Canada Falcons: All but those hatched in Rochester

[carly]

Beachville Quarries - New female on site with Joe from Hamilton.  This is where Rhiannon from Yellow Pages was last year.  Hope she is okay where ever she is.

CPF has posted a photo of the new female banded Black over Green - looks like a 6 could be the second number and AX on the bottom.  Billie's sister Virginia was banded 76/AX so I'm wondering if it's her?  Or if it's a 5 - McKay from UB was banded 75/AX.  Hard to tell 100% from the photo but I think it's a 6.

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2015/07/sightings/beachville-quarries-nest-site-two-eggs-currently-being-incubated-with-2-older-eggs-abandoned/

Edit to add:  Tracy sees 76/AX too which would make her Virginia, Billie's sister.  Will wait for 'official' confirmation.

[Kris G.]

Sad news from CPF  

Glider Recovered After High Speed Building Strike
July 04, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

It is never an easy post to write when we experience a loss at any site. We watch them as they grow, band and name them, keep them safe during fledge (as best as any human can) and marvel at them as they learn the art of being a peregrine. Today we discovered the loss of one of our stars at Islington and Bloor, Glider had struck a building and was recovered from the west tower mezzanine.

Paragon Security contacted Bruce regarding a peregrine discovered by an office worker down on the lower mezzanine. Bruce called me and not knowing it’s condition we began to dispatch the closest members of our watch team to the site. Rob responded and like lightning was off to the towers to take a look. He met up with security and they took him up to all of the tower mezzanine levels that he systematically cleared. No bird was discovered at that time and so he thanked them for their vigilance and phone call after which he headed off to work. A second call was placed to Bruce that told him a level was missed during Rob’s tour. The security guard missed a section and that is where the bird was. Marion had arrived at Canada Square to take over the watch from me and I headed down to the site.

I checked in with security when I arrived and there was a worker from the crew renovating the west tower exterior at the desk. Before I could go up to the mezzanine he had an important story he wanted to share. He told me that two days ago the big black bird (O’Connor) was sitting on the west tower roof retaining wall looking down. He and his colleague slowly exited onto the roof, usually OC takes off at this point, and walked over to their swing stage. She didn’t stop looking down at the mezzanine area. She was transfixed. When she finally did notice their presence, she took off. The gentleman telling me this story was certain she was looking down at Glider and thought that she looked rather sad. Just the way she was standing and looking down is what made him believe this.

We headed up to the mezzanine and then down to a lower sub roof on the south side where I found Glider who had clearly hit the building at high speed. I recovered him and brought him back for processing.

It’s always great having boys at a nest site as they get going so quickly and seem to do so well right out of the gate. That in part is the problem. They do so well so fast that they get rough during play and cocky in flight. One little mistake is all it takes.

I want to thank Paragon Security and CBRE for their quick reaction, care and attention to Glider. Also thanks to Bruce and Rob for helping to be a part of this recovery effort and everyone at the watch who was a part of getting wee Glider this far. As I left both adults were on site and I did not see the other three boys. We will be back soon to check on them.

Posted on July 4, 2015 8:20 am
Observation for Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

    Fly free, Glider.   So sorry for your loss, Carly.

[MAK]

 

[jeanne]

 

[Donna]

!!! New resident adult male identified at the Niagara Falls nest site!! It’s Duncan from Hamilton! And as earlier suspected, there is in fact 3 fledglings!!
July 04, 2015 - Niagara Falls

CPF Postmaster Reports:

July 4th - 2015

Some very interesting news indeed from Connie in N.Y. as she has reported after seeing recent photographs of the resident adult male at the Niagara Falls nest site, that there has in fact been a change-over, as Onyx is no longer the resident adult male at the Niagara Falls nest site.

After checking the CPF banding database, the Black band number 32 over V that was photographed on the resident male in Niagara Falls turns out to be a 2008 Sheraton Hamilton produced bird that was named Duncan - (after one of the banders that was involved years ago banding some of the Hamilton peregrines).

We had several earlier reports of Duncan actually having been observed nesting in New York state in 2010, but these records seem to be incomplete on our updated banding data base. We will be checking the old data files to see if we still have the older historical notes that were attached to the this record and report our findings.

While we can’t positively confirm that the resident adult female is still Diamond, she is till believed to be the resident adult female at this nest site.
As far as banding, to answer many of your recent questions, sadly, this will not be possible.

Despite the fact that we have certified highly trained high-altitude climbers that actually are the folks that ascend down to (or repel up to) the many nest sites that are banded each year to extract the young peregrines, (the same certified climbers that actually train many of the Canadian law enforcement personnel, the Emergency Task Force (ETF), and many of the Fire department staff for their high-altitude rescue training, people that do this for a living, (not for a publicity stunt), the Canadian Niagara Parks Commission will no longer allow access for us to band the hatchlings, so unfortunately there will be no way to ever identify or follow any of the surviving fledglings.

Banding as you know, helps all of our provincial, federal and state wildlife authorities monitor and manage the species throughout its recovery, as it is one of the most effective ways to understand and monitor the individual birds movements, nesting, and of course the species mortality (among many other important data that comes out of monitoring the species).

I guess there is simply no money in it for them??? Perhaps we should have been asking Nik Wallenda all this time for a publicity stunt type peregrine banding event?? Hmmmm, sell tickets and attract sponsorship?

In any case, stay tuned for a more detailed update to follow………..

[Donna]

!!! Holcim Quarries - Colborne Ontario - Now this is something that you don’t see every day HERE in Southern Ontario!!!
July 04, 2015 - International, National and Local News

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Saturday July 4th - 2015
A big thank you to Barb at Holcim Miss. after her Saturdays visit to their Colborne quarries,, and for sharing yet another great photo of their three newest feathered residents.

