Radisson - 2013 / Ivy & Princess

[The Peregrine Chick]

One of the birds is on the Hydro sign ... they must be settling because this is the first sighting I've had on Hydro all season!!

[GCG]

I am beginning to have doubts this is Princess. The nestbox was her domain. If this is true and Princess arrives, could there be a fight to lay claim to the Radisson? Happy the season has begun. Unhappy with the choice for the first eggs.

Actually, Princess has nested at the Radisson since since 2004 and if this is her, she has nested on the ledge more often than any of our other resident females: Maud never nested on the ledge (resident female for 3 years), Madame did twice (resident female for 13 years), Princess has 3 times (in 9 years), 4 times (in 10 years) if it is her again this year.

 

Will there be a fight ... I suspect that if the female at the Radisson isn't Princess, then Princess isn't coming home this year.  

 

[Cooper]

Well this is all just so surprising. I am out downtown almost every day and have rarely seen any of the birds in their usual spots or even in the air. Yet somehow we have eggs. I'll cluck along with everyone else about the east ledge concerns, but will at the same time assume the birds know more than we do and hope for the best.

[The Peregrine Chick]

I am beginning to have doubts this is Princess. The nestbox was her domain. If this is true and Princess arrives, could there be a fight to lay claim to the Radisson? Happy the season has begun. Unhappy with the choice for the first eggs.

Actually, Princess has nested at the Radisson since since 2004 and if this is her, she has nested on the ledge more often than any of our other resident females: Maud never nested on the ledge (resident female for 3 years), Madame did twice (resident female for 13 years), Princess has 3 times (in 9 years), 4 times (in 10 years) if it is her again this year.

Will there be a fight ... I suspect that if the female at the Radisson isn't Princess, then Princess isn't coming home this year. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Who is this pair and if Ivy is the male then was he trying to lure the female up to the west box before she started laying?  During the time we were sad he was waiting just to have a mate? 

Ivy was in the west side nestbox as recently as the 20th and I'm looking at the male right now and it sure do look like Ivy but I'll wait until he shows me some leg.  And yes, we were sad for the little terror and he was being led astray by a woman - but we already know he is a sucker for the ladies.  He kept coming to the nestbox and then looking expectantly, hopefully that someone was going to join him there and no one ever did.  Before yesterday, I hadn't seen a female at the Radisson since I was there tidying up on the 14th.  Hadn't seen a female in the nestbox for days before that as I recall.

Was the bird occasionally sighted sitting on the east ledge the male or the female?

No way to tell, though I'm inclined to say the female because even now Ivy doesn't appear to like sitting that low.  Every time I've spotted him on the east side he is up high.  That will change when incubation begins, but it will be interesting to see if he wants to incubate as much as he wants to when they are in the nestbox.  My inclination is to say that the female will do most of the incubating this year but I have nothing more than a feeling to back that up, we will just have to see.

I'm so surprised that after the success of the west box any female would head over to the east ledge.  Which makes me wonder if this female is new to the area.  

I'm of the opinion, given how hard Ivy tried to get the female in the nestbox (and he did try hard), that this female isn't new, that she knows about this ledge already.  Which is one of many things that makes me think this is Princess.  As for why the complete lack of interest in the nestbox after about the first week, I think it is the construction of the new hotel across from the MTS Centre - we had a similar lack of interest in the nestbox when the MTS Centre was being built.  I will be very interested to find out for sure who is at the Radisson though!

[GCG]

I am beginning to have doubts this is Princess. The nestbox was her domain. If this is true and Princess arrives, could there be a fight to lay claim to the Radisson? Happy the season has begun. Unhappy with the choice for the first eggs.

[Moonstar]

Happy there are eggs.  Disappointed they picked the nest ledge.  Mostly disappointed because we will not have sound this year. 
Main thing is that the all is well with all the falcon family.

[irenekl]

Well this sure dropped my jaw this morning   Brings up a few questions for me.  Who is this pair and if Ivy is the male then was he trying to lure the female up to the west box before she started laying?  During the time we were sad he was waiting just to have a mate? 
Was the bird occasionally sighted sitting on the east ledge the male or the female?
You may not be able to answer these questions but they are a few of the thoughts going around my head.

I'm so surprised that after the success of the west box any female would head over to the east ledge.  Which makes me wonder if this female is new to the area.

[Baffled]

A roller-coaster of emotion from reading TPC's latest post:
YAY! Eggs! 
Boo, the ledge 

[Elaine L]

OMG, none of us can forget the disaster of 2008, when Princess nested on the ledge and the chicks drowned; I do not want to see a repeat of that awful day.

[Kinderchick]

Wow! 2 eggs! But too bad they have been laid on the nestledge this year. I guess this could present a whole set of problems for you, TPC and a whole lot of expense to the project, if the eggs or chicks need to be rescued from inclement weather. Now we're all waiting with bated breath to find out who the female is.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Yup, nestledge it is this year. Was hoping that the one egg I saw there yesterday when the spycam came back online was going to be an abandoned egg, but no such luck.  Two eggs there this morning and an attentive parent ... don't know which one but hopefully both the adults will come visit the Radisson sign sometime today to show me their legbands.  Male is Ivy I am 99% sure (1% is because this year is squirrelly).  Yesterday was the first time I have thought a bird looked like Princess and it was immediate but I need to see this bird's bands it's just supposition.

[allikat]

No need for anyone going, "mad".  Right now, thanks to Mother Nature and her punishment, anything is possible!  I have my own thoughts and feelings, but nature knows best! 

[bcbird]

I fear this year maybe be the "mad, the bad and the glad" ...

mad - I think the Radisson birds are going to nest on the nestledge this year ...

If it is Princess and Ivy again, there is no reason for them not be using the nestbox other than perhaps the construction across from the MTS Centre.  We had the same problem when the MTS Centre was being built but not when the Hydro Building (despite being much taller) was being built.

No point in speculating on why if I don't have confirmed whos!!

No, No!!!!!
 
Come on, Princess, don't let a little neighbourhood construction put you off the cushy penthouse.

Nest on the West!!!

[Kinderchick]

Very exciting to think that there may be a possibility of Princess being back in town! Here's hoping!