Canada Falcons: All but those hatched in Rochester

[Donna]

!!! Lots of nest box activity, but no eggs as yet.
March 29, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
CPF Postmaster Reports:

While the adult peregrines have been very active in the nest box this past week, it might appear that the territorial squabbling going on between two adult females on site has delayed pair bonding and courtship activities with the male. We’re not quite sure who is on territory at this momment, but it appears that the territorial dispute has finally yeilded a victor, as evident by yesterdays observations. There are only two adults on site now, (one adult male and one adult female). Hopefully, the pair (who ever they are), can now get down to some pair bonding and serious courtship activities.

[Donna]

!!! We are cookin’
March 29, 2010 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:

Although we have had problems with our monitor, by chance I tried it on Saturday & it came on for a brief moment. I can confirm that there 4 eggs in the scrape here. As far as we know, the tiercel is an unnamed bird from Buffalo (we call him Buffalo Bill) & the female is Treasure from Cleveland.

[Kris G.]

we call him Buffalo Bill

Oh-I like that name! 

[Joyce]

!!! We are cookin’
March 29, 2010 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:

Although we have had problems with our monitor, by chance I tried it on Saturday & it came on for a brief moment. I can confirm that there 4 eggs in the scrape here. As far as we know, the tiercel is an unnamed bird from Buffalo (we call him Buffalo Bill) & the female is Treasure from Cleveland.

Amazing how these peregrines rotate nest sites and the "youth" take over.  "Treasure" is a 2007 fledgling M/82 from Cleveland Terminal Tower, Cuyahoga County, OH.  Parents: male *R/K, female S/*W

[Donna]

!!! Nesting Activity has Resumed!
March 30, 2010 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:

Well after all the mysterious going-ons of last week, our pair seem to be back to trying to produce some eggs if they havent’ already!  I just witnessed another mating session after mom flew out of the nestbox to her usual spot and Jack, who has been patrolling the perimeter, flew over to join her!

Since yesterday morning they have both been seen frequently in and out of the nestbox and/or mating on the condos.  Food is being brought in to feed mom and she’s spending alot of time near or in the nestbox.

I’ll keep my eyes to the skies!

 The Cycle Begins Again!
-
Sarah Washington Reports:

Well it looks like the Hamilton Nest is right on track
for this year. So much so that Madame X has decided to lay her first egg exactly 1 year from last years first egg.

We do hope to see a few more eggs in the next coming days.

!!! 4 EGGS At The Sheraton Toronto!
March 30, 2010 - Toronto - Sheraton Centre
Linda Woods Reports:

Tiago and Rhea Mae now have 4 Eggs. The image is difficult to see for most of the day, except for those early birds that are up before the crack of dawn.  But, just by chance I clicked on the Toronto Sheraton Camera and finally , Luck, 4 eggs sitting in the tray. Now that’s enough Rhea Mae, start incubating!

!!! King St., incubating, I think
March 30, 2010 - Toronto - King Street
Linda Woods Reports:

This latest image, captured this evening shows the female just a the bottome of the camera image. Every year they put they eggs down , just out of camera view. I think with this image with can believe that they are in incubation. Just have to wait for the egg count.

[Donna]

!! Things are Looking Up!
April 01, 2010 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:

Mom has been sitting the nestbox or in the nestbox the past 4 mornings so things are looking positive here!  This morning she is practically velcroed to the side of the box looking quite lethargic.  I haven’t seen her do much flying the past 4 days other than to the condo tower or an alternate ledge when Jack comes in with food for her.  Most telling is she hasn’t been on the web cam perching like she normally does.  Jack was also here when I arrived.

Edit to add: 10:00 am - Mom is laying down the nestbox now.  Jack has been by to drop off food and she did get up and eat but then returned immediately to the nestbox.

