ON / Toronto - Apartment Block - 2008-14

[carly]

Finally got an email day before yesterday on this nest.  The window washers came upon the female on 4 eggs on a hidden ledge.

No idea if it's still TR Mom but I know Jack is still going there so assuming he's the dad.  Will post more if I hear it.

[carly]

2014 NESTING SEASON

Been very hard to get reports for this site as the residents that did care have lost interest for the most part.

The last I heard - week before last when I prodded - was that they thought the site was deserted as they had only seen one for a long time then suddenly two are around again.  Jack is still going there so I suspect he's one of them.

They aren't nesting in the usual places and now they're only seeing one.  So either they've picked a new spot to nest or something else is going on there.

[The Peregrine Chick]

2013 NESTING SEASON

As of the last two weeks, Jack and Mom are canoodling around their nestsite and apparently in a particular nearby tree.

[MayShowers]

I read that there are two white fluffy bodies at this site, so it appears all their eggs have hatched.

[Kinderchick]

2012 NESTING SEASON

Jack has been confirmed as the resident male at this site once again. Not sure who the female is. 3 eggs were laid but only 2 were confirmed to be incubated. 1st hatch today.

[Kinderchick]

I have great news about the former male here that Jack upsurped - Milton is alive and well and at a brand new site nearby in Brampton paired with Truss!

That is great news, to hear that Milton is alive & well!

[RCF]

That's great news about Milton, carly.       

[carly]

I have great news about the former male here that Jack upsurped - Milton is alive and well and at a brand new site nearby in Brampton paired with Truss!

Brampton Territorial Male Identified
April 30, 2011 - International, National and Local News
Tracy Simpson Reports:

Bruce Massey was on-site today and was able to make a positive identification of the male.  It is the bird known as Milton that was hatched at the Gulf Tower in Pittsburg in 2002.  This male and his young mate, Truss from the Burlington Lift Bridge in 2009, are still holding the territory but their status as a nesting pair is still in question.  While copulation was witnessed by Bruce last week, the adults are being seen off of the ledge at the same time most often.  There was a period today where both birds entered the ledge and “discussed the situation” but it is apparent that incubation is not underway at this time.  With the change over of the female from an unbanded one reported earlier to now being Truss has certainly disrupted cycles and timing at this potentially new site.  We will continue to monitor and update as we follow the pair this season.

[carly]

2011 NESTING SEASON

Looks like Jack's other wife started incubation yesterday as per Mathews update:

Apr 6, 2011 - Start of incubation today?

This assumption may change, but at the moment I'm leaning towards saying incubation has begun.

I'm seeing a falcon in the corner, but the video is often unavailable so it's difficult to know if this is an all-day pastime. I am also seeing food deliveries and/or changing of the guard, hard to tell for sure, but definitely a change in behaviour compared to a week ago.

This sounds a bit vague, but I did see the corner occupied quite a few times today, so I believe it's 'game on'!

[Kinderchick]

Yes, I did see this yesterday, bcbird and thank you for drawing my attention to it again.  I guess I was wondering, is flame retardant used in fighting forest fires and is that how the birds are being affected?

[bcbird]

Kinderchick, this is a post TPC made yesterday, referring to a variety of contaminants, to the eggs.  I recall there was a fair bit of flame retardant information in a similar thread in a previous year, but I'm not sure how to search the archive files.

Contaminants don't always turn up in the eggshells - DDT and DDE and related contaminants do.  Flame retardents don't it appears.  Others will be other places.  Do we test? No.  There is academic research though, the flame retardant stuff is the newest contaminant being looked at - not an eggshell problem so far, but there are some questions as to whether or not they cause behavioural changes.  And DDT and DDE was not related to fertility/viability, it caused eggshell thinning which was responsible for embryo/chick mortality.

[Kinderchick]

- the young then went behind closed doors to give blood, which was to help our government and the Canadian Wildlife Services to collect information to help them research the impact of flame retardants on bird species. This is an emerging problem that is being monitored and our birds appeared proud to assist with the research

I was wondering, just exactly how are flame retardants affecting bird species?

[Kinderchick]

Looks like Jack is the father of 5 boys in total!!

Great news, carly!    5 boys! That Jack!!!

[carly]

Looks like Jack is the father of 5 boys in total!!

From Mathew's site:

Jun 8, 2010 - Banding Report - quick update & more to come

Thanks to everyone who contributed to today's successful banding of our young! It was a team effort involving the MNR, brave rock climbers, Management and residents.

We are the proud foster parents of 2 healthy, somewhat quiet male Peregrines:

"Pinto" - 640 grams, band # P56, USFW band 11260433 - Yellow tape
"St. Maurice" - 630 grams, band # P57, USFW band 11260434 - White tape


A full report including photos will follow, hopefully this evening, but here's a short summary of what took place:
- the climbers had a challenge safely tying off, and so had to double-tie their lines and join those lines to create a third properly aligned line. This was why there was a delay descending the wall.
- the young were brought in, watered, weighed and sexed
- they then received their black ID band and silver US Fish & Wildlife band, as well as coloured tape to assist with fledge watch
- there was a brief photo opp
- the young then went behind closed doors to give blood, which was to help our government and the Canadian Wildlife Services to collect information to help them research the impact of flame retardants on bird species. This is an emerging problem that is being monitored and our birds appeared proud to assist with the research
- Our "Mom" falcon made a valiant effort to protect her young, Jack, well not so much. According to Kathy at Bloor/Islington, Jack was back at that nest before our rock climbers had even removed their ropes, "hanging out on the ledge having some lunch while mom patrols the skies" That Jack character...

More later...

[Kinderchick]

...The sad thing about all this is that our site gets neglected while he's over there playing 'who's feet are bigger' with Milton.

I hear ya, carly.