The Canadian Peregrine Foundation

Niagara Falls

Daily Updates - May, 1998

Sunday, May 3
Mark Nash reports: I visited the nest site in the afternoon and was able to get a number of photographs of the scrape and both adults. Photos will be posted in the Photo Gallery by this evening. Of significance is the confirmation of three eggs in the scrape.

Nadine Litwin reports: We watched the female looking up at the sky, then looked up too. All we could see were swallows. But when I put my binoculars on them, there was a peregrine falcon up there too, so high you could hardly see him. But there he was, circling above everybody.
-- At one point three pigeons flew overhead in tight formation. They turned to the cliff wall looking for a place to land. They were below the peregrines' nest ledge, and started to fly up looking for a place to land. First one place wouldn't do, then another, then they flew upwards and ... found themselves eye-to-eye with the incubating peregrine. His head shot up like a periscope; you could almost hear the pigeons screech to a stop and back up, then pouf! they were gone. I don't know who was more surprised -- us, the pigeons or the peregrine!

Saturday, May 9
Nadine Litwin reports: I arrived at the Falls today around 1:30 and had both birds in view, the female on the nest and the male cruising up and down across and back from the river.
-- At one point in time, the male glided, hovered and soared for over 3 minutes without flapping. He went up and out over the river, then downriver, then back towards the cliff wall, then behind over the road and further up the escarpment, back again, then right across the river to the American side. And he never flapped his wings!
-- At another moment, after soaring quite high, he folded his wings and plummetted straight into a flock of gulls on the American side of the river. I lost him then, so couldn't be sure if he actually took a gull or was just terrorizing them. Earlier a couple of gulls had had the nerve to dog-tail him. Maybe this was his way of reminding him who he was!
-- [The Niagara Parks Commission has installed a chain link fence to the sidewalk to prevent any disturbance to the nest from the millions of tourists who are about to invade the Falls. In addition, they have agreed to move the fireworks display -- in fact, they did a test run today, as witnessed by Nadine and Ann Yagi of OMNR. Nadine reports (in part): "The fact that the Niagara Parks Commission is prepared to move the fireworks display ... to take it right out of the gorge where they used to use the Canadian Falls as a backdrop ... and to take out the biggest bangers, really impresses me. Along with the chain-link fence and the officers -- Wow!]

Sunday, May 17
Anne Yagi reports: Yesterday, the peregrines coped very well with the fireworks test. It was only a 6-minute show, and NO BANGERS. The Niagara Parks Commission has requested the fireworks people not to disturb the falcons.
-- Amelia Earhart amazes me. She was curious about the fireworks and was looking about for the first few minutes; then in the middle of the show she turned her eggs, shuffled around and put her butt towards us.

Tuesday, May 19
Bob Chambers reports: At 8:15 am, Anne Yagi and Pud Hunter (both of OMNR) arrive at the site, followed by the Niagara Parks Commission, with a bucket truck and other Parks employees. Their mission was to install four concrete blocks, two atop of each other (approx. 16 inches tall), twenty five feet out either side of the nest scrape -- to stop the wandering chicks (when they hatch) from walking beyond the protection of the mesh barrier above. The entire operation was completed by 9:00am and "Amelia Earhart" never left her nest!
-- "Father Henny", however, was not amused. He stayed airborne throughout the entire "install" and got a little closer with each pass. He was "verbal" throughout the whole ordeal.
-- Also, the peregrine falcons have been observed flying up to the Minolta tower over the past few weeks. Today I had a chance to go up to the roof to inspect, and found the top of the building littered with old and not so old remains of "meals", including the half eaten carcass of a small duck!! The duck was clearly identified by its duck bill and webbed feet, with brown and rust colour. It would appear that this pair of peregrine falcons are clearly living up to the old name of DUCK HAWK.

Kenn Chapman reports: There have been several more "updates" added to the Archive; also a magazine article will be added soon describing the "discovery" of the peregrines in the Niagara Gorge. Bob Chambers is a retired birder in Niagara Falls who has been keeping a daily vigil over the nest site since they were first noticed. He has forwarded many of his observation notes to me, and these will be added to the Archives in the near future. Please note the change of names -- as the original "discoverer" of the nest site, Bob is thereby accorded the right to name them, and he has. The history of the names is part of the magazine article.

Thursday, May 21
Bob Chambers reports: The peregrines are not going out of the gorge area for their food. It seems that they are able to hunt all they need right in the gorge.
-- Yesterday and today Amelia Earhart has come to the ledge and looked up at the observers. She does not move, she seems quite content, and for better or for worse seems to be "people-ized".
-- Bob also notes that their eyelids close from the bottom up ... "did you know that?" he asks.
-- Generally, Amelia Earhart is sticking close to the nest while Father Henny is incubating. She didn't do this before, it's almost as if she knows something. As a point of interest, the male is on the nest a lot now, in fact, he has been on the nest for the better part of the day. The eggs are still being rolled regularly.

