Canada Falcons: All but those hatched in Rochester

[Donna]

Re: Volunteers mourn Lady Gaga, by Sharon Hill, July 12.
Foster homes for falcons?

Re: Volunteers mourn Lady Gaga, by Sharon Hill, July 12.


The news about the peregrine falcon, Lady Gaga, being put down was sad. She could not have survived in the wild but there are other options that could have been explored - especially since she belonged to an endangered species.

To avoid such decisions in the future, information about interested foster homes could be kept. There are many people and organizations who might be interested in saving falcons.

At my grandparents' house, an eagle with one good wing had lived for about 20 years without requiring any assistance for food.

Windsor Star

[Donna]

Here's a pic of the old Niagara nest and the new.

[Donna]

Lady Lamont Goes Out on Her Own, I Hope!
July 19, 2011 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Sue McCreadie Reports:

During our last 3 visits (July 18th Evening, July 19th Morning, July 19th Evening) there has been no sign of Lady Lamont.  I hope it’s just because she had decided to go out on her own.  Of the two girls, she seemed to be the most advanced.  That of course means that Lady Nelson is getting all the attention.  Tonight while we were there, Dad made two food drops and after that, she was still screaming and chasing him for more.  Mom watched the goings on from the Hamilton Hydro Tower.

Last evening (July 18th) we witnessed a food transfer from Dad to Lady Nelson, who proceeded to drop it, but then went into a dive and made the save.

The young here are hard to keep track of
July 19, 2011 - Port Colborne - ADM Mill
Doug Garbutt Reports:

Just when I think there is only 1 juvie left here, 2 falcons streak by just squawking their heads off. I’m not sure if it is a juvie & an adult or 2 juvies. They are gone in a flash & I can’t capture it on camera. Not only that but the sky does not allow me to see any distinctive coloring of the birds. Today I saw Mom carrying a food package in full flight, one of the young was following her closely & snatched it out of her talons. I have attached a photo of what I believe to be Olivia landing high atop the grain elevator next door to our facility this evening.

[MAK]

Sad to think the fledge season is winding down and we won't hear about any of them anymore. Fly safe kids! 

[Donna]

!!! No One in Sight!
July 20, 2011 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:

The heat is really weighing down on everyone, including our falcon family.  I have only seen mom two times in the past week and that was very briefly, no doubt she’s perching somewhere shady these days.  No sighting of Jack for over a week either.

The boys were last sighted last Wednesday when one of them was aggressively harassing mom for food, hopefully he was just acting spoiled and is not having difficulty hunting.  Last year I witnessed the same behaviour from Blackberry so I’m hoping this isn’t a case of deja vu.   I havent’ seen or heard either of them since then so they may have dispersed already, hopefully they will stay safe as they explore the world out there.

It’s been a strange year again especially since Jupiter’s passing and with this unbearable heat which was preceded by record cold and rainfall early on.   That being said, it’s been amazing to see how they adapt to situations and do what they can to safeguard their offspring and give them a better chance at survival.

[Bobbie Ireland]

Sad to think the fledge season is winding down and we won't hear about any of them anymore. Fly safe kids! 

MAK! What will you do?! (Hint: clean my house...)

[MAK]

Sad to think the fledge season is winding down and we won't hear about any of them anymore. Fly safe kids!  

MAK! What will you do?! (Hint: clean my house...)

  Well Bobbie, if I could get to your house I would be happy to help you clean it. Until I grow wings I'll concentrate on my own house!  

[jeanne]

There are actually 3 posts but this had a lot of info about young peregrines.

!!! PM Fledge watch report - Baby Courtney checks out OK, no injuries and safely returned to the nest ledges and her parents! The fledge watch has begun!!!
July 19, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
Mark Nash Reports:

Tuesday July 19th - PM Report
Quite a day indeed! The Brampton Court fledge watch has begun!! We still stayed on track despite baby Courtney plans and were able to meet with fledge watch crew to go over the rules of engagement and protocols that we operate under while involved in fledge watch activities, and courthouse protocols while conducting these activities in/on and around the property.
After the meeting with lasted aprox. two hours, we all attended the courthouse and met with security and did one further physical examination of baby Courtney to ensure that thee were no further health issues before putting her back to the nest ledge and her parents. The extreme heat and humidify had both the resident adult parents inactive through most of the day, holding up out of sight in the shade to avoid the blazing hot sun. They too, do not do well in this type of extreme heat and humidity and do their best to hide out from the direct sun. Peregrine’s darker feather colouring absorb the suns heat and they can easily over heat especially with the extreme humidify.

