On Windward

Yesterday I had an up close visit with Windward. She had left the nest ledge at Sunlife, flew across Bloor Street and ended up on the small Bell Canada building at the corner of Bloor and Eagle. And that is where she stayed for a very long time, over 8 hours.  So a whole lot of time was spent looking around, and a lot of stretching for both her...  and Frank and I.

And it was cool to have a moment of eye contact with her as shown below.  I was reveling in her beauty and the fact of how young she is, how she has much to learn in the coming weeks and hoping she lives a very long life somewhere in North America.  Just because she was born here in Toronto, does not mean she will remain here.  Peregrine means "wanderer".

After she and her siblings leave the nest later in the year, it may be two years or so...  if they survive (approximately 90% of raptors unfortunately do not survive the first year)...  before she and the others might be spotted and reported once they start nesting/breeding.  We have one Falcon from the summer of 2011's watch at Osler who sticks in our head, Rain, and hope to hear of something about her come 2013.  We watched Rain one evening as she got herself on a tiny ledge on the 9th floor of William Osler Hospital and stayed there through the night.  It was our first Falcon Angie and I really focused on in our first season of watches.

Stretch those wings Windward!

I spent 90 minutes at the watch on Thursday before work.  It was so hard to leave.  I wanted to see her make it back to the nest ledge.  It was going to be a lot of work for the young Falcon.  She was on a two story building here, and the crossing of Bloor Street would be nothing; but getting back up to that ledge 18 or so stories up is another thing.

Late afternoon reports had her making the flight back to the north side of Bloor and disappeared somewhere around Sunlife and the surrounding condos.  Even with some searching, she still was not to be seen.  Not much anybody could do but wait, and wait, and wait some more.  But somewhere just before dusk, she and her 3 siblings all appeared back home.  Whew!

This is how I left the site yesterday, looking up at Windward perched not far from the GMC.  I wished her well and said "see ya tomorrow!"  Now tomorrow is today and I am off for another watch...

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Spare a Couple Hours For Some Falcons?

A busy time ahead over the next few weeks and if you have any time to spare, perhaps you might consider this...

Peregrine Falcons need your help. The Canadian Peregrine Foundation have started Fledge Watches around the GTA and beyond. We will have a team of volunteers on the ground at each nest site we monitor. This year we have a happy problem. With the success of the Peregrine Falcon recovery, we have 30 sites to monitor so we will need as much help as we can get. Fledge watching involves being on site to watch over the fledglings when they are learning to fly. Often they come to the ground and need to be rescued. Please contact me or The Canadian Peregrine Foundation if you are interested in helping in your area. Each watch lasts about 10 days. Any amount of time you can spare would help, the more the better of course! No experience is necessary there is always a senior watcher present. You will help by watching fledglings and keeping track of them as they learn to fly. Rescue training will be provided. No amount of time is too small! A few hours would be appreciated, it will give someone a break or cover an important time when help is most needed. The difference you can make is stunning.

We have the best example of what a difference a fledge watch can make to an endangered species, right here in Toronto. Back when Peregrines first returned to southern Ontario to nest, a young chick named Windwhistler was hatched at what is now Etobicoke's Sunlife Centre nest. He is now legend and never would have been had it not been for fledge watchers. Windwhistler was rescued after his first flight and is the best example of "so what, you saved one bird, what good does that do?" Windwhistler is now 14 years old and the resident male at our 18 King St nest. He double dipped for a few years being resident male at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto too. He is as far as we know Canada's most prolific nesting male, with this years brood of 4 bringing his total to 41 young. Several of those young are now producing chicks in Ontario and a few US states. This season his Great Grandchicks have been hatched at Canada Square (Yonge and Eglinton) in Toronto. We are trying to construct a full family tree. We are somewhere between 80 and 100 Peregrine Falcons being related to Windwhistler.

So there my friends is the difference saving just one bird can make!!! I hope you will consider joining one of the many fledge watch teams around southern Ontario. Check www.peregrine-foundation.ca to see where you might get involved.