Friday, May 22
Bob Chambers reports: At 5:00am it was clear and cool. Amelia Earhart was on the nest at 5:00am, but Father Henny took over at 5:18am. Amelia Earhart went off hunting. She was seen later having "gull souffle" for breakfast (!).
-- The adults have been doing some spectacular flying these last two days, stooping and all. Again, almost as if they know something. No chicks yet though. The female sometimes steps on her own feet (!).

Monday, May 25
Bob Chambers reports: -- 5:09am Dull, overcast, too dark this morning, can't see which bird is on the nest. Finally 5:19, Amelia is on the nest.
-- 5:32 male changed at nest - 3 eggs, no chicks. Lightning and thunder starting. I left for coffee break, returned @ 6:18. Sun coming out 7:12.
-- 7:18 female very active with stoops, dives, turns, etc - must be hungry. She is staying in the horseshoe falls and the west side of the gorge. Male turned eggs 7:21am.
-- Bingo - female went into area of the small buildings on top of the powerhouse (north end) and brought down a pigeon with a stunning blow. She proceeded to tear the head of the bird off while it was still alive, then plucking feathers, and finally tearing off chunks of breast meat. She then continued to pluck and just gorging herself. She stood on the wings as she leveraged upwards to tear away meat. Next she rolled the pigeon over, continued plucking, opened the abdomen and ate the entrails.
-- 7:42 female left the powerhouse roof and flew with kill to the Bus stop at the 40 level. Could not quite see where she landed.
-- 8:32 female flew to ledge, did not see if she brought male any meat, she left.
-- 9:33 female changed at nest - no chicks. I left for home.

Tuesday, May 26
Bob Chambers reports: We have our first hatch at Niagara Falls. The first egg was observed hatching about 6:20 am. This is indeed an historical moment, for it is the first naturally-born peregrine falcon in a natural (non-urban) scrape in southern Ontario in over 50 years! Congratulations are in order to the parents (but please, no cigars)!
-- 5:09am Clear, cool. Amelia on the nest. Too early to tell but one egg sitting beside female exposed, *not* under, or is it an egg shell? Could be top half of shell.
-- 5:25 male arrived - he did not change, flew off after a 3 or 4 minute stay.
-- 5:49 male again arrived at nest site. Female still will not give up nest. She has now covered all the eggs.
-- 6:31 male acts like he's frustrated, keeps flying back and forth to nest site.
-- 6:39 confirmed. I just witnessed the first chick squirm from the lower half of the egg shell.
-- 7:21 I returned to nest site. Amelia continues to move and adjust over her new chick.
-- 11:11 Henny is excited, made high pass over our heads, only about 8'-0 above, is he going to get closer?
-- 12:01 Henny flew to lower ledge at observation point with kill. Saw him in dives and stoop. Decapitated bird, plucked and ate.
-- At 12:08 Henny went to the nest with kill to feed her. She left the nest to eat and exercise her legs and wings. Momentarily under ledge @ observation point then back to the nest site.
-- 3:00pm I left for home. At meeting in dining room Anne told me that the female was known - not from Niagara Region!

Wednesday, May 27
Brian Merritt, of the Niagara Parks Commission, reports that between yesterday afternoon and this morning the other two eggs hatched. There are now three chicks on the scrape in the Niagara Gorge. He called in the report to Laurie Walsh of CKTV in St Catherines, who in turn called Mark Nash of The Canadian Peregrine Foundation -- just before 7 am.

Bob Chambers reports: that the 2nd and 3rd chicks were visible this morning at 6:50am ... it seems they were just emerging or had just emerged from their shells. Chick #1 was being fed when he noticed the other 2.
-- 5:19am Clear, cool, dry. Amelia on nest. @ 5:24 shifted around, first chick sitting up, can't see any more yet. Henny on perch at observation point preening. Flew off to hunt.
-- 6:40 I witnessed one of the first feedings of the chick. Amelia is mincing up the food like baby food and I think regurgitating it for the chick. Over the next few weeks she will do less chewing and gradually feed her babies a more fibre type meal.
-- 7:00 Henny came to nest for change! Amelia flew off to stretch her wings. At 7:32 the female flew back and changed at the nest. When the birds were off the nest I noticed both of the remaining eggs had circumferential breaks.
-- 7:59 Amelia was on the eggs when one of the top sections of the egg fell away. I am now witnessing the second hatching. Confirmed No. 2 chick is here. Continued to monitor nest site very carefully.
-- 8:38 third chick hatched - two new babies are wet. Amelia continuing to keep them warm.
-- At 9:48 Henny did a splendid stoop to kill a starling, returned to ledge under observation point.

