Canada Falcons: All but those hatched in Rochester

[Donna]

August 08, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Monday Aug 8th - 2011
Monday night I arrived at 8pm to see Milton chase a few pigeons. Not surprisingly he wasn’t making a lot of effort as I have never seen him return with a pigeon; he typically goes after smaller birds. He soon landed on the south facing ledge overlooking the main entrance.

Courtney was seen on the east ledge (overlooking the main entrance) making her usual requests for attention. Below her, two ledges down, was Truss plucking feathers from a fresh kill. I didn’t get a good look but from the size likely was a pigeon.
Courtney waited 5 minutes before she became so excited she dropped down two ledges and started harassing mom as she was plucking feathers. She became so problematic that she drove mom off the kill to another corner. She did to mom what she did to dad on July 27th when Milton returned with food.

Mom watched Courtney from her perch while baby stood next to the kill, not knowing what to do with it. Courtney never made an attempt to prepare the food; she just stood next to it watching mom. For over 10 minutes nothing happened.

Then Courtney chased dad once around the courthouse and landed on the roof. She flew well and landed, a bit hard but confidently. Mom returned to the kill and fed. Truss then left the kill but rather than going to feed, Courtney chased mom to the other side of the courthouse.

Light faded without Courtney visiting the food.
Winston

!!! The fledglings are looking good indeed!
August 08, 2011 - Niagara Falls
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Monday Aug 8th -2011

Just wanted to let you know that I visited the Niagara Falls site today and saw both juvies flying around like pros. It was pretty amazing to see them flying so well only a week after fledging! It was fun to watch them soar over the gorge and the park playing “talon tag� with each other and chasing after the male when he flew in with a prey item. I was particularly amazed to see the younger of the two flying just as well as the older one. She was a good 5 days younger than her sister but was flying just as well.

I don’t have a good camera so I wasn’t able to get any photos for you, but if I get any from our volunteers I will pass them along.

- Jacquie

[MAK]

  Cool! 

[Donna]

Parents at William Osler Enjoying the Day Without Kids
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Tracy Simpson Reports:

Frank and I took a trip this evening at 6:00pm to the William Osler Hospital site to check in on the family of falcons there and found Hurricane, the resident male, on top of the east facing “Hâ€� and O’Connor, the resident female, on her usual southeast corner of the nest ledge.  A quick check of the nest tray and hydro towers revealed no juveniles in the area at the time and the adults actually looked rather relaxed.  Half an hour after our arrival, both adults left their perches and were soaring above the roof of the hospital.  A moment later, O’Connor took off and headed to the northeast with intent and power and so Frank and I tracked her with our binoculars as she remained in our sights.  Hurricane took off and joined her and left Frank and I wondering what she was up to.  A moment later, she broke off her flight and circled back towards the hospital as Hurricane continued northeast and disappeared.  O’Connor was gone for at least 20 minutes or more before she reappeared on the southeast ledge she likes to call home.  Hurricane had also returned and was back on the east facing sign consuming a recent kill he had made while he was gone.  As the sun set, there was no appearance by any of the juveniles and both adults had settled in for the night.

While the young falcons may be flying further afield in preparation for a successful migration, both parents are still using the nest site as a night roost and feeding station and will continue to defend the territory although not as vigorously as they would with juveniles present.  The adult pair will also be spending more time away from the nest site hunting and feeding but will return to it periodically throughout the day and each evening.  The juveniles will also continue to periodically use the nest site as a roosting spot; an observation of this behaviour seen recently at the Toronto Sheraton nest site.

At almost all urban nest sites, the adults remain on territory even in the winter as prey is abundant in the form of pigeons and other small birds and the buildings provide microclimates where they can escape the winds and cold of winter.  The juveniles, on the other hand, will be leaving this fall for the south, following the smaller birds that they prey upon.  Over the next week, we will be making a trip out to Islington and Rexdale where the adult female likes to take the young to train, as evidenced by our sighting of Wind giving some gulls a go at that intersection, and see if we can spot any of the juveniles practicing their skills.  Check back as we watch the progress of the young ones training for their big flight!!

[Donna]

!!! Spitfire doing well
August 29, 2011 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:

Friday we decided to check on the family of 3, Spitfire was sitting on the cross beam under “E� of Bridge. Ten minutes later he flew off, Freddie and Voltaire flew in on the nest together she looked like she was doing house cleaning again while Freddie just watched her. Twenty minutes later, Freddie flew onto the beam and Voltaire flew onto the pipe. It was great to see the whole family again and we hope that the three of them keep on staying safe.
Thank You everyone that helped us this year in watching Freddie, Voltaire and Spitfire. Hope to see you again next year and now with the new tray we are hoping for more eggs. Have a great fall and winter.
Gwen & Dennis Site Co-ordinators CPF

[MAK]

  Thanks for the updates everyone! 

