Calling All Falcon Watchers
It's banding time around Toronto and beyond. I invite you to any or all of the following public bandings.
Sunlife Centre ..Islington and Bloor May 24th 1:30pm
Sheraton Centre ..Downtown Toronto May 23rd 1:30pm 43rd Floor
Yellow Pages TO BE ANNOUNCED at Markham and Milner
(some bandings because of where they are are closed to the public)
Shortly after the bandings, CPF will be starting Fledge Watch. We have a team of volunteers on the ground at each nestsite we monitor. This year we have a happy problem. With the success of the Peregrine Falcon recovery, we have 30 sites to monitor(some we let the folks on site do as they are busy work places which arent safe for us to run around), 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. We need your help this year to do the best job we can to help. 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 Peregrine's 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 U saved one bird,what good does that do?"
Well...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 Canadas 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 U will strongly consider joining one of the many fledge watch teams around southern Ontario. Check www.peregrine-foundation.ca to see where you might get involved.
May 12th International Migratory Bird Day A Success
Join Us For International Migratory Bird Day Sat May 12th
On Saturday May 12th please join us at Rosetta McClain Gardens to enjoy all the great birds that can be seen. We will try to point out everything in,around,above and below the gardens. I will be present from 7am onward until the early evening.
A Few Nice Surprises
Nancy and I met up with Walter, Murray,and Debbie today at Rosetta to see
what we could find. While we stood beneath the boughs of a Spruce tree, a large Redtail swooped in and circled overhead, around
the park and then perched in one of the Poplars by the bluff. While we
were distracted by the Redtail, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle soared
heading east just along the shoreline and disappeared as quickly as it
arrived. After the breathless encounters enjoyed by all, we headed up
towards the parking lot and were distracted by several flocks of Cedar
Waxwings (total of about 60+ birds) in the almost bare mountain ash
trees which still had lots of dried berries. They gorged on the dried
berries while we watched until we left the park about 1:00pm. (sorry no eagle pics)
Obviously, Rosetta likes our company so get down there in the next few
days as it looks like the signs of an early Spring are bringing lots
of feathered friends for us to enjoy. There are lots of Robins, and we
also saw some Golden Crowned Kinglets flitting about.Thanks to Pat and Nancy for this account of activity at Rosetta and use of their photos.
what we could find. While we stood beneath the boughs of a Spruce tree, a large Redtail swooped in and circled overhead, around
the park and then perched in one of the Poplars by the bluff. While we
were distracted by the Redtail, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle soared
heading east just along the shoreline and disappeared as quickly as it
arrived. After the breathless encounters enjoyed by all, we headed up
towards the parking lot and were distracted by several flocks of Cedar
Waxwings (total of about 60+ birds) in the almost bare mountain ash
trees which still had lots of dried berries. They gorged on the dried
berries while we watched until we left the park about 1:00pm. (sorry no eagle pics)
Obviously, Rosetta likes our company so get down there in the next few
days as it looks like the signs of an early Spring are bringing lots
of feathered friends for us to enjoy. There are lots of Robins, and we
also saw some Golden Crowned Kinglets flitting about.Thanks to Pat and Nancy for this account of activity at Rosetta and use of their photos.
CPF At Toronto Sportsmens Show
Ann,myself and a few other Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watchers will be at The Metro Convention Centre again this coming week, to show The Canadian Peregrine Foundation's educational birds of prey. March 14-18th is the show. This year we will be doing a flight demonstration this year. Max and Boo will be showing off their flying skills. I hope some of you will attend the show and stop by the booth and say hello.
We just finished the Ottawa show near the end of Feb and it was a great success. Folks in Ottawa were very generous! Tomahawk our newest feathered educator made his debut.
For Information:
http://www.torontosportshow.ca/visitors/
Hope to see there!
We just finished the Ottawa show near the end of Feb and it was a great success. Folks in Ottawa were very generous! Tomahawk our newest feathered educator made his debut.
http://www.torontosportshow.ca/visitors/
Hope to see there!
