Tumbling around…Hamilton nest
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Sarah Washington Reports:Well 3 of the chicks are now in the air at the Hamilton nest site. Henderson (female) decided it was time to leave the nest and fly with her brothers. She is doing so well, it amazes me.
They were flying around playing chase, touching talons and tag! It is almost as if you can see youself in them from when you were a child.
We still have 1 chick left to go. We are in hopes that she / he is just delayed. The common signs of flight are there just not as intense as most chicks at this stage.
!!! End Of Official Fledge Watch
June 23, 2010 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Frank Butson Reports:With all young flying well,able to keep altitude and show a good ability to land and not panic if they dont get things just right,the fledge watch is done for 2010. CPF volunteers will be on site to monitor things intermitantly over the next several days and months. Several folks will be checking on things tomorrow to make sure our boys whether the weather.
Thanks to all of our volunteers,Kathy,Baylie,Diana,Marion,Mark and Frank. Thanks to Terry and Elizabeth,Sandra and Bob and Ian and Renee for pitching in when they were present. All the help is much appreciated. Thanks to security at Kingsway on the Park for helping again this season. Thanks to security at the Sunlife Centre,for storing equipment,minding rescued Peregrine Falcons and assisting with releases,your ongoing committed,co-operation makes our fledge watch run smoothly. Thanks to Oxford Properties for all you do every year,living with the nesting Peregrines 365 days a year 24hours a day,7 days a week. Your excellent stewardship ensures the success of this site. Thanks to the maintenance staff of the Sunlife Centre. Thanks to the residents who allowed us access to their condo units to rescue your Peregrines. It may seem to you a small thing to do but it really ensures the birds will survive and makes what we do simple. Thanks to all members of the general public who let us know their observations and show interest in the Peregrines. Its very rewarding when we see the same people every season interested in updates and to hear they are watching and checking our website with interest. Thanks to the new folks who took an interest. Thanks everyone for a very successful Fledge Watch,especially Angel and Jack the very capable Peregrine parents and to Mercedes,Blackberry and Dot-Ca for learning so fast and flying so well!! Fly well my friends!
Flight Training and Feedings
June 23, 2010 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Frank Butson Reports:Diana has been doing the early shift of the fledge watch all season,which is very greatfully appreciated! Today Diana reports to me:
As I left today Mom appeared between the 3 youngsters and proceeded to prepare food and then very carefully and deliberately fed each of them in turn by beak. Then she left and returned almost immediately with a pigeon in talons which she left in the centre of the roof and then left again so I got the impression that today’s lesson is “Preparing your own food”. Jack watched the comings and goings and approved, then he left.
On arrival I had all 3 young on the roof of the nest building near the ADP sign. Many great flights were seen by all young. All 3 have been able to get into the various ledges with some pinpoint landings on the top of small perches. Talon touching,bumping each other and chasing Mom and Dad were all observed today. Jack was present quite abit in the time I was there,taking an active role in teaching the boys to fly,which is great to witness.
!!! PM report. All four juveniles back on the nest ledge at the nest box!
June 22, 2010 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Mark Nash Reports:Having had to be away and off site most of the day on Tuesday, I can’t offer much as to the day’s activities of the fledglings as we will have to wait for Tracy’s report of her time in on the MEC watch.
Marion and I arrived back to the site later in the evening to relieve Tracy, so I can only offer my limited observations of the status of the birds at the close of the watch. Upon our arrival around 8:30 pm, all four juveniles were in view, with three juveniles on the nest ledge around the nest box, and one juvenile on the upper roof area of the nest building.
Losing light quickly, (combined with the distances from the ground to the nest ledge), it was difficult to identify the individual youngsters even with the scope, but clearly one of the three on the nest ledge was Xuan, (being much larger than her two brothers).
Around 8:50pm, the little juvenile that was on the upper nest building roof area took a very long flight out to the north and then to the south trying to land on MEC #3, but after a failed landing attempt, he headed north east with yet another very long flight and eventually swung around heading south and finally landing on the top of the condo building far to the north east of the MEC buildings.
No problem holding his altitude, as his landing spot was every bit as high as the MEC roof top elevation. There he rested for about 15 minutes and took flight again, flying south west as he swung around and finally landed on the east site of MEC #1 - (the nest building). While a “hard landing”, he did in fact land on the nest level ledges, and slowly worked his way around the east ledges to the south ledges and finally ended up back with all of his siblings at the nest box!
A heart warming greeting then took place with much beak rubbing and beak touching between three of the siblings with the arrival of their long lost brother. It was a very touching few minutes as we watched the three rub beaks together and eventually snuggled together and lay down side by side making sure that they were all touching / making contact with each other. The forth juvenile watched the entire event and then walked over to the three and layed down beside them.
As darkness fell, we left all four of the juveniles snuggled together on the nest box landing platform.
It appears that all four juveniles have been successful in sustaining their altitude and able to return to the nest ledge and the fledge watch for us is almost over. We will be on site for the next few days to ensure that they are in fact holding their altitude and staying off the ground. At this point, its up to the parents to carry on with their flight training of the kids.
Go Canada!!!