[Donna]

!!! Peregrine Falcons in Timmins, Ontario!
August 30, 2011 - International, National and Local News
Kathy Reports:

Thanks to a fellow falcon friend over at BCAW for alerting me to this article!

Three peregrine falcons have been confirmed at Xstrata Copper Kidd Creek Mine.   As per the article this is the first documented case of a breeding pair in Timmins district since the population in Ontario began to recover.

Article and photos here:

http://www.thedailypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3277712

[MAK]

They sure do have plenty of falcons in Ontario,Canada! 

[Paul Hamilton]

They sure do have plenty of falcons in Ontario,Canada! 

And quite a few of them were hatched in Rochester!

Paul

[Donna]

A Great Observation of the William Osler Family!
August 28, 2011 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:

A great observation made by Toivo at the William Osler site.  I have seen O’Connor, the resident female, doing this exact same thing during the Fledge Watch this summer.  Every once in a while she would go across the street where a plastic owl is attached to the roof of a low rise building and make sure that the “owlâ€� stayed right where it was.  I think she was encouraged that she had sufficiently frightened it as it never seemed to move!!  It would stand to reason that O’Connor’s offspring have picked up on her meticulous territory cleaning habits and took a run at it themselves!!  Thanks Toivo for another great observation!  Here it is:

 

I was in Woodbridge about 3 k up hwy 27 from the Osler site. I saw a bird dive bombing something. I will always investigate this. I drove around a building and got to observe a peregrine stoop maybe 5 times at a plastic owl on the corner of the industrial building across the street from me.  I would think this would be one of the Osler juveniles. Quite funny to watch. 

Toivo

 

[Donna]

Adult Sighting at the Brampton Courthouse
September 01, 2011 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:

Thank you so much to Toivo and Grace for their continued observations at the Brampton Courthouse!

Well I have only had a couple of confirmed sightings of Courtney in the last couple of weeks. One was quite impressive as she climbed a thermal till I could barely see her with binoculars. She was back on a ledge later that day. Milton and Truss have been around or on the building regularly, roosting and relaxing.  On Sunday August 28th, I stopped today and found another adult female peregrine on a ledge. I went and got Grace to confirm this. She agreed. All light grey all the way down the back, but a very large buff patch on the top of the head,larger than Courtney’s.  We could not see if she was a banded bird.  A male came in and buzzed a pigeon, she rose to follow him but not really in an aggressive manner. The male left and we watched him climb a thermal till barely visible, then he drifted SW. This struck me as migratory behavior , so I  dont believe it was Milton.

[MAK]

  Great to hear from Tracy! She usually has LOTS to say about O'Connor! Thanks for posting! 

[Donna]

!!! At least one of the kids is still around!
September 13, 2011 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Canada Square update Sept. 13th - 2011

This morning, very early, I heard young Chester squawking insistently and persistently. I have not heard that for a while now. I did not go out because these days by the time I am outside the peregrine has usually gone.

However, I was out for a stroll this afternoon and from way up Yonge street I could see *at least one* peregrine flying around the Canada Square building. By the time I reached the intersection of Yonge and Eglinton I determined there were three peregrines flying around the building. They gave me a wonderful display for about ten minutes, talon touching, chasing, swooping and even a few dives before disappearing north. I wish I knew where they went as there are not many tall buildings in the direction they took.

I definitely saw the resident adult female this afternoon as one bird was much larger than the other two. I believe one of the peregrines was Chester and the third possibly the adult male. I did not have my binoculars so was unable to get any colour on any of them.

This evening just as I began to write this I, again, heard Chester calling. My word but he is loud!! I did go out but by the time I was outside the peregrine had gone or was holed up somewhere roosting for the night.

So I believe both adults are still around and one of the youngsters who I believe to be Chester, the youngest.

Lyn

[Donna]

!!! Juveniles still hanging around and adults are still attentive!
September 17, 2011 - Niagara Falls
CPF Postmaster Reports:

Hello All
We got a report from our volunteer John Shiposki that, as of 9/17, the two juvies are still hanging around Niagara Falls. One is even still trying to beg for food from the parents. He got this great photo of one of them that hopefully he won’t mind me sharing.
Jacquie

GREAT PIC!

[jeanne]

What a little cutie!

[MAK]

 :2thumbsup:One of those juvies flew right over our head not more than 20 ft. above us talking away when Joyce, Sue and I stopped by the falls before going to Niagara on the lake in Canada on Labor Day weekend. I know they hatched late but they must be about ready to leave by now.