Tower Nest - 2013 / ? & ?

[RCF]

Gee......I wonder who the Canadian female could be?  Maybe it's "Luck" from 2009, Hurricane and Zeus's first clutch, wasn't she in Winnipeg two years ago?  Here's hoping!! 

[Kinderchick]

Whoo hoo! Can't wait to see Dennis's photos with a possible ID of the female PF. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

I am pretty sure it was Dennis I saw up on the roof taking photo's today. 

Likely, he was much more visible where he was than where we were 

[RCF]

I am pretty sure it was Dennis I saw up on the roof taking photo's today. 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Two birdies at the site today ... perfect day for rooftop work - warm not hot, bit of a light breeze that didn't interfere with anything and sunny.  We took the pigeon cover off the nestbox and the pair canoodled right above us ... well, way above us but above us nonetheless.  From what we could see not Alice or Zeus this year.  From peering at the little screen on Dennis' camera, looks like an unbanded male and a banded Canadian female.  They had all the right moves so here's hoping. 

And there was a nest of three (I believe) raven chicks and a very attentive pair of parents.  The peregrines were canoodling right over their heads too which I don't think inspired them to think more kindly of their raptor neighbours.  The raven chicks are well grown and depending on when/if this pair starts laying eggs (I think in about two weeks minimum based on some information from one of the workers on-site but we'll have to see) the raven chicks may well be fledging as eggs are laid or in the first little bit of incubation.

And yes, Dennis has photos and maybe we might be able to identify the female, but we will have to wait and see.  The female was not being highly appreciative of Dennis' presence and desire to photograph her, but he did manage to get a glimpse or two I believe.

[RCF]

The birdie had prey today. It looked like a wading bird of some sort, with long legs with long toes.  

[EcoGeek]

Very cool! 

[RCF]

While we were out there, we saw a lot of other birds migrating through the area. We saw a flock of 30 to 40 pelicans, an immature bald eagle that soared above us for a few minutes, quite a few hawks, lots of geese and of course the gulls. It was a beautiful day for bird watching.
   ☼ ♥

[RCF]

We saw one peregrine here today.    Actually, I heard it before I saw it.  Both Ravens were at the nest and we were checking underneath it to see if there was poop art on the back wall to see if there were any hatches. About a minute after that I heard the kak kak kak kak of an alarm call, that's when the falcon stooped and hit one of the ravens that was perched on the railing above the nest. It knocked the raven right off it's perch and both raven and falcon disappeared below the nest where we couldn't see because of buildings.  The other raven at the nest walked or hopped away from the nest, we never saw the ravens after that. A few minutes later we went to the south side where we saw the falcon preening on the catwalk railing at the top of the tower.




  

[Rose]

Good news here ! RCF will post!

[The Peregrine Chick]

I wonder if the McKenzie peregrines have been coming out here for gulls, something other than the pigeons which are plentiful downtown.

It's entirely possible RCF, there aren't alot of ducks home yet and no shorebirds so pigeons, gulls and any other appropriately sized passerines are on the menu I daresay!  The McKenzies birds have an affinity for grebes and sora rails as I recall ... neither of those species are back yet ... maybe we'll see some if we actually do get to 17C and 18C this weekend!

Haven't had any reports from our other spotters at this site ... if I hear anything y'all will be the first to know!

[RCF]

 My co-worker's husband works at Brandon's landfill which is in close proximity to the Tower nest. My co-worker said her husband saw a peregrine eating a gull or pigeon there yesterday. He said since late last week he has been seeing the heads of gulls.  I have been checking out here since the end of March and have not seen a peregrine.      I checked again today and only saw the nesting Ravens and of course lots of gulls.  Of course when she told me that today I got a bit excited.   I wonder if the McKenzie peregrines have been coming out here for gulls, something other than the pigeons which are plentiful downtown.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Of all the times I was out there I never saw anyone else looking and I was there almost everyday.  If I had a scope like they had, I would have most likely got a band number. You kind of need to stay a while and watch, maybe they didn't know where to look.   

He has a day job so tends to go out very early in the day.  And no, he hasn't been looking for numbers, just remarked on the leg band colours because they were noteworthy - pink on one leg, red and black on the other.  Not Canadian band colours as he knows them.  I keep asking him to look for band numbers but he just has a look at the peregrines on his way to look for other birds in other locations.  He's interested in the peregrines because they are birds, not because they are our peregrines.     Keep telling him that peregrines rule but he's unconvinced and having been birding with him, I understand why he keeps moving, I never see the variety or number of bird species with anyone else but him!  Unfortunately, don't get to go a-birding with him often 

[RCF]

You must mean this photo I took and posted on the forum of the bird in the cubby hole with the black over red band.

Yup  , as well as one of the site employees and a local birder who has a spotting scope to die for (a wowzer of a spotting scope!).

Of all the times I was out there I never saw anyone else looking and I was there almost everyday.  If I had a scope like they had, I would have most likely got a band number. You kind of need to stay a while and watch, maybe they didn't know where to look.    You can almost make out the number in the photo I took.  On second thought, I did see conservation out there once and the scope was not to die for (wowser of a spotting scope).  

[The Peregrine Chick]

You must mean this photo I took and posted on the forum of the bird in the cubby hole with the black over red band.

Yup  , as well as one of the site employees and a local birder who has a spotting scope to die for (a wowzer of a spotting scope!).