Quest and Kendal - Toronto/Don Mills

[Kris G.]

Carina hit a window , came down, and is okay, checked over by Mark.



By Patty    UGH!!

I guess Mark spoke too soon in his report!  At least she's OK and maybe this will teach her a life lesson-bad windows!

[Donna]

!!! On my goodness, another day of all days!
June 21, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

June 21st - 2013
You wouldn’t believe me even if I had the energy and time to get it all written down! I can hardly believe what we have all just been through in the last 96 hours!!
In short, both of the young fledglings at the Duncan Mill road nest site are still both alive, and a little healthier, wealthier, and hopefully wiser! They have survived to live another day, and as the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger,, - (or something like that) - I think?.

Carina successfully rescued after colliding with the window and Luna flying like a pro!!!
Story to follow.

Today started out like most days during the fledge watch, alarm goes off at 4:00am, hit the snooze five or six times, and finally into the shower, shave utilizing the wet razor, while drinking the morning coffee simultaneously. Find some clean cloths in the darkness, grab your stuff and rush out the door.

On the way into the fledge watch, grab another coffee at Tims, and pray that you can get on site before any real light comes up so that your fledglings are in the same spot that you left them five hours ago.

The mobile phone rings, and the person on the other end of the line explains that there is a injured falcon trapped behind their glass balcony several miles away from you current position (in the opposite direction to which your going). Out of cigarettes, Damn!!!, now really rushing, but the hope that this report actually pays off and the missing fledgling might be found! A quick U-turn,(hope that there is no cops around) and 20 minutes later having gone in the wrong direction, your at the location where you might just get lucky, find your missing fledgling and save a life to day.

Up to the callers apartment, out on the balcony, a young recently fledged American Kestrel half covered with white down is huddled down in the corner looking pretty terrorized. You quickly realize that its not the bird that that you had hoped to find. Then comes the long explanation to the caring folks that its not the fledgling that your looking for! Scoop it up and get it to the upper roof area so its parents can find it.

Back in saddle again, finally on your way to your original destination. Now the light has come up and your stress level is elevated another few notches. Finally on site, park, get your bins, out the car door and around to view the last known location of the fledglings that you left them at them at five hours ago.

Crap!! There both gone!! Your stress level has now climbed another five notches! 40 minutes later and what seems like several miles of searching, you have finally located the fledglings. Thank god! Back to the car, unload the rescue carrier, brake-out the radios, grab the rescue towels, the folding chair. Don’t for get your coffee! More than several trips back and forth from the car to the set up position. Crap, forgot the binoculars. Back to the car. Back to the set up location. By this time, both fledglings are gone again and the search is on - AGAIN!!!

Stress level, up a few more notches! Crap,, forgot to get cigarettes!! 20 minutes later again, you have finally located the two fledglings again, one high and one low. Everything OK again!

10:30am, fledglings are screaming around all over the place, sustained flight, but really getting fast and really reckless!! Parents are also stressed! Your stress level is elevated yet again! Moring traffic is heavy, everyone is speeding and in a huge hurry to get to their destination! The fledglings are speeding around, high and low, around the buildings - in and out of sight! Your stress is elevated yet again! The stage is set for an accident waiting to happen, and your pray that you can get through another day without any mortality!
10:45am, both fledglings are again out of sight, and your worst fledge watch nightmare becomes a reality, as you are greeted by Sally and Karen carrying a towel, followed by the amazing Harlequin Rescue Squad as I have am now calling them! They were

[Donna]

Was at Harlequin this morning. All was well!

Carina by Murray Shields

[MAK]

   Yay and I hope all stays well! 

[Kris G.]

Was at Harlequin this morning. All was well!

Carina by Murray Shields

Kimani was never found though-that's sad.  Did they ever "boot up" to look for her that night?

[Kris G.]

Lots of postings today!

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2013/06/sightings/toronto-don-mills/

Toronto Don Mills June 22, 2013
June 22, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Ann Brokelman Reports:

Started my watch at Don Mills on Saturday at 8am. All peregrines were on 240.  Luna at the top dancing by the pole. Kendal in usual spot, Quest just  at the front of the building.

