Canada Falcons: All but those hatched in Rochester

[Donna]

All is quiet!
October 03, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

The last sighting I have of Frank was on Saturday - hopefully he is safe and out exploring the world like all young peregrines are doing this time of year.  Since then Jack has been spending a lot of time here hanging out with O’Connor, which is something he hasn’t done in a while.  Perhaps Frank was just covering for him while he was preoccupied at his other site

Yesterday I managed to catch both Jack and O’Connor hanging out on the ledge together.

[MAK]

All is quiet!
October 03, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

The last sighting I have of Frank was on Saturday - hopefully he is safe and out exploring the world like all young peregrines are doing this time of year.  Since then Jack has been spending a lot of time here hanging out with O’Connor, which is something he hasn’t done in a while.  Perhaps Frank was just covering for him while he was preoccupied at his other site

Yesterday I managed to catch both Jack and O’Connor hanging out on the ledge together.

Frank needs to go find Rosetta! 

[patsy6]

Frank needs to go find Rosetta! 

My thoughts exactly, MAK!  They could make beautiful babies together.   

[Donna]

Gwenis (2013 Fledgling)
- All Reports

Dennis Patrick Reports:

The Windsor Peregrine Watch team received an update from the Michigan Dept of Natural Resources letting us know that they re-hydrated Gwenis after her episode of visiting the pigeon smorgasbord (captured in a pigeon trap) and she was released into the wild where she is now, presumably, looking for her own nesting spot. We are grateful for the care she received from the Michigan DNR and are glad that she is back in the skies again!

[Donna]

From Rob on FB:

Just got word our female Peregrine Falcon at Etobicoke Sunlife caught herself a Mallard Duck for lunch today! Wish I witnessed that. Apparently she struggled to get it to the feeding ledge with a little help from her mate Jack. Now I know why they were formerly known as "Duck Hawks".   

[MAK]

From Rob on FB:

Just got word our female Peregrine Falcon at Etobicoke Sunlife caught herself a Mallard Duck for lunch today! Wish I witnessed that. Apparently she struggled to get it to the feeding ledge with a little help from her mate Jack. Now I know why they were formerly known as "Duck Hawks".   

There's gonna be some cached around there! 

[Donna]

November 13, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

In all the years I’ve been watching the resident falcons here - I don’t ever remember seeing both adults perched on the web cam at the same time..until this morning.  When I came out both were there side by side having a conversation which I quickly came to realize was a ‘you move, no you move - conversation.  You can guess who lost that arguement…Jack flew out in a semi circle to the nest box where he is now pouting!

Last Friday I happened to see O’Connor coming in with a ‘duck’ - yes a duck!  We’ve seen them up in the cache from time to time but I’ve never actually witnessed either of them bringing one up to the ledge.  A co worker and I were out on a break when we noticed a really large bird in the distance flying really low - my first thought was holy cow that’s a huge bird and then she got closer and I realized it was O’Connor with a really large prey in her talons.

She was having a difficult time maintaining altitude but managed to vear off towards the towers and it looked like she was going to slam right into one when suddenly she reared up - honestly it was the most amazing sight ever!  Then she proceeded to circle around the building to try and gain height - which she did but she was still about 5 stories short of a ledge.

Jack, who up until then I didn’t even notice as I was focused on O’Connor and quite worried she wouldnt’ make it, was on the ADP sign and dove down as she came around and got under neath her to help guide her upwards.  They both flew around the building and I ran through the concourse as no one came back to the front.  By the time I got out to the back - there she was on one of the ledges..looking quite proud of herself as she started to prepare - ‘lunch’!

On Sunday we had a powerful wind storm in Toronto - and as a result on Monday I recieved a call from Mark Nash informing me that someone had reported a falcon down on the property.  I quickly went to security who took me out to check on the bird and it turned out to be an adult Red Tail, a female judging from the size of her and her talons. She was lying just a few feet from the glass on the ground in a construction area and there were no marks on her.  I suspect she likely crashed into the building at high speed due to the wind.  As no one saw anything we can’t really say whether or not the resident pair were trying to steer her out but that could have been the case and due to the high winds she would have a hard time controlling herself.

Posted on November 13, 2013 10:58 am        Another duck bites the dust!

[Kris G.]

November 13, 2013 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Kathy Reports:

In all the years I’ve been watching the resident falcons here - I don’t ever remember seeing both adults perched on the web cam at the same time..until this morning.  When I came out both were there side by side having a conversation which I quickly came to realize was a ‘you move, no you move - conversation.  You can guess who lost that arguement…Jack flew out in a semi circle to the nest box where he is now pouting!

Last Friday I happened to see O’Connor coming in with a ‘duck’ - yes a duck!  We’ve seen them up in the cache from time to time but I’ve never actually witnessed either of them bringing one up to the ledge.  A co worker and I were out on a break when we noticed a really large bird in the distance flying really low - my first thought was holy cow that’s a huge bird and then she got closer and I realized it was O’Connor with a really large prey in her talons.

She was having a difficult time maintaining altitude but managed to vear off towards the towers and it looked like she was going to slam right into one when suddenly she reared up - honestly it was the most amazing sight ever!  Then she proceeded to circle around the building to try and gain height - which she did but she was still about 5 stories short of a ledge.