Mike 3's Winter Raptor Shots
Mike 3 sent me some great shots he's taken this winter. Like Colin2 he saw and photographed the Peregrine Falcons at Tommy Thompson Park(The Spit),which was great to see. He also sent along a very different shot of a Redtailed Hawk that was stretching Mike wrote: I included some Coopers shots and one RT hawk. Flying Coop shots taken at Presquile in early Jan. Sitting Coop shots taken at Thickson Woods in the meadow area late Jan. snd one interesting RT shot at Presquile Provincial Park late Jan.
Thanks again Mike, I encourage Rosetta raptor fans to keep sending sighting and photos over the winter and spring.
Thanks again Mike, I encourage Rosetta raptor fans to keep sending sighting and photos over the winter and spring.
Bald Eagles At Nanticoke
Over the past few days, Ann and Janice(on their own),Tracy and I (a few days later)have been down to Lake Erie to view overwintering Bald Eagles. Ann was lucky enough to get a photo of a perched juvenile Bald Eagle and a beautiful flight shot. Thanks to Ann Brokelman for the great shots. Tracy and I saw 9 Bald Eagles soar together, sometimes calling and talon touching. While there we even bumped into Colin 1 and his wife. We had a beautiful full adult circling above us. Those are my photos. 
We hope to get back there fairly soon.
Peregrines At Tommy Thompson Park
Fox siting today!
Hey all,
I wandered over to Rosetta today to see if the daffodils and tulips had popped up and ran into Carol in the parking lot. We started to walk around when I spotted a beautiful, small red fox! I didn't have my DSLR on me but I did have my point and shoot so that will explain the quality or lack thereof of the following photos:
It saw us walking along one of the paths and started heading east. It stopped to lie down in the snow once, then I got closer (I was quite a ways away still) and it started going towards the house on the edge of the bluffs on the eastern side. There is a gate by the house and it slipped through and kept going.
I went back down tonight with Ann and we ran into Cori but no fox. However, we think this was the fox that was treated and released by TWC a few months ago. He looks really good, his coat is very plush and we didn't notice any bare patches.
Also, I set up a Facebook page for the park. Click here and "like" us!
Lee
I wandered over to Rosetta today to see if the daffodils and tulips had popped up and ran into Carol in the parking lot. We started to walk around when I spotted a beautiful, small red fox! I didn't have my DSLR on me but I did have my point and shoot so that will explain the quality or lack thereof of the following photos:
It saw us walking along one of the paths and started heading east. It stopped to lie down in the snow once, then I got closer (I was quite a ways away still) and it started going towards the house on the edge of the bluffs on the eastern side. There is a gate by the house and it slipped through and kept going.
I went back down tonight with Ann and we ran into Cori but no fox. However, we think this was the fox that was treated and released by TWC a few months ago. He looks really good, his coat is very plush and we didn't notice any bare patches.
Also, I set up a Facebook page for the park. Click here and "like" us!
Lee
Swimming Coopers Hawk In Whitby Harbour!!
Sunday, Jan 22nd:
OMG ooops we did it again. Tracy and I went to check on a few Peregrine nest sites, and inbetween we did some general birding. We popped into Thicksons Woods to see the Great Horned Owls. We spotted one and then heard the other answer a call. Both were burried so no photos. From there we decided to drop in to Whitby Harbour, almost literally!!
