AB / Edmonton - Weber Centre - 2009-18

[bev.]

video of male and female. click on picture(I apologize for the stalls . I guess file too big. you can see adult male fly at female and then come back) I was making sure it was still our male. It was.  We could not figure this out and I will have to talk to Gord about it.

video - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=WEBER_33.mp4

video - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=WEBER_34-2.mp4

[bev.]

Sept 10

4pm - came down to site and adult female was eating up by box.  She seemed very hungry. Very big piece of prey. It started to rain and she flew to W facing East, with rest of prey.  We know it is Miss Edmonton becasue for  some reason (I must ask Gord) her dark number band is on right leg and this one had dark letter band on right leg. Female from other day had it on left leg. Our dark number bands are always on left leg.

4:50pm- youngster came in on ledge on Ne side - male adult came in after rain also this is when it got weird again . Male catwalked down to female and tried to get food(we think) . Then he would fly off all around her and at her. We have more video.  Then female flew off west with prey ,with male after her(a squeal like other day). YOungster gave chase also. We saw feamle come back to east side on antennae of roof so we went up to parkade. Male adult was above us on ledge, looking west. and we looked over and there was youngster ,on another roof eating the prey. Yes , he was getting fed still.

We left feeling a bit better

   

 

 

[bev.]

I am so far behind here, and will not be able to catch up for a few weeks. Peter and I are going away tomorrow for some R and R. but I will give a  report of both sites and try and add some photos later if I can. As you know I spent all day last Thursday at the site because Miss Edmonton was missing. She finally turned up at night. but we were not sure it was her. It had been so wet and cold that it was hard to tell.

Sept 9

I watched all day in the cold and our youngster called for food whenever he was around. But he did give me many laughs. He went from rooftop to rooftop looking for leftovers. At one roof he encountered a mob of magpies that tried to best him. they chased him off very low to ground , so I held my breath.   But what a trooper he circled back and went back to that roof and then he chased the magpies. He tried to stoop them   .Then he tried stooping pigeons and gulls all the rest of the day. He sure tried. He flew off  west and east at times so I do not know if he got any food. The whole time the male adult  just stayed on the Weber. First one side then the other. I t rained off and on all day
At one time the youngster  flew off satellite dish he was on and soared out west of Weber. I noticed there was another falcon there .They soared and dipped and then both came in ,one chasing the other. Lots of cacking by youngster
One knocked the male adult off W of building. I could not keep up. Everything happens so fast.  Lots of flying by all 3.Could not  tell if it was aggression or not. Looked like some and very noisy.I went around to east side and there were 2 up on roof on aerials.  I could not tell who was cacking. Smaller one flew off and bigger one stayed for a bit and then quietly soared off around building and then out. I think one was a juvenile from another site.
The  male adult on the W flew off after about a half hour.(lots of strange things this year)

Later in afternoon, a falcon (I think adult female) , flew onto big round satellite on Weber roof . Kid was across road on satellite dish and started cacking. then he went to Ramada facing WEst and was cacking.

Male adult flies in and the adult   on SAtellite went up to nest box. . then female adult flies and perches on south side of roof. Male flies up to roof ledge by box and kid comes flying in, cacking and knocks him off,and we loose sight of kid. (Peter has joined me now.) So we have 2 adults in sight and have to leave for an hour. When we came back  no one in sight.
It was getting dark and finally we saw a falocn  on west of Weber and then it flew to n facing east (we think the kid)
It flew off and we spotted it on south side of Centre 104 on the E . It was pouring rain and dark and with no sign of adults we left. Needless to say I was worried. Not knowing if it was our female.( Remember we had a subadult female in on the weekend) With the weather so miserable she was probably holed up somewhere all day.

 

 

 

 

[bcbird]

What a treat to view your commentary and pictures with with my morning coffee.
Thanks for all the catch up posting, Bev.

[RCF]

Thanks for the great report, bev..........love all the pics and video 

[bev.]

Sept 8

This was the night that we thought that maybe we did not have Miss Edmonton. Things were so strange.

6:30-8:30pm - Adult male was on last E of Centre on West side. Miss Edmonton(we were not sure)was on W facing in. We thought something was wrong with her as male started catwalking toward her and then flying off and all around her and flying right in her face and would land almost on same letter. this continued for quite sometime. He was non stop on flying up, and down, and around her .  what in the heck is happening here ? Is she O.K.?  We see the youngster on the Ramada facing south

OH!!!! the female is moving and she has prey under her. The male flies at her again and off she flies (someone squeals) with the prey in her talons, male in hot pursuit. they fly around building and off south, across from Weber. The young male joins in the chase .They fly low over buildings in front  of  us. We loose track of who is who.  Now one is on microwave tower across from Weber. ONe is on back of roof just south of Microwasve tower. I think both adults. So hopefully kid is down on roof eating. WE went over by the building

Did I mention it has been wet and cold here. Well once again , it started to rain and both adults flew onto WEber.  We ran over to car and drove up to parkade roof of WEber and then we spotted one adult on roof of building we just came from. I t was  the male as he flew back over to WEber. He was probably looking for left overs.  We found the youngster tucked in on The  C of Centre  104 facing south.   All accounted ford ad it is pouring.

time to paddle home. I hope they all ate. I think the female was trying to eat before the male started dive bombing her.  what a weird night. I have been watching for 5 years and never saw this before. So is this our female???

Slideshow of evening - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=2b039555.pbw

video of male and female. We are green at this so please have patience when you see blank spaces. We will learn how  to do this . I am not sure why it buffers.  but it gives yo an idea of what was happening - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=WEBER_17.mp4

click on picture Peter is trying. We did not know how to edit these - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=WEBER_06-2.mp4

[bev.]