Baby Courtney on the other hand, spent a very relaxing day in air conditioning in a stress free environment and was very relaxed. Her final examination went well, and she was again provided with water which she eagerly accepted. She was full of renewed energy, very alert and released back to the upper ledges and her awaiting parents as planned without incident.

Again, a huge thank you to court security, the Peel police and the management group for all of their understanding and support!! These folks are GREAT!!!

While we don’t expect baby Courtney to actually fledge over the next day or two given her young age, but we will be on site all day, every day on the fledge watch until baby Courtney has clearly demonstrated that she can hold her altitude and no longer needs rescuing, and can stay out of trouble from the ground.

For theos that are new to the fledge watch procedures and what is happening, young fledgling peregrines most often end up on the ground during their first flights. They are uncoordinated, too heavy with baby fat, and have not yet developed the mussel mass and flight skills to hold their altitude, let alone get off the ground back into the air and th nest ledge to safety.
When the young fledgling peregrines come to ground, they are unable to get back into the air, and like a young human infant learning to walk for their first time, they are also too naive to understand the dangers that exist on the ground. In the fledgling peregrines case, they are easily predated by other avian and land based predators. Here in the city, there are additional dangers from automobiles, domestic cats and dogs, raccoons, skunks and of course the odd bad guys that are only too quick to scoop up the young peregrine for financial gains.
Some of the young fledglings are stay grounded until they loose some of the heavy baby fat, and further exercise their wings to develop the necessary wing mussels strength and coordination to be able to get aloft again. In the wild - (non-urban nest sites), many of these young grounded fledgling peregrines are in fact predated. Peregrines have a high mortality - upwards of 80% in the first year, with the higher percentage of their mortality at fledge time.
Air movement plays an important role with peregrines, especially the young fledglings. Being heavy bodied birds with smaller wings, peregrines utilize the air movements to gain their altitude, and despite the fact that they are one (if not the fastest animal on the planet), they are actually encumbered in straight and level flight in dead air.
One of the many reasons peregrines nest high up on cliffs (and most recently, on high-rise buildings here in our urban landscapes). Peregrines are the F-16 and F-18 jet fighters that need allot of air space, and lots of attitude. They are not lumbering huge broad winged bombers (or like large / broad winged hawks or owls that can easily gain altitude in dead air). The juvenile fledgling peregrine is further disadvantaged in that it is inexperienced, never flown before, too fat and heavy, and very uncoordinated, and is now on the ground.
The adult parents refuse to feed it and for good reasons! The ground is a very dangerous place, especially for a peregrine! The parents wile attentive and still very protective will attempt to coax the fledgling back to into the air with food, sometimes harass it, and even attack it in an effort to get it off the ground and airborne. Once the fledgling is back at a safe altitude, the adult parents will resume feeding and tending to the fledgling.

We are there to assist and help get the grounded fledgling off the ground sooner than later, as the urban environment holds additional dangers.
Pictures to follow.
Stay tuned…………

[Donna]

!!! Angel at Home & A Crying Juvie
July 22, 2011 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Kathy Reports:

Angel was visible this morning hanging out in the shade and sadly I could hear that a juvie was back and crying for food.  He must have cried for 15 minutes straight.  I tried to locate him but he must have been on one of the roof tops as no other falcon was visible.  After the overwhelming heat of the past several days, it’s disheartening to hear one of them back home and begging for food like that.  Hopefully he succeeds in catching himself some food soon as Angel didn’t seemed swayed by his pleas.

