Canadian Peregrine Foundation -- Ottawa Archives: September / October 2000

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation

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September - October 2000

Thursday October 26, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: Horizon spent the better part of three hours sitting on the north-east corner of Constitution Square this morning. She appears to have had a pigeon snack, and spent a fair amount of time preening and stretching her legs and wings. She was hopping about a bit in her somewhat ungainly way as well. The weather during this time was quite misty although not cold; it has since cleared up a bit and she's take flight now.

Monday October 23, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: I have seen Horizon on a daily basis for the past two weeks, while the window-cleaning equipment has laid dormant. She seems to prefer perching on the northeast corner only momentarily, but, she comes to that spot at least once a day. No sign of Connor however.

Sunday October 22, 2000
Eve Ticknor reports: What a beautiful day, especially as I saw Horizon sitting in the sun on the southwest corner of the Crowne Plaza! Although several people had been looking for her and Connor, neither had been seen for a while. The hotel still has window-washing equipment at the northwest corner! It's been there about 2 weeks now, hanging over the edge with no-one there...

I have the feeling that Connor has decided to wing it south and will rejoin our "feathered homebody" in the spring. She had the air of being quite settled in.

Wednesday October 11, 2000
Brenda Sharpe reports: At about 9:20 this morning I watched one of the adult falcons successfully take a pigeon over Slater Street just west of Kent, and then retire for breakfast to the top of the building at the north-east corner (the one with the Air Canada ticket office). He or she is perched there now, enjoying the meal, with feathers flying about. For a few days now I haven't seen the bird that perches on Constitution Square in the afternoons, but suspect this is the same one.

Monday October 9, 2000
Eve Ticknor reports: Today I was able to go downtown around noon. Horizon was sitting at the southwest corner of the Crowne Plaza and Connor was sitting by the first column north of her. So far he has shown no signs of leaving.........

Saturday October 7, 2000
Eve Ticknor reports: I was downtown by the Crowne Plaza Hotel around 10:30 this morning with Phil Maillard and Rick Ticknor. We looked around but didn't see any signs of peregrines. However when we were just about to leave we spotted both Horizon and Connor, soaring above the hotel. They were obviously enjoying the weather and the winds were right for them to lazily soar around, often passing each other. It was such a delight to watch them simply enjoying life together.

Thursday October 5, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: 12:57 pm - both Horizon and Connor as flying to and fro between the northwest corner ledge of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the northwest corner of the Constitution Building. They have been very active of late, but, I must confess that I have been so busy that I did not have a chance to inform you all of their activities.

Monday September 18, 2000
Brenda Sharpe reports: There is a peregrine sitting right now on the north-east corner of Constitution Square. Whichever one it is, it seems to be enjoying this perch in the mid-afternoon, out of the sun. He or she seems quite interested in watching the workmen on the top of Place de Ville Tower B as they repair the roof!

Friday September 8, 2000
Eve Ticknor reports: I was downtown this evening around 7pm and decided to walk around to check on our family members' whereabouts. After about 1/2 hour I spotted a tail sticking out from the roof of 240 Sparks St at Queen and Kent. Feathers were flying and that tail was busy at something. Eventually I saw it was Connor with a fat pigeon! He didn't spend all that much time with it, before he lugged it to the corner, the method being flap, drag, hop, flap, drag, hop, flap, drag...... I didn't see if he had it with him as he flew towards the Crowne Plaza as I was talking with 2 passersby about him. However an adult was tucked in on the box on the south face of the hotel. It was too dark to see just which one it was as I only saw the back from the street.

Thursday September 7, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: 4:00 - 4:30 pm - Horizon has made a catch and has taken it to the northwest corner of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. She is plucking away at her prey and Connor is just looking on, hoping to get a bite of this tasty little feast (pigeon). The feathers are swirling around and she continues to go about her business not paying any attention to Connor. Connor is still hopeful. Once the prey has been plucked completely, Horizon is biting off chunks of her protein feed. Connor is still looking on, ever hopeful. Horizon flies away with prey in talons over to the southwest corner of the Crowne Plaza and Connor continues to look longingly in her direction hoping that she will momentarily look away and maybe, just maybe, he can snatch her catch away. Horizon suspects something and she flies away to the southwest corner of the Constitution Building. Connor follows shortly thereafter.