Thursday, May 28
AMELIA EARHART HAS BEEN FOUND! The adult female in the Gorge has been identified by her black band on the right leg with the number "2 over B", as Amelia Earhart, one of the chicks hatched in 1996 in London, Ontario. Anne Yagi, area biologist for OMNR, reconfirmed the band number earlier today and checked it out with the Canadian Wildlife Service registery to affirm that the female was indeed one of the female chicks hatched in London. This makes the second instance now of a southern Ontario urban-raised peregrine falcon returning to the same part of the province to raise a family of her own. Etobicoke's "Alberta" was raised in Hamilton in 1995, and returned two years later and now has produced her second family in Etobicoke. We may have more news yet along this line within the next week or so. In the meantime, check out the Photo Gallery for a picture of Amelia Earhart in her younger days.
Bob Chambers reports: -- Approximately 8:00am Very misty.
-- 8:00am Amelia on nest - mom and chicks are fine. Too much mist for scope - wind straight out over observation point. Did not stay long. Left to have coffee.
-- Met Ron Pere who had taken pictures at 6:00am, had them already developed. He was quite upset because only *two* chicks are visible in all the photos he took. He wondered if a gull had taken one of the chicks. I hightailed it down to the nest site at 11:00am. Set up the scope and waited patiently for the next 2 hours.
-- At 12:04 the female moved on nest but one chick was out of the nest. It was interesting to see her pick up her chick and place it back in the nest. She also used her hooked bill to pull the chick back into the nest. I got a chance to see all three - they're white fuzzy balls, dry and appear healthy.
-- Henny continued to do his magnificent manoeuvres and power dives.
-- 1:25 witnessed another feeding time - interesting. I left about 2:30pm.
-- Note: Anne Yagi called to let me know that the female is a London bird from 2 years ago, and her name is Amelia Erhart. We will have to drop our pet name of "Maid of the Mist".

Friday, May 29
Bob Chambers reports: -- Arrived about 8:30am, Amelia wet from mist, drying off. Henny flying around keeping close to the nest. Saw chicks - all OK.-- 1:20 Henny putting on aerial display, gone inland behind Skylon. May return with kill.-- 10:25 Amelia left the nest, got her own kill, Henny came on the scene from nowhere in a spectacular stoop. Chicks were unattended. Amelia returned, killed bird, decapitated it, plucked it, then fed her chicks. Excellent sight - chicks are doing well.-- I left at 10:50, returned at 12:10. Amelia on the nest, chicks resting, no change.
--12:56 Amelia left nest, returned with small kill. Fed chicks again. Left nest for a few minutes for exercise. Returned, sat on chicks - all is quiet. I saw Henny fly towards Minolta Tower. I left at 1:30pm.

Saturday, May 30
Mark Nash reports: Arrived at 5:20 am and set up just in time to catch a feeding on film. The sun is just coming up and the Niagara Walkway is quiet. It's a beautiful sunny morning with a warm breeze blowing in my face. The three chicks were struggling to keep their heads up as they were being fed by Amelia. Father Henny came in with a small breakfast that I watched him prepare on one of the ledges down from the nest scrape prior to delivering it to Amelia. It appears to be a dove. Over the next eight hours, Father Henny brought in food four more times to the delight of myself and many of the gathering onlookers.
-- I observed on several occasions that Amelia actually picked up a chick in her beak to position it under her body to conceal it from the hot sunlight and the onlookers' gazes. Amelia is having some difficulty keeping the chicks under her, as the chicks are growing very quickly and were very restless between feedings.
-- Father Henny spent most of the day perched below my observation position less than ten feet away from my camera . He seemed to be just as fascinated with me as I was with him for most of my stay.

Bob Chambers reports: -- 8:58am feeding time. Amelia flew to table rock, returned with unidentified kill. Noticed chick grab the mouth of its brother or sister, thought it was food. Interesting to see the movements and expressions, all part of growing up.
-- 10:39 Henny came to nest with kill, gave it to Amelia, she went to table rock to stash. Later when the chicks were hungry she would simply retrieve it and return to the nest. I left at 4:00pm.

Sunday, May 31
Bob Chambers reports: -- 9:01am Amelia on the nest, chicks were fed earlier. Henny doing splendid aerobatics and dives for an hour and a half. A report was turned in that a pedestrian stretching around the south end of the fence to get a better view of the nest was attacked by Henny. There was no physical contact but it does look like Henny may be becoming aggressive. I left at the sound of lightning and thunder. A very severe storm is rolling through. I returned to check on the birds. They survived very well.

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