Took some time but finally Carina popped her head up. Totally relieved as she had a nasty window strike the other day.

Luna is flying very well from 240 to Harlequin and back. Kendal came in with live food (a starling) and Luna took it from his beak and starting jumping up and down and flapping her wings. The starling was also flapping wings.  Luna started to pluck the feathers of bird.  The next feeding by Quest to Luna had Quest beak feeding Luna.  Amazing.

Carina sat on her ledge but finally by lunch was walking back and forth.  Preening, pooping, stretching.  No flight, no food.  Hopefully later on.

One last note Luna love the rain.  She loves to run up and down ledge flapping her wings in the rain.  Also love the pole on the SW corner of 240.

Fly safe little ones. No sign of Kimani.  Parents were with Luna and Carina the whole time.

 

Posted on June 23, 2013 9:30 am
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2013/06/sightings/rescue-shots-of-carina/

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2013/06/sightings/carina-looking-good/

!!! Some amazing flights going on here!!
June 20, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Hi there, just thought I’ve give you an account of my observations this evening regarding Carina. After flying back and forth from the building east of 225 Duncan Mill and 240 Duncan Mill, she flew again to the east of 240 Duncan Mill and reached the east side of the roof, did lots of head bobbing and then flew again towards the ravine, circling back and the last we saw she was on the south east corner of 240 Duncan Mill, 2nd ledge from the top at around 9:30-9:40pm.

Earlier, when she’d reached the upper roof of 240 Duncan Mill, it was awesome watching Kendal pick up a prepped bird, and move it from beak to talons mid-flight as he crossed over (enticing Carina?). First time seeing that for me. Quite the acrobat!

Sally

Posted on June 23, 2013 10:41 am
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

Carina is back into air after her “window washing experience�!
June 22, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

June 22nd- 2013
Hi Mark just thought I’d give you a run down for today up until I left you guys.

Ann was there when I arrived at 10:30 and found Carina who had made it from the 220 roof to a ledge on west side of 240 (where she remained all day, not being fed at all). She screeched on and off for food/attention, and a few times ran back and forth with wings out.

Luna did some flying back and forth from 225 to 240. Got rewarded with food each time. Favoured the south west corner of 240 building for most of today. At one point when she flew across to the roof of 225 one of the parents brought her a live bird (Ann got a terrific photo clearly indicating flapping wings of the prey after the food transfer).

Before Ann left we saw Kendal take food to the nest box, have a bite, clean his talons before the chattering broke out and he was shooed away by Quest who spent quite a bit of time there during a pretty heavy downpour.

Murray and Debbie had a quite a few people from their Nature group stop by for quite some time. More probably would have joined them if the rain hadn’t come in waves with a couple of thunder claps. Rain quite heavy at times with Luna stretching out her wings “appearing� to enjoy it but maybe just experiencing a new sensation.

I thankfully wasn’t on my own for too long each time and while I was only saw Luna fly once across from 225 to 240 building, and then to the pink glass building on the south side (where she was still when I left). She’d flown over to get food from Quest.

An interesting day where I got to see Kendal bring food but Quest taking over feeding (at one point a lot of beak to beak between her and Luna) and poor little Carina seeming to want to fly but perhaps either a bit bruised or lacking confidence, or both. And definitely a battle of wills with the parents not giving in to her demands.

Sally

Posted on June 23, 2013 12:04 pm
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

[Donna]

Greet news at Harlequin. Carina flew today and was fed by Kendal. She landed on the north side of the nest ledge. Donna H and I watched her flight which was very good and Murray watched her being fed.
Photos of Luna who took a flight and did a bat hit on the east side of nest ledge. We thought she had hit window until I uploaded photos and saw she hit the ledge. She then flew to the pink building to chill.

By Ann B

[MAK]

All of this is great news except for little Kimani.  Thanks for the updates! 

[Kris G.]