It is estimated that 90% of birds of prey do not survive their first year. That is nine out of ten birds! So going on three nest sites close to my home being the Mississauga Executive Centre in the Hurontario and Burnhamthorpe area, the Sunlife building at Islington and Bloor, and the Harlequin family on Duncan Mill Rd in the Leslie and Hwy 401 area who have in total ten chicks between the three sites. Only one of these babies, according to statistics is going to see beyond his "first birthday"!

And now two weeks into the "fledge watch" season, with these ten chicks, we are already down to eight. Two of the three young Peregrines at MEC did not survive their first flights. It was unfortunate but nesting birds up on tall buildings face many challenges as they learn to master the skills of flying. Both birds had collisions with the surrounding high rises and plummeted to the ground. Of course CPF staff and volunteers dashed to the fallen chicks and attempts were made to save them but the damage was far too severe in both cases and both birds succumbed to their injuries almost immediately.

But going back to Windwhistler and his story above, he is as put "best example" of what volunteers have done in the past, and may very well do this season.

It's tough to make the time with full time jobs, families and other responsibilities; but I still make the effort with an hour or two every couple days; and maybe someone else out there can too. Most of the time is just watching, and talking, sharing stories from the wild and then perhaps coming home with a story or two from the time at the watch. Maybe it's witnessing an adult catch a Pigeon and bring it home to the babies? Maybe a territorial squabble or chasing away some seemingly potential threat? And then there's the further drama of watching these chicks up on the high ledges, and anyone with an ounce of care for these wild birds, will build up some emotion and excitement as they watch and wonder if this is going to be their first flight. If this is it, how is it going to play out? Will the chick fly well and make it to another ledge? Will he tumble down and end up on the ground which is where the watcher(s) must take action? I've not had to make a rescue yet or even witness one going into my second season of fledge watching. I am comfortable being an extra set of eyes on the birds as they start to move about and explore the big world around them. And listening to the more experienced people I am spending time with is a learning experience as well. Our friends Frank and Tracy are two of the best story tellers I have ever met. If nothing else, what better way to spend a few hours on a beautiful day than with great people with similar passions and making new friends with other volunteers.

I thank you for taking the time out to give this blog a read... and so does Oscar, one of the educational birds with The Canadian Peregrine Foundation.



Currently I, and Angie at times, will be at the Sunlife site, up until around June 18th, give or take a few days. The watchers here will be right across the side street from The Longest Yard restaurant where a great full view of the nest ledge can be had. Maybe we'll see you there?

Here is a link to the album I have started through Facebook from watching some chicks to a banding ceremony at Harlequin.

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Summer so far...

Wow, here we are just passing through mid-July. The summer is moving along quick and the heat sure is on now.

I sit back and ponder what I've done, where I've been, what I've seen and where do I begin?

A couple trips to the Carden Area up in Kirkfield, Ontario started the season off. Once with Angie and again on my own. Wylie Road, as I blogged about before, is a great birding spot of a dusty road being approximately 10kms long. I go there mainly for the Eastern Bluebirds, hope to see a Loggerhead Shrike and enjoy anything and everything else that I cross paths with.



The local swamp being minutes from my home has been another favorite spot for wildlife the past couple months and it's mind blowing what this smelly chunk of land has to offer in wildlife sightings. The few of us who frequent this area call it the neighborhood's best kept secret. It seems as the city has let this park grow wild, and with the swampy waters, insects thrive, which draw in many species of birds and amphibians. One of my favorite summertime residents here is a Great Blue Heron. I actually took this photograph from my truck when driving into the park. He's a bold old bird and doesn't spook easily. I also like to think my gentle and respectful approach to nature helps.



He shares the swamp and ponds with many others including Beavers, Muskrats, Snapping Turtles, Painted Turtles, a Red-eared Slider Turtle, Catfish, Frogs, Toads and so many species of birds. The Red-eared Slider is not native to our region, which means he was someone's pet and for one reason or another, he's been disposed of in the ponds to survive on his own.



