West Winnipeg - 2009 / Ivy & Jules

[birdcamfan]

Spectacular shots! Looking forward to seeing them all. Thank you.

[photosbydennis]

Just opened...West Winnipeg Peregrine Gallery.
This is the link and just click on the Peregrines-West Winnipeg. This is a start and more photos to come.
http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/peregrines_2009
Cheers !

[The Peregrine Chick]

there a heap load of pigeons here by the Hotel Fort Garry ...

Had a pair there one year, but they were too close to the Radisson and they lost their eggs.  They moved to Legislature the next year and it was still too close - they managed to raise chicks but it got a little hairy at times figuring out if everyone would fledge safely.  That was the year Trey was hatched from the nestledge and may explain why T-Rex and Madame used the nestledge that year - they wanted to be out of sight of the Legislature Birds.  Also had one on the St Boniface Basilica the following year - the female was T-Rex's first mate and she followed him downtown then hooked up with a young male from Brandon but the building was too low and it was exceedingly stressful for her as Madame used to buzz her location and the Basilica bells rang frequently (not just hourly) each day that summer.  She and Trey hung out there the next year but she was content to just roost as no courting/nesting behaviour/attempts were observed.  Basically, just too darn close and the Radisson pairs are the dominant pair in Winnipeg.

[The Peregrine Chick]

So there is a possibility that Winnipeg could handle a couple more pairs of peregrines - one pair south terrritory and one pair in north/east territory - if there were enough food for all. 

Not quite that easy, there are habitat requirements besides the amount of food.  Need to have the food they like/prefer in abundant supplies on their doorsteps, as you leave the downtown, that (pigeons) decreases.  As you go west, you still have the river but also the airport and water treatment plants.  Down south its pigeons supplemented heavily by seagull.  As you go north, there is nothing but Oak Hammock Marsh.  As you go east, you haven't really got anything.  And the peregrines will only nest a certain distance from a waterbody and in this City, that's either the Red River or the Assiniboine River.  The rest are too small.  And you have to have high buildings with suitable surrounding buildings/natural features for all the things a nesting peregrine needs.  Think of the Radisson, they hang out on the Sterling, Paris & Richardson Buildings in particular, they hunt over the exchange district and they cruise along the Red River for prey.  Not many other places in town that meet those needs AND appeal to peregrines.

[carly]

If you can see them from your place, all you need is a good pair of binoculars and then you can enjoy them from the privacy of your home and no one would be the wiser  

[maggieblue]

So I went for a little walk this afternoon to confirm my suspicions about where the West Winnipeg pair are hanging out.    And don't worry folks I didn't go near the buildings, wouldn't want to ruin a budding romance.  Now here is the funny part.  I realized when I got home that I can actually see the tops of these buildings from my back door.  ACK! They have been so close for years and I haven't managed to see them.     Until the leaves come out I will be keeping a distant eye out. 

[msdolittle]

there a heap load of pigeons here by the Hotel Fort Garry ...

[dupre501]

So there is a possibility that Winnipeg could handle a couple more pairs of peregrines - one pair south terrritory and one pair in north/east territory - if there were enough food for all.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Don't know exactly about the eastern boundary as the birds don't travel that way too often and there is no pair there to enforce the line.  But I do know where the western edge is ... 

That would be the Nest in the West, as opposed to NEST ON THE WEST! 
I can't guess about the north and east, but any chance the southern limit has to do with Fort Whyte? 

Nope, southern limit has to do with the U of M territory.  T-Rex used to hold the U of M one when his Dad (Pop) held the Radisson territory.  Found them one day sitting near to each other on the Royal Bank at McGillivray and Pembina Highway.  Only time I saw them near one another after 1989 when T-Rex hatched.  In 1995 when Pop disappeared while Madame (his second mate) was incubating T-Rex turned up a day later and started feeding Madame and incubating her eggs.  It should be said that T-Rex and Madame were together (not nesting) for a year at the U of M before she moved into the Radisson territory when Maud died after collided with a high-tension wire - don't know whether that previous relationship was the reason Madame didn't abandon Pop's eggs and/or T-Rex adopted them but it is what happened.

Oh, and the U of M territory?  It hasn't been occupied since Trey left thought we do keep hoping.

[bccs]

Awesome story Tracy. Does Dennis every take videos of the birds, or just still shots?
I would have given a lot to have witnessed the situation you described. Not only are you a good writer, you fare quite well at teasing too. The old I know something you don't know senario , chuckle chuckle.

[Liz]

Don't know exactly about the eastern boundary as the birds don't travel that way too often and there is no pair there to enforce the line.  But I do know where the western edge is ... 

That would be the Nest in the West, as opposed to NEST ON THE WEST! 
I can't guess about the north and east, but any chance the southern limit has to do with Fort Whyte? 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Question to you TPC...
Since we know Trey & Princess' nesting site and roosting sites...if you were to outline a radius of that territory and have the center of that radius at the Radisson, where does it stop?  Just curious...

Territories aren't circular so radius isn't a good descriptor, particularly in urban centres where some landuses are ignored so to speak when it comes to determining territory sizes.  And territories aren't of equal size, its all dependent on what is in a territory and how much food is available.  The Winnipeg birds are very firm about their territorial boundaries but seem to be not particularly murderous in territorial defense/conflict/take-overs.  As far as we know, we have never had a death or major injury due to territorial clashes in Winnipeg.  The only female to be usurped was seen months later & the following year.

About the Radisson territory - it appears to run south to about McGillivray and north to wherever.  Don't know exactly about the eastern boundary as the birds don't travel that way too often and there is no pair there to enforce the line.  But I do know where the western edge is ... 

[allikat]

WOW TPC...what a day! Great explanations on everything!

First, I'll start off by writing, I really don't want territorial battles to happen.  I know, I know, it's nature, but I hate it when one gets hurt (especially hearing about Mariah today  ). 
Hard to believe that last year, Ivy was escorted out by Trey from their territory, and this year, Ivy and his mate are settling in quite nicely....and Ivy's mate doing some impressive aerial acrobatics to show this intruder she means business....what a year this will be.  I will make sure to keep my eyes and ears open as I live in West Winnipeg!  Yay for me...I live here and pass through downtown everyday.  Just can't get enough of our peregrines!   
Question to you TPC...
Since we know Trey & Princess' nesting site and roosting sites...if you were to outline a radius of that territory and have the center of that radius at the Radisson, where does it stop?  Just curious...

[Liz]

...just seemed like a peregrine passing through, or perhaps even Princess being informed that the real estated had been sold so to speak. 

Interesting -- this year it was Ivy escorting mum out of the house, not Trey escorting Ivy! 

As for

The birds haven't started nesting yet

Maybe not, but it sure sounds like there's a lot of "makin' whoopie" going on!   It won't be long before she's decorating the house. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

April 2009

Our resident male is Ivy, a 2005 wild-hatch from the Radisson Hotel.  His parents are Trey & Princess.  His female sibling was named "Lucy" and his male sibling was not named that year.  The female is not named as yet as she has a breeder's ringband which can't be read unless one is very very (6 inches away) close.  We hope as they settle to nest that we may get an opportunity to get a closer look at her bands and maybe find out who she is.