ON / Etobicoke - Bloor & Islington / 2008-21

[carly]

Next fundraiser?  
Armour for the Chick.

 

Jack did come down to see me again yesterday as soon as I arrived on site and even made a point later of coming all the way out to where I was to fly over and circle around me before he ascended to the ledge where the nest is. 

[bcbird]

Next fundraiser? 
Armour for the Chick.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I had to stop wearing a favourite windbreaker because T-Rex (Ivy's grand-dad) could spot me blocks away and would come circling down on me - did at both his territories in Winnipeg.  Darn bird was a wee bit fixated on eliminating "problems" ...  ... he came by his name honestly (can still find the scars if I look)

Not sure the same thing isn't happening with Jules and Beau - Jules knows me a bit, Beau I think recognizes I'm going to be trouble for him in the future.  Just what I need, his territory in West Winnipeg has no protection what's so ever ... 

[carly]

I kinda of wondered if it's because I went up on the rooftop a few weeks ago and I was right across from him and the nest box and we were watching each other.

Linda told me that is why Wind keeps attacking her because she caught her up on the ledge one day so now she's public enemy number one! 

All I kept telling myself was 'I'm an ant....!'!  He didn't kack at me or anything but I must admit I did get a bit nervous as there was nothing else I could see near me that he might have his eye on except for a few nice looking cars in the driveway     

[bcbird]

Wow, Carly, that sounds like a jackpot of an afternoon observing. 
It must be quite a feeling to be acknowledged by a falcon!

[bev.]

I did what any respectable coward would do and I bowed my head in submission and then he flew back up to the ledge.

I hope Jack can keep them both well fed. He is going to be quite lean by end of season.  

[carly]

Spent the morning down at the site today.  jack was back on his old sign perch again.  He was there yesterday too for the first time since last years juvies left so I figured my timing is spot on.  Saw him catch a pigeon in mid air again, that's only the second time I"ve seen him do that and it's so cool!  The funny thing is he was on a ledge defeathering a prey he had just caught and this poor pigeon was coming in to land on the ledge, realized the bird there was NOT another pigeon and tried to back out in mid flight, Jack just reached out and grabbed him and I heard a goodbye squak and I think that lunch went to TR mom as he briefly left and headed towards there and came back 15 minutes later.

He gave mom a nice long break today, she ate, she preened and she relaxed.  She was awfully squirmy in the nest box and could actually see her moving around in there today so something is up!

Something interesting happened today, Jack noticed me and actually came over to where I was - which was in the middle of the street about 1 block down from the nest site - and he came down lower than usual and circled three times above me?!  I'm not sure if that's some sort of falcon voodoo curse but I think he was trying to tell me he's onto me     I did what any respectable coward would do and I bowed my head in submission and then he flew back up to the ledge.

[carly]

Thanks to Alison letting me know about Rhae's hatches - I was waiting for that because she was only 2 days or 3 at the most ahead of our site this year and I was planning to be down at the site this weekend as today is Day 30 of heavy incubation.

Jack was around alot more than usual today and I had to run a few blocks down to get alook at the nestbox and did see mom's tail sticking out with my binoculars but no food deliveries which is pretty much the only way I will know if there is a hatch now.

[bev.]

Wish they could get the cam up and running.  
I am hoping the TR male stays safe. too bad he was not ready to be released earlier. Then Jack may have stayed with just one site.

Or maybe , they think his hormones will not be in mode and this was a better time

good luck CArly

[carly]

As we await a hatch here within the next week potentially, TR Male is set to be released in the next few weeks so that should be interesting.

I will be here this weekend both days to see what's' going on as Day 30 of heavy incubation is this Friday.   Wish I could give you more details but honestly I have no idea what is going on up there. 

[bev.]

Good reporting Carly.
I hope you get your cam but you are right about the sites. 

That is why when people wonder where the adults are at our site, I usually know.  Peter and I have walked so much of it.  It is much different than downtown Edmonton.
It is so interesting to see what they see.
WE are trying to familiarize ourselves with a few more sites, around here.  But I really only give my all to 2.

I really hope all goes well.  He will be one tired dad.

[carly]

So with all the sightings lately of our juvies down in Ohio and here last week, guess what tried to land on the nest site ledge here today...  Yup a sub adult!  YOu could have knocked me over with a feather!  Mom was on the eggs and I heard a half hearted alarm call so I looked up a young huge falcon was about to land on the ledge when mom obviously popped up and started alarm calling but she didn't get out of the box.  Just yelling and the youngster kind of fumbled in midair to change course and flew around the building a few times and then took off. 

Of course I had to run back in for a meeting and by the time I came back out a half hour later - all was quiet.  I wonder who it was, obviously mom was concerned but not enough to jump off the eggs and the visitor seemed as surprised as mom at the presence of another falcon!   

[carly]

Well the cam guy was supposed to show up last week but bad weather messed that up.  Mark says he's trying to chase him down again to see if they can't get him out to the site.  They've tried everything as far as software goes so it's either the cables or the cam itself - if that's the case then we won't be able to do anything until banding. 

It will be sad if I can't even get to enjoy watching them grow up this year - that's kind of the pay off for standing out in the cold and wet but what can you do.

I must say it's been a real learning experience and quite humbling.  I'm still not sure it's still my 'Angel' that is up there.  Everything has changed especially her behaviour - however that might be self preservation due to his bigamy.  Even their mating sites and cache locations have changed and everything seems to be set so he can see both sites unobstructed.  When Frank and I went up to the condo rooftop - I finally got to see what they see and it was quite an eye opener.

You watch the cams and you watch the nest site location from the ground but you realize that you're only getting a snap shot of their lives - most falcons behave pretty much the same during nesting time so it's easy to think you know them but once you see how large their territory is you realize you know nothing at all.  She doesn't even alarm call anymore so I can't tell if it's her from that - she has a distinctive voice so that would be a give away but it's almost like she's trying not to attract attention to the site. 

[Alison]

Many thanks for the update, Carly! Glad to hear everything is going okay at both sites. Any word on whether they will be able to do anything to fix the cams, without of course approaching the nest?

[carly]

Incubation continues here and at TR as well.  Seems he timed it so both nest sites will hatch at pretty much the same time - maybe 1 week apart at the most.

No cam access sadly at either site so who knows how many eggs they are on but based on Angel's record - probably 4.  If they can't fix the cam, we won't know at all.  I will have to observe closely and try to catch first hatch so we can estimate when to band the young as well.  Full time incubation started on April 1st however I did catch a mating during one of the shift changes on the 3rd right at the nest box - next to it so could be she had 3 and that the was the to encourage egg 4, purely a guess at this point.  

I'm using April 1 as my countdown date though.  Hopefully behavior will tell me when a hatch has happened.

Interestingly at TR site, they are nesting on a different ledge - one that has a direct line of sight to this location.  And suprisingly Jack has been spotted at my site a good number of times so he is keeping up with feeding and relieving mom.   I have seen Angel haul herself up off the eggs to go yell at Canada Geese and anything else that gets too close to the building though which is nerve wracking when she's on her own but she seems to be handling it all in stride.