Horizon flies away once again with prey in talons and goes to the northeast corner of the Constitution Building (1 ledge down from the top of the building) and Connor is still located atop the northwest corner of the Constitution Building. Connor is in flight again and follows Horizon to the northeast corner of the Constitution Building and there he remains watching her enjoy her meal. Boy, oh boy, she does not want to share her kill.

It is just wonderful to see how these birds interact and I am amazed to see that she certainly dominates the relationship and is forcing him to find his own meal.

Lastly, I think I saw Freedom today following his parents. There seemed to be swish of feathers flying past my 20th floor vantage point just at the beginning of the kill and it appeared that it was Horizon leading the pack with her kill, then Connor and then Freedom holding up the end. I may have been mistaken, since it appears that only one bird is watching Horizon eat. It is now 4:34 pm and Connor is still watching Horizon eat her kill. I feel somewhat sorry for him because he looks so forlorn.

4:37 pm - Fed up with Connor watching her eat her prey, Horizon flies off to the northwest corner of the Constitution Building once again with prey in talons. Connor still remains on the northeast corner of the Constitution Building and I guess he has finally made up his mind not follow her around anymore. No pickings from that pot!!!!!

Wednesday September 6, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: (10:46 am) Horizon has perched on the northwest corner of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and is actually facing my office. It's as if she wants me to know that she is still here guarding her territory. No sighting of either Connor or Freedom, as yet, but, I am hopeful.

10:26 till around 12:30 pm - Horizon had spent the better part of the morning preening herself on the north side of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. She was facing a blackened window of the Hotel which allowed herself to see herself and that seemed to entertain her for the better part of the morning.

5:22 pm - Horizon has just perched in the secluded area of the north side of the Crowne Plaza Hotel which used to accommodate the old Skyline lighted logo. She has a catch on the ledge of that area and she is currently plucking away at her meal time feast. She momentarily flew away, but was quick to return just in case her mate (Connor nor Freedom have been seen today) would take over this bit of protein. She plucks, she eats, on an ongoing basis. Guess her belly will be filled for yet another evening. Poor pigeons do not know what they let themselves in for when they fly near and around the Place de Ville complex.

5:33 pm - Horizon has shoved the remaining morsels of her catch into the far right hand side of the hutch area on the north side of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and has flown off in the direction of the Marriott Hotel.

5:44 pm - Well speak of the devil and who appears on the northwest corner of the Crowne Plaza Hotel but Connor. He has joined Horizon on the lower portion of the northwest ledge and both appear to be taking a break from the routine. Maybe this time is dedicated to reacquainting themselves, since Connor is nowhere to be seen or heared from.

Well, I spoke a little prematurely. As I was composing this email, Horizon decided to leave that happy!! little abode and fly off to the northwest corner of the Constitution Building. I guess there is only so much time you want to spend with your mate. Connor looked somewhat confused on her early departure from the Crowne Plaza and looked longingly over to her new resting place, but very quickly has since resigned himself to enjoying his own peace and solitude. Looks like he is trying to find a tiny morsel of food in the lower ledge, but, it doesn't look to hopeful from this vantage point. If he knew only to fly downward to the secluded hutch area where the former Skyline signed was attached, he would find that morsel to fill his belly. He is now looking at Tower C in my direction and is occupying himself - bobbing up and down -with searching every little nook and cranny of that northwest ledge to find a little tidbit. Pickings are slim.

Tuesday September 5, 2000
Arlene Williams reports: (11:15 am) Connor is putting on quite an aerial display at the moment, as someone from the Crowne Plaza Hotel has infiltrated his territorial perch located on the northwest corner of the Hotel. A maintenance man came out to do something on the northwest corner and was quickly forced to go back into the Hotel opening as Connor was defending her territory. I have not seen either the maintenance man nor Connor since she has warded off this evil intruder. I guess he is somewhat skeptical in returning momentarily, since his antics have worked and he has made the intruder retract.

(11:39 am) Connor has now taken possession, once again, of the northwest corner of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the maintenance man is nowhere to be seen or found. I guess that will be his lesson for the day not to intrude on the peregrines' territory.

Monday September 4, 2000
Marcel Gahbauer reports: Just a quick note to let everyone know that there was in fact activity at the Ottawa site throughout August - we had a technical problem which prevented it from being posted on the website until now. Read the reports below for some of the interesting developments over the past few weeks.

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