Wind (current)

50 Raptors...Peregrine Eating Breakfast

Stormin Snackin

Today,Ann,Carol,Pat,Nancy,Berle,Hugh,Bill,Cory,Betty,Helmut and Tim joined us. Thanks to Walter again for keeping count. A "local" Merlin landed briefly in the park,before heading off to the east. Most birds were very high today. Harriers were flying very high.
I was very lucky today. Just after leaving my home,I looked up to see a large bird eating on a neighbors TV antena. It was a Peregrine Falcon! Being as I do alot of volunteer work with The Canadian Peregrine Foundation,I set to trying to get band numbers for the bird. I watched for nearly 40minutes as the bird ate a Northern Flicker. Quickly I saw blue tape over the USFW band. CPF puts coloured tape over that band at banding time,so the young Peregrine is more easily recognized at fledgling watches.
Note the blue tape on right side of picture
After studying the photos,I saw that the band number was 30/Y. This is a male Peregrine Falcon banded in 2009 at The Toronto Downtown Sheraton Hotel,by The Canadian Peregrine Foundation and Ministry of Natural Resources. Stormin is his name. He was seen earlier this year in April at Torontos Leslie Street Spit(Tommy Thompson Park).
Meanwhile down at the raptor watch,we saw
Turkey Vulture....................1
Northern Harrier................9
Sharpshinned Hawk..........33
Coopers Hawk.....................1
American Kestrel................4
Merlin(local not counted)..1
Peregrine Falcon.................1
The remainder of this week looks iffy,with lots of rain predicted later in the week. Saturday right now is setting up to be a big day,with a 25kmh NW wind predicted. Keep an eye on that ..lets hope it holds!

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