Edit to add: 1:50 pm - After an hour of observation on lunch - I witnessed an actual shift change.  Jack had been dozing on the building ledge and mom was flat in the nestbox with only her tail or her head bobbing up once in awhile.  Suddenly some vocalization on both parts and Jack flew to the nestbox, mom got out and flew over to another ledge to partake in some lunch.  Jack replaced her in the nestbox and he was also laying down after a bit of shuffling!  This a sign of incubation and usually means at least 3 eggs are in the nest - however as we have no camera access at this point, it’s only an assumption.  Given the balmy temperatures today, there is no reason to have to keep the eggs warm should there only be one or two but I will keep observing over the next few days to firm up these observations given last weeks false alarm!

!!! EXCITING NEWS AT MOUNT SINAI
March 31, 2010 - Toronto - Mount Sinai Hospital
Jan Chudy Reports:

I have been frequently observing two adults at Mount Sinai over the past few weeks.  Sometimes they were on the south ledges and somtimes on the east ledges.  Earlier today, Linda Woods advised that she was observing one of the birds from a vantage point to the east of the hospital and that it appeared to be exhibiting incubation behaviour.  Through the course of the morning, I watched the bird through my telescope in First Canadian Place.  At approximately 12:15 the bird was on the edge of the ledge and I am 99% certain I could see an egg towards the back of the ledge - this is the maximumn distance for my scope.  I checked the view several times and still believe we have an egg.  As I submit this report at 3:10, an adult is back down on the egg and the second adult is sitting on the edge of the  ledge two slots to the south.


!!! 1st Egg,?
Mississauga
April 01, 2010 -
Linda Woods Reports:

I’ve been watching the webcam for the past few days, and today there’s a change. Looks like MEC has their first egg of the 2010 nesting season. I haven’t seen a peregrine in the nest tray, but sure looks like an egg.

[Donna]

Hamilton Peregrine Falcon In Ohio
April 02, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Frank Butson Reports:

Chad and Chris in Ohio,have seen and photographed a young female Peregrine Falcon at their  I-80 Ohio Turnpike Bridge Over The Cuyahoga River location.

The resident female,Lara and the male Rocky have been defending their territory.

For two days in a row (Sunday and Monday) Rocky drove out two different first-year female peregrines while Lara was less active. On Sunday, this first-year female perched in the bridge while Lara was in the nest site out of view. Rocky stooped through the bridge past her repeatedly, forcing her to fly out, and then he proceeded to dive on her and grapple with her high up in the air. Lara joined in a little after Rocky was in action for awhile, but she didn’t do much and then she perched in a tree and vocalized as Rocky continued to chase out the intruder. It was a rainy, dark day, but we were able to get one shot that revealed a silver right leg band and a black/black band on the left, so she’s a Canadian bird.
Chad and Chris eventually identified the band number as 32/X.

A CPF volunteer saw this posting by Chad and Chris,and forwarded it to us. Here is what we discovered.

Black 32 over Black X bandedwas produced at the Hamilton Sheraton hotel nest site last year in 2009, banded on June 2nd as a female at approx. 26 days old, weighing 1014 grams (empty crop) and was named Durand.

Photos can be seen at http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?48559.last  as taken by Chad and Chris. I can't see this page either!

 

Her parents were Madam X and Surge - (Surge was hatched and produced at the Etobicoke -  Bloor and Islington (Sun Life Centre) nest site in 2002.

!!! Egg # 2
April 03, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Linda Woods Reports:

Second Egg appeared this morning. Third Egg expected Monday.

[Donna]

 Tooo Hot and Humid.
April 04, 2010 - Toronto - King Street
CPF Postmaster Reports:

With the unseasonably hot and humid temperatures we’ve been experiencing this long Easter weekend, we have observed many of the adults standing over top of the eggs, but not laying down tight on them at the nest sites that are not sheltered from the direct sun light. Attached to this update is a serious of shots taken over a half hour period where the adult female has stood up in an effort to not over heat her clutch of eggs. AT the Toronto King Street nest site, the nest site is exposed to the early morning sun throughout the day until the afternoon time when the sun is then blocked by the building as the it settles to the west.
Unfortunately she has again this year laid her clutch directly under the camera and slightly off the camera’s view.

[Donna]

Private Residential Falcon news

Apr 3, 2010 - Saturday guesstimate

If you've followed this blog for a few years, you know wherever possible I aim to log actual confirmed facts rather than speculating on anything.