!!! More peregrine window washing, this time its Luna that did a face plant into the window!

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2013/06/sightings/more-peregrine-window-washing-this-time-its-luna-that-did-a-face-plant-into-the-windows/

[Donna]

!!! More peregrine window washing, this time its Luna that did a face plant into the window!

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2013/06/sightings/more-peregrine-window-washing-this-time-its-luna-that-did-a-face-plant-into-the-windows/

OH boy but at least she is OK and possibly learned a lesson?? Yes, that is a question! That Kendal is something!

[Kris G.]

Luna is flying well but Carina is still staying low, BUT holding her altitude never the less!

June 24, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

June 24th - 2013
 Today was one of the hottest days in the year so far with almost record high temps and debilitating humid-x!

Despite the heat, both fledglings were more active than you might have expected today with Luna really demonstrating her ability to not only hold her altitude, but she is now investigating the world around her.

While Luna is still a typical fledgling, (with some good landings, and some not so good landings), she clearly has mastered sustained flight and no longer of high risk of coming to the ground and needing to be rescued- (provided of course that she stop crashing into windows)!! By the end of the day today, she had flown much farther in sustained flight almost out of sight to the west having landed on the roof top of a large gray rooftop. Quest closely followed her and the two of them they spent more than 30 minutes together perched on the roof top far out to the west. Satisfied that Luna was not in any trouble, Quest later left her on the roof and eventually flew back to the nest building and watched over Carina.

Throughout the day, Luna had half a dozen very good flights to some of the surrounding upper roof top elevations clearly demonstrating that she has gained the confidence and mastering controlled flight. On one occasion, she ending up on one her flights miscalculating her landing, and slipping down into one of the balconies on the copper/pink coloured building next to 225 Duncan Mill road building. After spending 15 minutes out of our view down in the enclosed balcony, she finally re-appeared on the leading edge of the balcony and eventually flew out no worse for ware.

Throughout the day, Kendal brought in several very fresh kills, and for the first time this season, I witnessed his hunting skills and incredibility ability to simply take a pigeon out of the sky with little effort as he simply passed over the pigeon while in flight and snatched it out of the sky.

Carina on the other hand, (while still holding her altitude) has not yet regained her confidence after colliding with the window several days ago, and although has made a half a dozen short flights from building to building (between the 220 and 240 Duncan Mill road buildings), she is still sticking very close to the nest building preferring to favour the 240 Duncan Mill road building ledges. She has yet to gain any real altitude beyond the mid way elevation. Both fledglings have been fed today and Quest and Kendal have been very attentive indeed.

It has been incredibility funny to see the two mindsets of the adults over the past week, as Kendal brings continues to bring in fully feathered - unprepared kills (several have been very much still alive) and deliver them to the fledglings. When Quest has sighted him, she has quickly flown in screaming at the top of her lungs and snatches the unprepared food offerings from both Kendal AND the fledglings and flies off with the food to properly prepare it, then returns to feed the fledglings with the prepared food.
 On several occasions, Kendal has slipped in un-noticed by Quest, and simply dropped fresh kills and unprepared food offerings, (some have been retrieved cashes) and simply dropped them off in front of the fledglings and flown off. Luna has now figured out what to do them and is starting to eat on her own, while Carina is still confused as to what to do them. She screams, jumps around on the them until Quest attends and feeds her beak to beak.

By the end of the watch today, both Luna and Carina were perched on the window ledges (one atop of each other (on separate window ledges) on the east side of the 240 Duncan Mill road building. Both Quest and Kendal had flown over to the Thales building to the south east and remained there until dark. Luna had lied down on he ledge was hunkered down for the night while Carina remained standing tucked into the corner of the ledge.

A huge thank you to Donna Hays and all the Harlequin staff for their incredible support, Sally, Karen and others that have have given up their lunch hours and brakes to come out in support, and to Murray and Bob who have also been out covering my back and helping out on the fledge watch,,,, and to Fred from the Redborne Realty management group and their security that has been incredibly supportive and understanding with us invading their facilities and roof tops to do releases. A big thank you to Berkley property management group, their security team, the board of directors and business owners at 220 Duncan Mill road for allowing us accesses to their facilities.
 A GREAT TEAM INDEED!!!