We stopped and saw a Trumpeter Swan very near the road. It was too friendly. We later learned from Chris who we bumped into there(having just hung up on Ann!!,the nerve of some people) that C15 tagged Trumpeter had walked right into a primary school recently and TWC had to go and remove him! While I dallied taking the Swan's photo,Tracy heard a splash. She called to me and I heard "he's going to drown her". She had called out "she's going to drown!" I thought she was referring to a male duck mating a female as sometimes the male holds the female under while mating her, but no!! Flailing around,paddling even with both wings is a Coopers Hawk in the water. It was well into the water and really struggling. Tracy saw the Coopers Hawk,a 2nd year,female(from pics the eye wasnt totally changed colour) hit and grab onto a gull! The weight of the gull and momentum carried both into the water at least 20ft-30ft from shore. The Coopers was clamped on and trying to paddle/swim with both wings to pull the gull to shore. We dont think the gull was completely dead when they hit the water as there was an initial struggle. The Coopers was suffering under the weight of dragging the gull, and we could see it was running out of gas. Both Tracy and I contemplated jumping in the water to try to save the bird. Soon it went under completely. For a moment that seemed like forever the Coopers Hawk disappeared from view beneath the water, when with one last effort it emegered, leaving go of its meal and flying to a very low branch in the water. Its tail was still in the water from where it perched. WOW were we glad to see it at least above water. She sorted herself out, and moved to a higher perch and began preening and trying to dry off. Eventually she made her way to the shore and sat drying in the sun and terrible cold breeze. There was no way of reaching her at all. We worried she may freeze before she could dry off. We had to leave,hoping for the best.
We returned awhile later after checking the harbour. We saw a car pulled over and someone out taking photos. I spotted first what she was taking pics of. The Coopers had flown across the street and into a roadside tree,catching the last hour of sun, preening and drying further. She would be OK. The person taking the photos was our friend Chris! We told her what this Coopers Hawk had just been up to! Another sighting of a lifetime!! Tracy did get video of the swimming Coopers. I will try to get her to post it and show it to you.
Tracy's accounts of each of the last 2 days are at CPFs website with a few photos.(sorry you'll have to copy and paste the links, darned if I can figure out how to make it an active link)
Saturday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-visit-to-holcim-both-adults-present/
Sunday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-swimming-coopers-hawk-at-whitby-harbour/
OMG ooops we did it again. Tracy and I went to check on a few Peregrine nest sites, and inbetween we did some general birding. We popped into Thicksons Woods to see the Great Horned Owls. We spotted one and then heard the other answer a call. Both were burried so no photos. From there we decided to drop in to Whitby Harbour, almost literally!!
We stopped and saw a Trumpeter Swan very near the road. It was too friendly. We later learned from Chris who we bumped into there(having just hung up on Ann!!,the nerve of some people) that C15 tagged Trumpeter had walked right into a primary school recently and TWC had to go and remove him! While I dallied taking the Swan's photo,Tracy heard a splash. She called to me and I heard "he's going to drown her". She had called out "she's going to drown!" I thought she was referring to a male duck mating a female as sometimes the male holds the female under while mating her, but no!! Flailing around,paddling even with both wings is a Coopers Hawk in the water. It was well into the water and really struggling. Tracy saw the Coopers Hawk,a 2nd year,female(from pics the eye wasnt totally changed colour) hit and grab onto a gull! The weight of the gull and momentum carried both into the water at least 20ft-30ft from shore. The Coopers was clamped on and trying to paddle/swim with both wings to pull the gull to shore. We dont think the gull was completely dead when they hit the water as there was an initial struggle. The Coopers was suffering under the weight of dragging the gull, and we could see it was running out of gas. Both Tracy and I contemplated jumping in the water to try to save the bird. Soon it went under completely. For a moment that seemed like forever the Coopers Hawk disappeared from view beneath the water, when with one last effort it emegered, leaving go of its meal and flying to a very low branch in the water. Its tail was still in the water from where it perched. WOW were we glad to see it at least above water. She sorted herself out, and moved to a higher perch and began preening and trying to dry off. Eventually she made her way to the shore and sat drying in the sun and terrible cold breeze. There was no way of reaching her at all. We worried she may freeze before she could dry off. We had to leave,hoping for the best.
