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March - April 2002

Tuesday April 30, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: The first three chicks have hatched! The following information is a compilation of reports primarily from Joan Boardman, Sandra Hawkins, Sue McCreadie, Tom Moreau, and Brian Tjernstrom, augmented by brief notes from many other observers watching via the webcam.

Last night, Joan Boardman stayed at the Falcon Watch Centre until about 6:00 pm. Marco came to the nest box regularly, but Angel would not let him take a turn on the eggs - it seemed that she knew something was happening!

This morning, Joan arrived at the Falcon Watch Centre around 7:00 am and was greeted by Angel and the first chick, which appeared to be quite wet and is thought to have hatched only 10-15 minutes earlier. A webcam snapshot from 7:07 am is in the Etobicoke Gallery.

Around 7:10, the little white bundle of fluff was visible, and both Marco and Angel were present at the box. Marco appeared to be inspecting to see that everything was okay. The weather was miserable - raining and cold - but the nest box appears to be sheltered.

The second chick emerged some time between 10:00 and 11:35 - the exact time is not known since Angel remained over the eggs during this time, and when she stood up, to everyone's surprise there were two chicks instead of just the one! Around that time the cracks in a third egg were visible, and that chick emerged soon thereafter, to the delight of all who were watching.

The chicks had their first meal at 2:35 pm, when Marco brought in a starling. The feeding lasted roughly ten minutes. As of mid-afternoon, Marco had made several attempts to relieve Angel on the nest, but had been rebuffed every time. By 4:30 pm, Angel was still incubating the remaining egg, and brooding the three which hatched today. Hopefully we will be seeing a fourth chick tomorrow!

Monday April 29, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: 7:35am. So far this morning, Angel has been extremely restless on the eggs, getting up to reposition herself every couple of minutes. This suggests she can feel the movement inside one or more eggs, and that a hatch is imminent - either later today or within the next day or two at the latest. Watch the Etobicoke Webcam for a chance to catch the first glimpse of this year's chicks.

4:10 pm. So far no hatch. However, Angel just got off the eggs a moment ago allowing for a clear view of them, and at least one has a distinct hole in it, and a second may be showing a small crack too - check out the snapshot in the Etobicoke Gallery and see what you think.

Sunday April 21, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Incubation has been progressing normally over the past three weeks, with Marco taking over for Angel when she needs a break from the nest. Incredibly, we are already nearing the countdown to hatching. Assuming that incubation began in earnest with the third egg on March 27, we can expect the first egg to hatch any time from April 29 onward (33 days of incubation being the usual minimum for southern Ontario peregrines). Keep a close eye on the Etobicoke Webcam beginning next weekend!

Tuesday April 2, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Another late spring snowstorm swept through Toronto today, this time blowing a fair amount of wet snow on to the nest ledge. Both Angel and Marco took turns incubating during this time, huddling as much as possible into a corner of the nest tray. Many people have e-mailed with concerns about the eggs, but since the adults stayed tight on them the whole time, there shouldn't be any need to worry as their body heat would have been more than enough to keep them warm. All the same, the peregrines will no doubt be happy to see the last of the snow for this spring! See the Etobicoke Gallery for a couple of images of the peregrines in the snow from this afternoon.

Monday April 1, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Several observers have sent in reports over the past two days, describing Angel and Marco taking their turns incubating the eggs. Both adults have been nibbling on the gravel at times while incubating. Around 3:30 - 4:00 pm yesterday, Angel was on top of the nest building, while Marco took a turn on the eggs.

Saturday March 30, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: It is now quite a domestic scene at the Clarica Centre. Today (from approximately 3:00-3:30PM), while Angel sat on guard on top of the camera, Marco dutifully tended the eggs. Twice while I watched, Marco stood up, turned in a circle, rolled the eggs over, rearranged the substrate and then plopped back down. As he was brooding, he pecked at the substrate and appeared to ingest some of the material.

Friday March 29, 2002
Tom Moreau, Diane Brockman, and Joan Boardman are pleased to report: At 11:45 today, we were watching the monitor at the Falcon Watch Centre. Angel was incubating the eggs, which were completely covered. She got up, and backed up into the west corner of the nest box with the 3 eggs just visible. She was clearly straining for about 5 minutes and then got back onto the eggs. As she descended, we were briefly able to see the fourth egg. Just before this period, we turned on the tape. We returned to the Centre an hour later and replayed the tape. We were able to confirm the laying of the egg at 11:50. Further into the tape, Marco appeared and heated words were exchanged. He left shortly. Later, he returned and got her to move off of the eggs. He gave them a careful inspection as if to count them. Meanwhile, Angel was barking at him. The tape footage was quite impressive. Then Marco left and she squatted back down on the eggs.

Marcel Gahbauer reports: A snapshot taken from the webcam from around the same time is in the Etobicoke Gallery. Based on the observations above, it sounds like this image was taken while Angel was in the process of laying her egg. Presumably this will be the last egg Angel lays this year, and incubation can now begin in earnest.

Thursday March 28, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Many snapshots from the Etobicoke Webcam were sent to us today clearly showing the three eggs being attended to by Marco and Angel at different times. Two of these have been added to the photo gallery. Hopefully we can look forward to a fourth egg tomorrow morning - who will be the first to see it this time?

Wednesday March 27, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: We apologize for the webcam being down today. It seems to have been knocked out by the snowstorm that went through town last night. We are working on the problem and hope to have it functioning again fairly shortly. Please keep checking back, and thank you for your patience.