Sept 7

Due to a life I sometimes have   I could not go again until Sept 7.  When I got there  Adult was on Stelllite dish facing EAst and adult male was on top ledge on NW corner.  this sort of indicates the kid is on a roof somewhere. Silly me did not bring camera and could have had great pictures.

So I went up on parkade roof and saw youngster right across from me on low roof (I think it must have just eaten) . adult male flew over to W on Weber on east side(while I was talking) and youngster started to cack.Then youngster flew off towards Ramada and then flew low over my head and perched on NE ledge (4 above me) I could have had great shots. I sort of hid so as not to spook him.

I will take some pictures tomorrow of building and area so you will know what I am talking about

[bev.]

Sept 5

Noon - Only saw male and youngster Male flew off and came back.  Youngster seemed content. M on middle of W when we left

slideshow - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=1d40f928.pbw

[bev.]

Sept 5

Went back 3 times. Can you tell we are very uneasy .

10 am - Saw adult M on letters of Centre , Miss Edmonton on top of nest box and youngster on 4th ledge down on NE side.  then went for Breakfast(we did   )

 

 

 

[bev.]

Sept 4

Miss Edmonton was on W on east side of WEber. Then another falocn came flying in. It flew all around the top of the Weber. It flew out from Weber and landed on roof at back of WEber. Then it came around front and perched on R of Centre on East side. the  same side as Miss Edmonton(we believe this was a sub adult) . Miss Edmonton  did not move or acknowledge her. Very strange. they both sat there for quite some time. The other falcon was picking at leftovers on the R .

The Male adult came in and landed on the N . H e came in with a bit of food. He even bowed to her. Now how immoral is that.  :wink: As soon as the the other falcon started to hop toward male, Miss Edmonton , made her move and flew right at her. Male and female fly around building.
(Of course Peter is on other side with camera, seeing what is happening. )The action is all in front of me.   Two falcons come around , flying together and then they fly  onto W and bow to each other. Cannot tell anymore ,who is who.  A falcon goes into box, not sure who. Then all of a  sudden , there is chupping and  flying and action on roof top ,that we cannot see(my heart is pounding). They go off south west, wing touching and chupping.

Finally things settle and we believe we have Miss Edmonton on top of Weber and Male on one of letters. We check back of Centre 104 and the youngster is there on one of the letters. 

Because we try and have a life   we left. (We have had the adults ushering out other falcons continually.) This is late for nesting and it is time for migration. we believe our blue banded female from Clincal science was here her begging for food.(The day before she was rescued form vent fan at another spot.)

Slideshow of story - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=135b480b.pbw

Slideshow of subadult flying - http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x135/fullbrandt/album%20name/bev49/?action=view&current=WEBER_31.mp4

[bev.]

 

 

Around 4-5pm youngster flew off roof and around to perch next to net box. He then went NE soaring . NO sign of adults

8 PM
there was no sign of anyone . WE looked all around . We finally saw male adult on the R of Centre on the Centre 104 building( quite a ways from WEber. ) this is a good place to see who is coming into area.  We then went to parkade roof of WEber ,below nest box. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I saw 2 falcons flying by. One had food in talons, cacking. I believe this was the youngster ,as the other one was ahead. this was a very late feed.
Went to back of building and saw Miss Edmonton on W facing WEst. Youngster must be on a low roof just beyond. too dark to see. Dad was still on back of Centre 104.

[bev.]

This week has been stressful, but other than that our little guy is doing well. He is a great flier.  I will try and take some pictures of area tomorrow, so you can see there are not many high buildings in area, so he lands low on rooftops to eat. That sometimes is a worry because  of all the wires, but he has taken my heart. He has a a nice personality. He does knock dad off his perch at times but not as aggressive as I have seen at the Clinical.

We thought we had a take over  earlier this week. WE have had so much bad weather and rain that it was hard to tell who was who at times. They were all dark ,from being wet and all puffed up. Scope is on my Christmas list. The only way I was able to tell ,until today, it was our female was because she has the dark band on her right leg instead of her left. I came home last night and looked at pictures  I took at banding. Sure enough ,her dark  number band, is on right leg. Gord did the same thing with Blue when he rebanded her. I do not know if this was an accident , or so they can tell that they have had to pick them up. Gord had Miss Edmonton at one time. Gord takes the bands off when he tethers them . Usually the dark band is on left leg.

And you will see from my posts that there was some weird behavior. Behaviour , we had not seen at this site before, or ever. Goes to show that just when you think you know what they will do, they do something different. I have a learned that a change in mates, is a change in a lot of patterns.

I hope I do not bore you with my posts but I di not knwo where to begin and end. I have so much.  good luck and I hope you enjoy. we did attempt a few videos so please bear with us.

[bev.]

Hi Carly, I am taking the report out you just saw and put quite a few more in and then put it back. sorry. My computer conked out and I did not want to loose the writeup

[carly]

Thanks for the report Bev, never a dull moment in Edmonton   

[bev.]

I am far behind but I am going to post from Sept1-10 and then in a few days I will do picutres from Aug 11 to Sept 1 Have some good ones.

First off:  The little guy put at the Weber site is progressing nicely.He has no broken bones, not even a ruffled feather. Gord figures, he hit a wire (it was very smokey that day). He has a possible soft tissue injury in shoulder.Gord is working with him personally. He sent me a picture  and said he has a great personality. He will work with him for the rest of the year, and keep me posted .
Here is  a pciture taken by Gord