We returned awhile later after checking the harbour. We saw a car pulled over and someone out taking photos. I spotted first what she was taking pics of. The Coopers had flown across the street and into a roadside tree,catching the last hour of sun, preening and drying further. She would be OK. The person taking the photos was our friend Chris! We told her what this Coopers Hawk had just been up to! Another sighting of a lifetime!! Tracy did get video of the swimming Coopers. I will try to get her to post it and show it to you.
Tracy's accounts of each of the last 2 days are at CPFs website with a few photos.(sorry you'll have to copy and paste the links, darned if I can figure out how to make it an active link)
Saturday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-visit-to-holcim-both-adults-present/
Sunday
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2012/01/sightings/a-swimming-coopers-hawk-at-whitby-harbour/
Freezing 3 Falcon Day Jan 21 2012
Today was just an incredible lesson in "you never know what you will see". Tracy and I have been busy checking up on various Peregrine Falcon nesting pairs around the GTA, mostly in the westend as its closer to home.
On Sunday we wanted to check a few sites. We started our day at Holcim,in Mississauga,the old St Lawrence Cement plant. We spotted the pair fairly easily and set about trying to ID both adults. The female gave us some information. She had a black over green band and a silver USFG band. This means she is possibly from New York,but we have to confirm 100% when we are able to see the band numbers in the future. That was good news and we decided to leave for our 2nd stop at King St,in downtown Toronto, BUT WAIT, we got to the corner and saw a huge flock(murmuration is the new buzz word) of European Starlings twisting and turning in the sky. We watched looking for a bird of prey among them. The Starlings landed absolutely covering powerlines. While Tracy tried to get photos as a record of just how many there were,I spotted a Kestrel just beside us. We started taking photos of that perched atop a roadside tree. We decided again, time to move on, BUT WAIT, we hear a distress call(scream) of a Starling and then see a bird fly low across the road infront of us, landing on the grass across the road. Its our 3rd falcon species in one block! A Merlin has taken down a Starling and is finishing it off. It begins to eat when it is spooked from its meal by...a Redtailed Hawk in a tree behind it! The Merlin flew up to a powerline above the abandoned meal. Clearly it was interested in going back down to eat, as it looked down upon its lunch. Moments passed and finally it swooped down and made one aborted attempt before it successfully snatched up its prize and flew off out of sight to eat! What a series of events! No wonder the Starlings were wheeling all over the sky,4 predators within a block and 3 at one intersection!!
We finally proceeded to King St. We thawed out in the pizza joint near our chosen watch location and both adults flew in. We could only verify that the male was banded black over black,making it an Ontario produced and banded bird. The couple seemed uneasy and we half expected to see a 3rd Peregrine in the territory. We were frozen again after a couple hours so we moved on. We made quick stop ins at Islington and Bloor nestsite, where we found Angel was out but Jack was in. Continuing our "Tour de Peregrine" we dropped into the William Osler site,where OConnor was out but we found Hurricane on their favorite hospital H.
It was quite a day. Such as they are here are my photos of today, I hope to post a few of Tracys superior shots soon. Id love to post a story or 2 about the rare birds some of you have been seeing around Toronto and area. Please send them to me to post if U wish. Photos would be great too!
On Sunday we wanted to check a few sites. We started our day at Holcim,in Mississauga,the old St Lawrence Cement plant. We spotted the pair fairly easily and set about trying to ID both adults. The female gave us some information. She had a black over green band and a silver USFG band. This means she is possibly from New York,but we have to confirm 100% when we are able to see the band numbers in the future. That was good news and we decided to leave for our 2nd stop at King St,in downtown Toronto, BUT WAIT, we got to the corner and saw a huge flock(murmuration is the new buzz word) of European Starlings twisting and turning in the sky. We watched looking for a bird of prey among them. The Starlings landed absolutely covering powerlines. While Tracy tried to get photos as a record of just how many there were,I spotted a Kestrel just beside us. We started taking photos of that perched atop a roadside tree. We decided again, time to move on, BUT WAIT, we hear a distress call(scream) of a Starling and then see a bird fly low across the road infront of us, landing on the grass across the road. Its our 3rd falcon species in one block! A Merlin has taken down a Starling and is finishing it off. It begins to eat when it is spooked from its meal by...a Redtailed Hawk in a tree behind it! The Merlin flew up to a powerline above the abandoned meal. Clearly it was interested in going back down to eat, as it looked down upon its lunch. Moments passed and finally it swooped down and made one aborted attempt before it successfully snatched up its prize and flew off out of sight to eat! What a series of events! No wonder the Starlings were wheeling all over the sky,4 predators within a block and 3 at one intersection!!