Jack, who up until then I didn’t even notice as I was focused on O’Connor and quite worried she wouldnt’ make it, was on the ADP sign and dove down as she came around and got under neath her to help guide her upwards.  They both flew around the building and I ran through the concourse as no one came back to the front.  By the time I got out to the back - there she was on one of the ledges..looking quite proud of herself as she started to prepare - ‘lunch’!

On Sunday we had a powerful wind storm in Toronto - and as a result on Monday I recieved a call from Mark Nash informing me that someone had reported a falcon down on the property.  I quickly went to security who took me out to check on the bird and it turned out to be an adult Red Tail, a female judging from the size of her and her talons. She was lying just a few feet from the glass on the ground in a construction area and there were no marks on her.  I suspect she likely crashed into the building at high speed due to the wind.  As no one saw anything we can’t really say whether or not the resident pair were trying to steer her out but that could have been the case and due to the high winds she would have a hard time controlling herself.

Posted on November 13, 2013 10:58 am        Another duck bites the dust!

That's why they're called Duck Hawks.   

[MAK]

O'Connor is a quacker attacker eh! 

[carly]

O'Connor is a quacker attacker eh! 

 

[carly]

!!! Really Dear I Was Abducted By Aliens!!!!!
December 01, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:

A male peregrine was found on the ground in a parking lot in the Scarborough by a resident of the Thorncliff Park area unable to fly and drooping a wing.

The gentleman who found him had to chase him around the parking lot for 40 minutes before he was able to catch him up. I know from experience just how fast a peregrine can run and even hurt they can sometimes make some short low flights in effort to get away from you.

The man brought Stormin home and started calling everyone he could think of to get help for him as soon as possible. After several unsuccessful calls for help he was able to speak to Chris Risley of the Ontario Ministry of Natural resources Peterborough head office who called us right away with the information on an injured Peregrine needing our help and a band number 30 over Y who I knew was Stormin.

I called the man immediately and set up a time to pick Stormin up, despatched Mark Nash of The Canadian Peregrine Foundation to head out to collect what I thought was a very hurt Stormin. Called our Avian vet who was on stand by to help.

We were not able to get to Stormin until after 5:00 PM as the man who had him was out of town so later that day Mark did a quick examination of Stormin’s wings and body and he seemed OK no obvious break, no blood anywhere, very alert and very feisty.

As it turns out there were no serious injuries at all perhaps just a little bruising from a collision or he may have wondered too close to the Don Mills and Eglinton Peregrine nest territory and was put down by one or both of the resident adults ( that are very much still on territory) there. We will never know for sure.

Stormin spent 3 days at the CPF Raptor Center for close 24 hour observation and a little rest and lots of quail and seemed no worse for where. We were able to monitor his flight abilities and he was doing just fine.

While he was with us Bruce Masse and Lyn Thompson long time CPF volunteers went out to check on Haven Stormin’s mate to make sure she was still there and had not been part of whatever trouble Stormin had gotten into. They found her still on site and just fine but did say the she seemed to be looking for Stormin.

Since he checked out fine, was eating food and processing normally and flew up to perches and around in his pen at CPF it was decided to get him back to his nest territory Canada square and his mate Haven right away.

We set a time of 2:30 Today Sunday for his release and called CPF volunteers Lyn Thompson and Mark Thompson ( no they are not related) to meet us there to assist with the release.

Lyn got there before us and set everything up with our friends at Security at the Canada Square building nest site to get us all up to the nest ledge area to release the bird, we were then met by Mark Thompson one of our volunteers and a reporter from CTV and up we went to the nest area on the 15th floor.

Mark Nash extracted him from the rescue carrier looked him over one more time and took him out to the balcony and slowly set him down in the corner and backed away.

Stormin jumped up to the balcony ledge had a poop and a big shake and off he flew very strong hooked around the building out of site. So far so good.

We all trooped back down to ground level and headed out to our cars in the parking area brought out the binoculars and started looking for Stormin to see where he ended up. Within minutes he flew over out heads and landed back on his nest and was met in the air by Haven who obviously was happy to see him back. The both flew over to the TVO building to their usual roosting spots vocalized a bit ( I guess he was explaining his absence) then settled down like nothing had ever happened.

A very BIG thank you goes out for the efforts of the nice man ( who does not want to be mentioned) who rescued Stormin in his time of distress and to Chris from The Ministry of Natural Resources for getting to us right away and lastly but not least to Lyn and Mark for spending their Sunday afternoon on another successful peregrine rescue release.

Mark and Marion Nash

[Kris G.]

                             

[carly]

Here are the photos Marion posted of Stormin:

[MAK]

Thanks for posting this Kathy. I'm very glad Stormin' is ok-he and Haven are special to me since I got to hold their offspring Solar in 2012 as he got banded. What a thrill that I'll never forget! 

[carly]

Thanks for posting this Kathy. I'm very glad Stormin' is ok-he and Haven are special to me since I got to hold their offspring Solar in 2012 as he got banded. What a thrill that I'll never forget! 

I'm happy he is okay too!  He's a handsome tiercel