While somewhat typical of what you might expect to see in the far northern regions of Ontario where the vast majority of Ontario’s peregrines actually reside, (well at least the historical peregrine population),, this is something of a twist!

A man made cliff (but a cliff type situation with a ledge never the less), but with a stick nest base,, courtesy of the recently evicted occupants,, (the ravens), and you have a nest site that we refer to as a “near-urban“. Not quite an urban nest site under its true definition, nor a non-urban under its true definition.

So, like the two other quarry nests and the earlier Niagara nest site when the peregrines were nesting on the gorge ledge, the “near-urban� designation fits quite well indeed.

So back to the Holcim quarries nest site, one of the three hatchlings has fledged, (a male), with the two other hatchlings still yet to take their first flights. It might also appear that one of the two siblings might also be a male given its size in comparison, (just a little younger)? In any case, they are all looking pretty good indeed, with their “Taj Mahal� of all nest sites here in southern Ontario!!

Unfortunately, neither of the resident adults are banded so we have no idea of their history or origin - (urban, non-urban or near urban produced)? Thus will be the case with the three young produced this year, as there was simply not enough time to organize a banding this season so we will never know their fate.

Next year we hope to on top of this one and looking forward to working with our new friends in Colborne!

Attached is a GREAT photo of the nest and the three young peregrines!
Photo credit to follow…

Posted on July 6, 2015 12:54 pm
Observation for International, National and Local News

 
 

[MAK]

 

[Donna]

Sadly we lost another young Peregrine Falcon at our Etobicoke nest site yesterday afternoon. R.I.P. Mel. May the surviving 2 "kids", Ferris and Ninja, be safe.  Rob

  Fly Free!  Be good Ferris & Ninja!

[MAK]

 

[Kris G.]

 So sorry, Carly.  Fly free, Mel. 

[AlisonL]

I am so sorry to hear of the loss of little Mel. It was heartbreaking to read Mark Nash's account of what happened on the CPF site. It is so true that it never gets any easier to lose one of these beautiful birds. First Glider, and now Mel . . . way too many losses this year. 

Some sad news to report. We have lost a second fledgling.

July 07, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Mark Nash Reports:

Tuesday July 7th - 2015

I have some sad news to report. Just after 3pm this afternoon, I received a telephone call from the security team at the Kingsway’s on the park condo’s explaining that one of the young peregrine falcons had found its way into one of the upper floor condo units after entering the 10th story condo suite through an open window.

Back into the car and west bound again out to the Etobicoke Bloor & Islington where I was met by the Kingsway’s condo security, and directed to a 10th floor condo unit in the west tower. As I was let into the condo unit by the owners,, along with the Condo superintendent and another member of the security team, I could clearly see what all of the excitement was about. Yes, it was little Mel, one of the young male fledgling peregrines that was produce at the Etobicoke nest site this year. The same young fledgling (named Mel) that Marion and I had attended to, several nights ago at yet another condo building after he was trapped on the balcony behind the glass balcony front.

This time, Mel was observed standing in between the inner window sill and the white sheer drapes, obviously a little more than confused about the glass and what all of the attention and excitement was about.

Sadly although, with one eye closed, and with his other eye half closed with some very shallow breathing as he leaned up against the glass to support himself, it was more than obvious that Mel had sustained some serious injuries, likely as a result of having had a collision with the outer concrete wall prior to grabbing on to the outer window sill and eventually gaining access to the condo through the open window.

Without any struggle, a movement or objection, I was able to simply pick Mel up with my open cupped hands and carried him out of the condo suite, down the hallway, into the elevator and finally out to the car without the need of a net or even a towel. Moments after I placed him on the passenger set of the car, and even before I could get seated in the drivers seat and fasten my seat belt, Mel closed his other eye and simply stopped breathing as he laid on the passenger seat.

I have to admit, I had to wipe the tears from my eyes over the next few minutes before I could even start the car. A older couple exiting a car as they were coming into the condo’s main entrance stopped and knocked on my car window to ask if I was ok, as I guess my outward bust of emotions had got the better of me.

You would think that at almost 60 years old, and after 20 years of dealing with allot of mortality, that you would get used to it, but I have to tell you, that you never really get used to this sort of thing at all,,, (at least I don’t, and I probably never will). Another teary eye moment alone in the car with a baby peregrine, and some deep thought as to just how fragile life is, and how it can end in a blink of a eye.

Over the next two hours as I made my way home, both frustrated and enraged with the incredible traffic congestion as a result of the rush hour traffic being reduced from three lanes down into two lanes because of the new temporary HOV lanes, and heartbroken over the entire situation, you can’t help but feel absolutely helpless about the entire situation.

As sad as it sounds, in reflection, I am actually relieved that little Mel actually passed away prior to my actual departure, as I can only imagine how I would have felt, had I been forced to deal with the bumper to bumper traffic for over two hours going nowhere quick while trying to get the little guy to emergency veterinary services!!!

I can only hope that I don’t have many more of these calls, as it can be a little overwhelming at times.

[AlisonL]

Ninja at the nest at 3:32 p.m.



A separate visit by a juvie at 3:41 p.m.

[Donna]

Oh crud, I cried reading Mark's account of Mel's passing!! 

[AlisonL]

Oh crud, I cried reading Mark's account of Mel's passing!! 

Me too, Donna. 

[MAK]

Oh crud, I cried reading Mark's account of Mel's passing!! 

Me too, Donna. 

Me three!