Meanwhile, several observers visited the site in person this morning to watch the action on the monitors at the Falcon Watch Centre, and reported that three eggs were visible as early as 9:00 am today. The egg may well have been laid much earlier in the morning, but only became visible when Angel and Marco traded places.

Tuesday March 26, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Some sad news today. We have learned that Raleigh, one of the males hatched in Etobicoke last spring, was found dead at Niagara Falls on January 1, 2002. No further information regarding cause of death is available at this time. Hopefully tomorrow morning will bring happier tidings, with the third egg expected to arrive in the early morning.

Monday March 25, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Angel laid her second egg this morning. Joan Boardman checked the monitor at 7 am, and there was still only one egg visible. Shortly before 8 am, Angel left the nest again, and two eggs were visible. Thanks to the many webcam watchers from around the world (Sweden, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Alberta, and more) who e-mailed snapshots of the second egg to us - see the Etobicoke Gallery for a couple of images from today. We expect the third egg to follow in another 48 hours, i.e. early Wednesday morning.

Sunday March 24, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: As expected, no second egg yet today. Assuming the first egg was indeed laid early yesterday morning, the second should arrive tomorrow morning.

Saturday March 23, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Sure enough, the observations of yesterday afternoon have proven to be accurate. This morning the egg was clearly visible for the first time. Congratulations to Sandra Hawkins for capturing images of the egg from the webcam - now posted in the Etobicoke Gallery. This marks the second consecutive year that Angel and Marco have started nesting earlier than any other Ontario peregrines. Keep watching the Etobicoke Webcam to spot the arrival of additional eggs!

Friday March 22, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: Judging from their behaviour this afternoon, Marco and Angel may very well be brooding their first egg. From approximately mid afternoon, one or the other has been inside the nest box sitting very motionless, with a very low profile, and often with closed eyes.

At 5:52PM as the video picture was reloading, Marco stood up, but the picture froze at the mid point and I was unable to actually see an egg. It is becoming quite dark as I write this note. Marco is exhibiting the same mode as described above.

Thursday March 21, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: I have received several reports of high levels of activity at the Etobicoke nest tray over the past few days. The other afternoon, some lucky webcam viewers (and perhaps some observers at the Falcon Watch Centre) managed to spot Marco and Angel mating in full view of the camera. Both have been seen scraping in the gravel on numerous occasions, and all signs point toward the laying of the first egg to be near. My guess is that we may expect to see it as early as the beginning of next week.

Tuesday March 19, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: I have checked on Angel and Marco (via the Internet and with two separate visits to the Clarica Centre) since 9:30AM today. Highlights:

9:30AM Angel "circling" in side the nest box in the same manner as yesterday. Noon Angel sitting on top of the camera.

1:25PM Marco was sitting on the edge and then inside the nest box. Angel arrived on the ledge at 1:27PM. There was much "talking" between them (beaks constantly moving). Marco was standing in the middle of the nest box and seemingly "bowing" to Angel. He would look directly at her, then bow his head while touching his beak upon a spot in the nest substrate. At 1:29PM, he turned his back toward her and proceeded to toss about some of the nesting material located in one corner of the nest box. 1:31PM Marco flew off the ledge and out of camera range. Angel sat on the ledge for another 20 minutes. She alternated between bobbing her head, looking upward and preening her feathers. By the time I went outside and crossed over to the south side of Bloor she had flown off the ledge.

2:35PM Angel was back on the ledge. She was still there at 2:50PM (sitting on the edge of the nest box).

I spoke with a resident from the adjacent condos. She can view the nest with binoculars from her residence. She said there is constant activity at the site throughout the day.

Monday March 18, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: I began watching Angel at approximately 3:40PM today. She is turning circles in the nesting box. She alternates her position between lying parallel to the short and then the long axis of the box. She flattens herself over her entire body length. At about 3:50PM, her belly was flat against the nesting box and her legs were very visible and splayed out. Her wings were "crooked" and the front edges were tipped downwards touching the nesting material.

Friday March 15, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Around 11:00 am today, Angel was on the ledge just beyond the nest tray, with prey in her talons. It was large and dark, likely a pigeon. Looking at the nest tray, it appears that some of the gravel may have been moved in recent days, suggesting that one or both adults are beginning to prepare a nest scrape.

Thursday March 14, 2002
Tom Moreau and Diane Brockman report: At 07:30, we were watching the nest at the Falcon Watch Centre. Angel was on the nest, muttering to herself. Shortly, Marco appeared, carrying a piece of food. She made a lunge for the food and suddenly, there was a tug of war. The food broke into two pieces, Angel getting the larger one. She flew off, leaving Marco to eat what was left of his breakfast. More domestic bliss.

Sunday March 10, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: I went to the Clarica Centre today. At approximately 3:40PM, I saw Marco sitting on top of the camera. Earlier this morning, while checking via the Internet camera, Angel was sitting beside the nesting box. I have checked on the nest for the past week and the situation just described has become the status quo.

Tuesday March 5, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: Angel was beside the nesting box and Marco was on top of the camera at 2:20PM this afternoon.

Sunday March 3, 2002
Sandra Hawkins reports: The large lady was once again keeping a low, but moving profile in the nest box at about 1:20PM today, while Marco sat on top of the camera. When I went inside the Clarica Centre and viewed her on the monitor, she was sitting on the edge of the nest box (on one foot with her eyes closed). It was very windy here today and both birds were probably enjoying some shelter on their ledge.

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