[Donna]

!!! Baby Courtney takes three more flights, meets some very unhappy avian neighbours, and finally ends the at the Peel police station on an unmarked police car in the parking lot.
July 22, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Friday July 22nd - 2011 afternoon and evening report.

In an effort to explain today’s events with so much that has happened, I’m going to have summerize the days events until I can gather and organize all of our field notes and photos. In short, after three flights, with the last flight taking place at 8:45pm, Courtney was rescued from the top of an unmarked Peel police car in the police station parking lot on the west side of Hunrontario Street across the street from the courthouse. She was rescued successfully and returned to the upper courthouse ledge on the same east side where she was released two days ago. She settled down on the ledge as darkness closed in and seemed no worse for ware despite having a very busy day.

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2011/07/sightings/baby-courtney-takes-three-more-flights-meets-some-very-unhappy-avian-neighbours-and-finally-ends-the-at-the-peel-police-station-on-an-unmarked-police-car-in-the-parking-lot/ pics here

[margaret]

Seeing this post about Courtney coming to ground reminded me of Kate last week.  She came to ground again, and I think she was being taken some where for observation.  Did I miss some post about her, or do we not know her condition?  Any information about Kate?

[Dumpsterkitty]

Seeing this post about Courtney coming to ground reminded me of Kate last week.  She came to ground again, and I think she was being taken some where for observation.  Did I miss some post about her, or do we not know her condition?  Any information about Kate?

There hasn't been an official post yet, but a little birdie told me Kate is doing OK-waiting for a few tests to come back.

[margaret]

Thanks, Ei. Keep us posted about Kate.

[Dumpsterkitty]

No wonder we got the Cliff Notes version earlier...what a watch!

!!! Meeting some new “not so friendly avian neighbours� to the south east, then visited the peel police night shift, and spent some time checking out their new unmarked police cars!
July 22, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Friday July 22nd - 2011 - Afernoon and evening fledge watch report:
Late in the afternoon, we got a small break in the heat when on two occasions the sky opened up and it finally rained. Despite the neat and humidity and the short cooling affects of the rain, Courtney was not too pleased at all about getting wet and she spent a lot of time on the Library roof of the courthouse aggressively trying to shake off the rain.

By 5pm, she did one last big roust -(big shake) and it would be her downfall - literally! As she puffed up and rousted, she lost her balance and tumbled off the leading edge of the roof. Before she realized what had happened, she was airborne!!

With a gusty west wind at her back, she was blown south east, and struggled to hold her altitude, and flew south east over the parking lot gaining a little altitude with the tail winds behind her. She ended up landing on a roof top in the very place that Winston (one of the fledge watchers) actually works.

For the next several hours, Courtney spent her time on the roof top meeting some of the other - not so nice local avian inhabitants! I can tell you that she gained some very important and valuable life skills and lessons during her brief visit!

First she was attacked by the resident adult Kestrels, who mercilessly dived bombed and stooped her on several different sorties.

Then there was the small roving horde of gulls that took several runs at her while she was on the roof.
Throughout this same time period, both of her parents watched from a far with only a casual interest of the ongoing events from their roosting spots on the Courthouse, and didn’t seem to shed much concern at all much to the dismay of Courtney.

Poor little Courtney was although very not very happy about this situation, and was observed on several occasion frantically running around the rooftop to avoid her new “not so nice less accommodating feathered neighbours�.

Around 6ish in the PM, we were most surprised and delighted to have Bill and Sue show up from Burlington to join us in the fledge watch thank goodness they stayed into the darkness to close of the watch for the day.

Shortly after Bill and Sue arrived, Truss, (the resident adult female) flew in with a huge white pigeon, landing on one of the courthouse upper ledges, and proceeded to pluck and prepare it. Over the next 20 minutes, the courthouse courtyard sky above the main entrance was filled with hundreds of white feathers. It looked like a mini snow storm as the feathers filled the air and floated down to the sidewalk.

Eventually, Truss made three to four overhead flights and several “touch and go’s� with food in hand out to Courtney’s position on the rooftop, each time flying back to the courthouse roof in an effort to encourage Courtney to take flight and return back to the courthouse. While Courtney was certainly motivated (and hungry), she spent most of the time running around chasing mom on the rooftop, screaming at the top of lungs. Truss finally gave up and returned to roost on the courthouse ledges with the food package in hand.