I've had some great experiences with Cedar Waxwings in recent weeks. Anyone who may have read a blog I posted not long ago about Raccoons and other masked creatures might remember these birds were mentioned in it. Finding some small flocks and able to spend more than an hour per time with them watching them fly, hunt, hover, feed, etc. was awesome!



A few weeks had me volunteering any spare time I could afford to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and their Falcon Fledge Watch program. First location I participated in the watch was at Islington and Bloor Street in Etobicoke at the Sunlife Building. A pair of Falcons had a nest with three chicks. And as the chicks grew, and it was nearing time for them to take flight, the CPF and volunteers take to the streets below in order to help any young Falcons who may get into trouble over the first few days of flying. Peregrines are an endangered bird, who much like the Bald Eagle, suffered massive loss in numbers through the 60's with the use of DDT. Often having infertile eggs through nesting time and occasional poisonings too. Their numbers are growing these days but still have a ways to go before they can be removed from the endangered and after the threatened list. Did you know that during World War Two, Peregrines in England were often shot out of the sky because a main source in their diet is Pigeon. The army used carrier Pigeons to help deliver messages to and from base camps and allies. So, when a message was sent out with a Pigeon, only to see a Peregrine come and snag the Pigeon for lunch and the message was lost... it was then man also interfered with the Peregrines by shooting any on sight.

Here is the whole family at the Sunlife Building. Dad is on the lower glass, Mom is on the camera to the right, and the three young'uns are lined along the ledge. This ledge is 19 stories up so pardon the not so close shot.


About a week and a half later I was up at Etobicoke General in Rexdale, Ontario on another Falcon Watch with the CPF. In both watches, I never saw an incident where one of the babies got into any sort of trouble and need of rescue. But there was a couple times the CPF did a save. Hours can go by with nothing happening but it only takes one small step off the ledge or an error in their learning to fly and control those powerful wings for something to happen.

Here is one of the adult Peregrines at the hospital.


Here is one of the young'uns, and her name is "Rain". She spent hours on this window ledge, 9 stories up. A number of hospital patients and visitors were quite fascinated by her presence on the window ledge in a hallway.


Angie and I had another "Raptor Encounter" at Mountsberg in June for her birthday.

Teddy and I, with me learning the art of tethering.


Angie got time with Teddy as well as Echo the Eastern Screech Owl seen here. Amazing how well an ESO can camouflage, eh?


But as the humidity moves in, I find myself at home more. It's nice to know the cold comfort of central air conditioning is only steps away. This time of year is much more challenging for birding and any other wildlife sightings with all the foliage as well. And as some of you already know, there is much to see from my lawn chair.

A pair of Chipmunks have taken up residence somewhere near the back shed. They are an entertaining welcomed addition to the backyard!


And even the least bird admirers I know around my home stop and watch the Baltimore Orioles who come to feed on oranges and grape jelly from the feeder off my clothes line. How can one not notice the fiery orange feathers as they fly in?



Nesting season always seems to bring in hordes of European Starlings to feed their young. They bully many of the other birds from any and all of the feeders, even ones with food they care not to eat. Thankfully a few Red-wing Blackbirds and Common Grackles throw the attitude right back at these buggers and put them in their place or out of the vicinity.

That's one goofy juvenile Starling who is trying to scare off this male Red-wing who is flying right in at him. The Red-wing won.


As much as I hear about the disliking for the Common Grackle, I don't mind them. I see maybe half a dozen through the summer, which is also counting in the young they bring. Fall migration can have me with 60+ some afternoons for a brief stop in to fuel up, have a bath and then gone again. Their babies are squawky little buggers.



And of course just having a relaxing afternoon with Meadow is just one of the things I enjoy so much...



and can't forget her little sister Misfit!



We've got some great wildlife adventures in the coming weeks including a trip to Wye Marsh, The Muskoka Wildlife and Presquille Park.

Come back soon!

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