We finally proceeded to King St. We thawed out in the pizza joint near our chosen watch location and both adults flew in. We could only verify that the male was banded black over black,making it an Ontario produced and banded bird. The couple seemed uneasy and we half expected to see a 3rd Peregrine in the territory. We were frozen again after a couple hours so we moved on. We made quick stop ins at Islington and Bloor nestsite, where we found Angel was out but Jack was in. Continuing our "Tour de Peregrine" we dropped into the William Osler site,where OConnor was out but we found Hurricane on their favorite hospital H.
It was quite a day. Such as they are here are my photos of today, I hope to post a few of Tracys superior shots soon. Id love to post a story or 2 about the rare birds some of you have been seeing around Toronto and area. Please send them to me to post if U wish. Photos would be great too!
A Peregrine Sighting and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to everyone following the blog and especially my Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch pals.
Today Jan 4th,Pat and Nancy Anderson sent Ann a photo of a Peregrine Falcon they took down at Bluffers Park. As it turned out,it is the same Peregrine Ann had photographed back in October and I had ID'd some time later. Thanks for the quick ID Ann,
Pat and Nancy observed the Peregrine hunting ducks and pigeons at Bluffers Park. Centennial as she is known caught herself a pigeon in a parkinglot near the restaurant. Thanks to them for this photo.
I have let the folks in Ohio know about both sightings,through my volunteer work with The Canadian Peregrine Foundation.
After the last sighting and reporting it to the folks in Ohio,I got this message from Amy C.
Thanks for the info on Centennial - I was at her banding at Lakeshore Power Plant, and then back as a raptor rescuer when she got blown off the nest/took a premature flight a few week afterwards. I'll let my contact @ the plant know. Chris told me about your post....it made my day!
Amy sent along this photo of the day Centennial was resecued after a premature fledge.
And this from Chad and Chris who work with the Peregrine Falcons in Ohio and who were also present at the banding:
Thanks again for the information and pics, Frank! You thrilled many with it!
Thanks to Ann,Pat and Nancy for their contributions. You all deserve credit for those thrills.
Today Jan 4th,Pat and Nancy Anderson sent Ann a photo of a Peregrine Falcon they took down at Bluffers Park. As it turned out,it is the same Peregrine Ann had photographed back in October and I had ID'd some time later. Thanks for the quick ID Ann,
Pat and Nancy observed the Peregrine hunting ducks and pigeons at Bluffers Park. Centennial as she is known caught herself a pigeon in a parkinglot near the restaurant. Thanks to them for this photo.
After the last sighting and reporting it to the folks in Ohio,I got this message from Amy C.
Thanks for the info on Centennial - I was at her banding at Lakeshore Power Plant, and then back as a raptor rescuer when she got blown off the nest/took a premature flight a few week afterwards. I'll let my contact @ the plant know. Chris told me about your post....it made my day!
Amy sent along this photo of the day Centennial was resecued after a premature fledge.
And this from Chad and Chris who work with the Peregrine Falcons in Ohio and who were also present at the banding:
Thanks again for the information and pics, Frank! You thrilled many with it!
Thanks to Ann,Pat and Nancy for their contributions. You all deserve credit for those thrills.
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