Stay tuned……


Posted on June 25, 2013 7:02 am

Observation for  Toronto - Don Mills

[MAK]

 

[Kris G.]

!!! Carina catching up to Sister Luna
June 26, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Marion Nash Reports:

Carina has now learned to go and get her share of the food from mom and dad and that yelling is not going to work. She is also protecting her food from her sister.

Both girls are keeping high, flying very well and landing much better.

Carina almost got a mid air handoff from mom but missed then followed her to the roof top of Harlequin to take the food.

Both Luna and Carina did most of their flying in the morning and hid from the heat and sun from about 11:00 AM to early evening and I don’t blame them it was very humid today.

This evening about 5:30 PM Lunda followed mom to the Socan building Her first trip there and got a food package while Carina waited patiently on 240.

At 5:50 both parents flew past Harlequin to the back parking area followed soon after by Luna don’t know where they went but I think it was to the top of Harlequin.

Soon after I heard the usual screaming of Luna and Carina looking up at Harlequin roof joined in.

We left with all 4 accounted for and all well.

We are winding down the all day watch now but will still spot check them as often as we can and will post any observations we get as well as that of local watchers as they come in.

Thank you to all who came out to help with the watch and as always for the wonderful support from Donna and the Harlequin staff.

Keep watching the most exciting part is yet to come watching the offspring learn the fine art of the hunt. Any bets on who will do better

Marion

Posted on June 26, 2013 7:58 pm
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

[Kris G.]

!!! Luna and Carina are rock-in!
June 27, 2013 - Toronto - Don Mills

Mark Nash Reports:

June 27th- 2013
What a difference 48 hours can make with a young peregrine! Reports now streaming in from Donna, Karen, Sally and Murray that both of the “girls� have finally spread their wings as they say! Carina, no longer held back by her bruised confidence (and likely bruised keel) after hitting the window last week has taken to the skies. Now, it appears that there is no place for Quest and Kendal to hide for a little time out! The games of “catch me if you can� and “tag your it� has started with the both young fledglings tearing up the skies.

Gaining altitude is no longer a problem as the highest parts of the surrounding buildings have been easily mastered by both of the fledglings, and the local avian inhabitants is now starting to realize that maybe this neighbourhood is not the greatest place to hang around right now, at least not in the air space above the building’s!
So now, the best part of the fledge watch has begun, as over the next twelve weeks, some serious training will be on-going as Quest and Kendal will be teaching the fledglings all of the life skills that they will need to survive on their own.

Karen writes:
Just an update on Carina and Luna. Both have been busy girls flying high today finally have settled down across on the pink building next to Harlequin around 4:00 to shortly after 5:00pm both of them preening/cleaning their feathers… must have a hot date tonight.
At one point today I saw one of the juvies on Kendal’s corner above Dad, I don’t think he was happy to give up he’s corner for a screaming juvenile.

Sally writes:
There have been some nice flights today. Carina seems to copy Luna now in chasing Kendall off his favourite corner perch. At one point noisy chattering alerted me to Carina chasing Kendall out of the nest box (I thought it was Quest at first but then watched Carina fly to Kendall’s corner again – spotted her yellow band. After staying put for a while on the roof of 240, there was some chasing going on between the siblings, and (I think) Quest. They seem to have favoured the 240 building today but some back and forth to the pink glass building. I did lose sight of everyone but Kendall after 4:30, so nice to hear whey they are at the moment.

Murray writes:
I stopped by Harlequin for half an hour.
Both Carina & Luna were on top of 240.
Luna decided to chase a gull that flew by. The gull was not impressed! Lol

Both Kendal & Quest were on top of the Harlequin Building.

Stay tuned………………

Posted on June 28, 2013 6:40 am
Observation for Toronto - Don Mills

[Donna]

That's just great news!!!