who is stilling at waist level on the rail several feet from where Ann was standing,, no other than Rainbow Dash,,, who was standing on the metal rail throughout her entire search period, watching all along. An was able to take some great photos.

Knowing the a rescue was not possible with her camera, Ann in a defining moment umbilically detached herself from her camera,, (I wish I had been there to get that photo) :-) As she re-approached for the second time, Rainbow decided that it was time to go and took flight very low across the road (thank goodness there was no road rally races going on) and managed to gain enough altitude to land on the first floor lower overhang on the south west corner of 220. This is where Rainbow stayed until 1:30 in the afternoon after a lazzzy day of sleeping and stretching, flapping and sleeping, sleeping more, and watching all of the silly humans take her photograph. She attracted the attention of many passer-byes that dropped in throughout the morning to take her photo.

Finally, somewhere between 1pm and 1:30pm, she took flight again, and only after colliding into the windows of the pink/bronze coloured building glass on the building next to 225, she ended up on the lower balcony rail (north west corner), and eventually couldn’t keep her balance and slipped and fell down into the balcony in a flower pot filled with some long green shrubbery. Over the next 6 plus hours, Rainbow-Dash appeared to be dissecting the long green plants while watching the “other identical twin peregrine juvenile� mimic its exact moves,, :-) - her reflection in the glass!! Hilarious is an understatement!

Debbie, Sally, Kathy and myself watched spent most of our time laughing at her lack of gardening skills and dissection this poor plant while simultaneously trying to get the “other peregrine in the glass to get of her way so she could get off the balcony. Sky, her dad, dropped in and landed on the balcony rail on at least one occasion to check up her. Finally, after more than 6 hours, Rainbow finally flew up to the balcony rail and with allot of coaxing from her parents as they proceeded to feed two of the her other siblings, she took flight and ended up on the hydro wire and hydro pole across the street. After her short inspection of the hydro wires and connections, she eventually took flight and ended up on a 5 story window ledge on the west side of 240 Dncan Mill Road where she remained until we closed off the fledge watch around 9:49pm at darkness.

The other problem child, Stormy, who was rescued from the street yesterday and had to be put back to the nest building roof, spent all day on the same elevation of the nest building roof until after 7pm. An hour before the falcon follies, she made her first real flight, (and while not a good one), she flew over to the 240 building trying to make it to the upper rooftop. Sadly, she did not even come close as she struggled to get altitude, falling far short of the upper roof ledge, and ended up on the upper window ledge with a face plant into the back concrete wall. The good news, she did manage to recover and end up on the window ledge despite her “concrete work� and stayed put.

The other two fledglings, Hayes and Cosmo were flying from roof top to roof top all day and all stayed high!! They were the ones that got most of the food all day,, (and each got food several times as they chased their parents around from roof top to roof top).

By the end of the fledge watch shift, Stormy has taken her third flight - (which no-one actually saw), and was spotted on a ledge directly above the front entrance of the pink/bronze coloured building next to 225 Duncan Mill Road.

At Dark when Bob and I finally departed, all four fledglings were accounted for and in view.
Stay tuned………