Non-Resident Sightings - 2020

[Loriann]

Well isn't he just gorgeous !.. and that's awfully close to home isn't it?  Have to look 'up' more often when i'm down there... how wonderful for them to capture him on film.. very lucky indeed.

[carly]

Big Frank has had some great updates done to his site and there is alot of new content if you haven't checked it out in awhile.  A few days ago they saw a juvenile bald eagle and have some great pictures of it if anyone is interested in checking it out.

http://raptorwatch.blogspot.com/

[photosbydennis]

...just my two cents worth.
Have been out that way many times...re: GHO nest, Swainsons,Redtail and Northern Harrier have all be seen perched/hunting just before the perimeter. All are about the same size...large.
Really hard to ID without a photo...but lucky you Birdcamfan to see the raptor up close.
Cheers !
Dennis

[The Peregrine Chick]

Migration is moving fast now ....

At Oak Hammock Marsh north of the city on Friday last week (and for the last couple of weeks, daily counts have been in the 200-300,000 range for geese (Canadas & Snows) and ducks (you name it, it was counted).  Today's count is 80,000 all combined.  Yesterday I saw flock of more than a couple of thousand female yellow-headed blackbirds (the females don't have the yellow, only the males) but almost none this morning.

And haven't seen any of the peregrines at all for about 10 days now ... guess its time to reset the countdown timer ... 

[birdcamfan]

Thanks TPC. It was for sure not a merlin (WAY too big) as I am very familiar with them. Looking at the Cooper's Hawk...could have been a big female. I would have loved to have had my camera with me as I could have obtained a great shot from where I was. Still...closest I've ever been to a huge bird like that. It put my heart into my mouth!

[The Peregrine Chick]

Hey BirdCamFan,

Unlikely to have been a juvenile peregrine, they tend to avoid trees, risk of injury kind of high the way they fly and hunt - that's not to say they don't, just rarely.  And at this point, it looks like all our peregrines have vamoosed, the young ones going before the adults.  So even more unlikely it was a peregrine.  (Sorry  )

There are two species it could have been ...

First is a merlin, smaller than a peregrine but their plumage is almost the same as a juvenile peregrine.  And they are woodland specialists so you you see them in/out/around/through trees all the time.  Particularly in urban areas like Winnipeg where they are regular nesters at this point and there are more than a few pairs in the area you described.

Second is a Cooper's Hawk - size of a peregrine but the juvenile plumage isn't so similar to a juvenile peregrine.  This year I have had more calls about Coopers than I have ever had before, they are everywhere this year.  And they are more falcon looking in their head/beak shape than any of the other "hawks".

Regardless of what you saw, it was a good catch considering you were driving AND where you were driving!  Congrats!

TPC

[maggieblue]

Very cool encounter indeed 

[birdcamfan]

I had a very cool encounter with a large bird of prey yesterday. I was driving North out McPhillips just at the outskirts of town when a large bird dropped out of a tree onto the ground right beside my car. I did a quick u-turn at the next curb cut and went back. There was another curb cut between the lanes of traffic right where I had seen the bird so I pulled in there and watched for a while as the bird was still on the ground ripping at something. I was only 2 lanes of traffic away from it and could take in the detail. I swear it was a young peregrine. I had no camera and no binoculars in my car (drat) and my cell phone takes terrible pictures. I finally decided to cross over to take a better look and of course the bird took off. I lost my chance to watch further but got to see the bird from underneath. I am still convinced it was a young peregrine even after consulting my Sibley book when I got to the lake (I felt like I must be imagining it). Is it possible that there are young peregrine falcons migrating through this area?

[bcbird]

Hi, yes the info is public. ..... Enjoy 

http://raptorwatch.blogspot.com

Thanks, Maggie, this is a very interesting site. 

[Liz]

I've never been to Oak Hammock Marsh.  But I guess Peregrines don't go to Fort Whyte?  Too much competition for space between them and the Kings of Poopers! 

[carly]

There have barely been any peregrines this year    I'm hoping because it was so cold, stormy and wet most of the summer that they just decided "i'm outta here" once they fledged.  It was not a good year for wildlife this year in southern ontario compared to other years.

I noticed last week the Canada Geese were headed out so unless they're hiding I expect most have gone already or there will be a burst in october maybe?? 

[maggieblue]

Hi, yes the info is public.  It is Big Frank's raptor watch in  Scarborough and there is an entry in his blog in August that explains the background.  There is a daily count of the raptors passing through over this park.  Of the 5,845 counted last year, 72 were identified as peregrines. When I posted this a while ago Carly pointed out that he was her partner in the fledge watch in Toronto.  Enjoy 

http://raptorwatch.blogspot.com

[bcbird]

Just checked my email and Frank sent me an email last night, they saw peregrines yesterday at the raptor watch!!!  In fact he says there were at one point 3 playing tag together and grabbing talons AND 2 were juvies and 1 was an adult!!!  So ha!  Maybe sometimes the parents do go with the kids or they're just very friendly with each other!!

Yeah!  Big Frank has posted pictures of this on his raptorwatch blog.   

Maggieblue, are those pictures available to general public to view?

[carly]

Will do Maggie.  And glad I didn't go all the way out there, it cleared up for about 45 minutes and then clouded back over. 

[maggieblue]

Just checked my email and Frank sent me an email last night, they saw peregrines yesterday at the raptor watch!!!  In fact he says there were at one point 3 playing tag together and grabbing talons AND 2 were juvies and 1 was an adult!!!  So ha!  Maybe sometimes the parents do go with the kids or they're just very friendly with each other!!!

Yeah!  Big Frank has posted pictures of this on his raptorwatch blog.   
Carly, sorry that the weather didn't cooperate this morning.  If you are in touch with Big Frank perhaps you could pass on my appreciation for the wonderful photos that he has been posting.  His shot of the Osprey was very impressive.