Shortly after these events, a far more intimidating and dangerous avian neighbours showed up to harass poor little Courtney! A small family of crows took a serious run at Courtney on the roof. In seconds during this event, we observed one of Courtney’s parents (believed to be Truss), was suddenly in the mix as Courtney was forced into flight by the crow attacks. The crows were quickly dispatched by the adult peregrine, (very quickly indeed), and Courtney was escorted in the air by one of her parents,,, almost corralled, as she flapped frantically while struggling to hold her altitude.

Both Courtney and parent flew back north west around and finally over the courthouse parking lot, where Courtney ended up making a terrible (but never the less successful) landing back on the courthouse library rooftop. While she did try and make it to the upper elevation just above the rooftop where she fell off earlier, she once again she came up short in her height and approach - (as she simply ran out of breath and energy), and hit the face of the wall and dropped down on the lower roof elevation like a bomb that had just been dropped out of an air-plane. Moments later, she emerged from the centre of the roof top looking no worse for ware. Another learning experience!

Again, Truss made several airborne fly-overs and quick touch-and-go’s with food in hand in an attempt to coax and tease Courtney back into the air to gain more altitude and a higher ledge elevation, but is was simply not to be. Finally, Truss finally give in, and eventually landed on Courtney’s roof top location and gave her s small bit of the white pigeon that she had been flying around with for all of this teasing and coaxing.

By 8:30pm, and with heavy overcast and darkening skies, we believed that all of the excitement was finished for the day. Both adults had moved to their evening roosts, and Courtney seemed to settle in for the night. Light was fading, and darkness was settling in.

Well, a quiet relaxing evening to end the days fledge watch was not to be!!

At 8:45pm, Truss make one last fly over Courtney and she flew around the south end of the courthouse library roof and disappeared from our view around the west side. Suddenly, without any indication, Courtney bolted into the air from her roof top position and flew around the south end of the courthouse out of our view - in the same direction that her mom had moments ago flown,, BUT with no where near the same altitude or speed!

We toooo bolted, running across the court parking lot to the south and them around to the west out to Hwy #10 / Hurontario street where she had hooked around to.

After several minutes searching the upper west site courthouse roof and ledge elevations, (we did find Truss roosting on an upper ledge elevation on the west site of the courthouse overlooking Hurontario St),,, Courtney was no where to be found.

A mad panic scan of the trees, lawn area and the bushes on the west side of the entire courthouse property was completed with no indication of Courtney.

Finally, in desperation, we then focused out attention and scanned the west side property and parking lots of Hurontario Street, and low and behold, Courtney was located standing on the roof top of an unmarked Peel police car in the darkened parking lot of the police station.

We all rushed into action, Bill and Sue back to the courthouse to get the rescue carrier, one to get a rescue towel, two into th police station to alert the police what we were planning to do, and one to alert George - (courthouse security).

Now all assembled in the darkened police parking lot, we were able to distract Courtney long enough to allow one of us to slip in being her and get a jacket over top of her and capture her up from the roof top of the police car. Successes, she’s in the bag as we say, safe and sound!!

Ater her rescue, Courtney was taken into the Peel police station to briefly show her to the desk staff who had assisted us out in their parking lot with the rescue, and then back to the courthouse where she was examined for injuries and later released back to the upper east ledge on the Brampton courthouse - (the same elevation where we had released her three days ago when she was rescued from the ground).

A huge thank you to all involved, as without everyone’s help, this evenings events could have ended up with quite a different outcome, one that may not have worked out so well!!

Attached photos taken by Winston who was on the watch with us during the earlier events when Courtney was beiing “entertained� by the other avian neighbours.
Stay tuned………….
Posted on July 23, 2011 2:29 pm
Observation for Brampton - Courthouse

[jeanne]

Baby Courtney has really had some education   These watchers are amazing too!  Courtney may have wanted to police to take action against those rascal crows