This year, things are difficult to monitor and as a result it's starting to look like guessing may be needed, at least until facts present themselves.

At the current time, we've seen mating for over a month and as recently as this past week. Under normal circumstances, I'd wait for the disappearance of one falcon at a time. This missing falcon would indicate that one was incubating eggs.

Under the current situation, Jack is rarely around. Over the past week and moreso during the past 2 days, I'm noticing that Mom is not being seen as much. Jack appears and disappears, but there's no predictability to his schedule.

As a result, at the current time, I'm leaning towards guessing that there may be eggs, and that incubation may have started.

We don't currently have a camera or view of the nest ledge to confirm this. Hopefully that changes, but in the near term it's unfortunately looking like guessing is required. At the current time I'm 75% sure there are eggs and that incubation has begun. I'm also 75% sure that the ledge they've selected is the 3rd ledge down rather than the usual, higher, second ledge.

Today, Mom was seen during the day sunning herself, but did not leave the ledge. She was looking around constantly, not at ease or preening as we might normally see.

Anyways, apologies for the ambiguity, this may be how it goes until more facts become apparent. If you happen to be, or know people on either of the top 2 floors at the southmost end of the building, please contact me, I'll make you an offer you can't refuse....

[Paul Hamilton]

By definition, you can't view the nest ledge of Private Residential Falcons. 

Paul

[Donna]

By definition, you can't view the nest ledge of Private Residential Falcons. 

Paul

I wish I lived where the Falcons are nesting. I'd love to have a cam on my Balcony. Too bad they didn't nest on the same one as last year..that had a cam. Falcons...go figure.

[Donna]

!!! King St. Ely Nesting In Ohio
April 05, 2010 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Reports:

Seems our Ontario Falcons have taken a liking to Ohio!  Thanks to Chad and Chris of the CMNH Forum for sharing more wonderful news and photos with us!

Ely, Black Band 85/X, born at the King St. site in downtown Toronto in 2008 is the new resident female at the Cleveland Clinic.  As of last night she had already laid her first egg!

Photos can be seen here of both Ely, her first egg and her mate Dipper!

http://www.falconcam-cmnh.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?48561.70#post_50872

Oh well, I still can't access the CMNH website, I tried everything!

[Dumpsterkitty]

I'll be sending an email to Mark Nash, but if anyone here has a list from last year, the sub-adult who got into a tussle with Seneca & Cheyenne in Ohio appears to have been banded in Canada.

From Chad & Chris on the CMNH forum:

"And STILL catching up from yesterday-- here are some flight shots of the subadult intruder who came in. We were able to read the bands through some pics and they are 15/X (black/black) with a red federal band. The red federal band threw us off-- Carly, do you know if Canada used red last year at any nest sites, because we know that black over black is typically a Canadian bird? We both thought that by the flight and size that it appeared to be a female, although we weren't 100% sure."

 

It looks to me like red tape over the silver USFWS band...

[Carol P.]

Mark Nash and company now puts colored tape over the USFW band on the Canadian birds to make it easier for the Watchers to ID them.  I'm sure red was used.  I'll have to look at my pics of Rhea Mae and Tiago's eyases.

I'll be sending an email to Mark Nash, but if anyone here has a list from last year, the sub-adult who got into a tussle with Seneca & Cheyenne in Ohio appears to have been banded in Canada.

From Chad & Chris on the CMNH forum:

"And STILL catching up from yesterday-- here are some flight shots of the subadult intruder who came in. We were able to read the bands through some pics and they are 15/X (black/black) with a red federal band. The red federal band threw us off-- Carly, do you know if Canada used red last year at any nest sites, because we know that black over black is typically a Canadian bird? We both thought that by the flight and size that it appeared to be a female, although we weren't 100% sure."

 

It looks to me like red tape over the silver USFWS band...

[Dumpsterkitty]

Mark Nash and company now puts colored tape over the USFW band on the Canadian birds to make it easier for the Watchers to ID them.  I'm sure red was used.  I'll have to look at my pics of Rhea Mae and Tiago's eyases.

That's what I told C&C over on CMNH.  I was just about to look through the 2009 pictures from the Sheraton too