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2002 SEASON - FLEDGLING WATCH |
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In past years, the C.D. Howe Building at 240 Sparks Street has posed a major hazard to fledgling peregrines, due to its highly reflective glass surface. To increase the visibility of the building to the birds, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club, and Brookfield LePage Johnson Controls have cooperated to install a complex set of banners and ropes over the west and south faces. The photos below illustrate some of the work involved, and complement the report on the Ottawa news page. |
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July 2, 2002 -- Step one: unpacking and
straightening out the streamers. Each of the thirteen panels contains
three to four streamers, each of which is over 50 metres (150 feet) in length. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 2, 2002 -- Though the work on the roof
was hard and frustrating at times, one thing we couldn't complain about was the
view. This photo is taken looking north from the west side of the C.D.
Howe building, with the Ottawa River below and Gatineau (formerly Hull) in the
background. Leslie Hunt is lowering the first of the banners into place. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 2, 2002 -- While only two people were
permitted on the edge of the roof itself due to safety precautions, we counted
on other volunteers to help us with sorting out the flags for each
section. Phil Maillard (left) and Mel Radder (right) helped us with this
on the roof, as well as logistics on the ground, both on Tuesday and Thursday. (Photo by
Nancy Scott)
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July 4, 2002 -- For the better part of four
days, ledges like this were home to MNR Species at Risk biologist Leslie Hunt
(left) and CPF biologist Marcel Gahbauer (right). (Photo by
Pud Hunter)
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July 4, 2002 -- While the panels were being
lowered, much of our time on the roof was spent holding on to the end of the
ropes as Leslie Hunt is doing here, while the ground crew secured the bottom
ends to pillars. In the background at left is the Crowne Plaza Hotel,
from which the juveniles will soon be taking flight. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 5, 2002 -- Tightrope walking? Not
quite - though at times we might have almost preferred that to the repeated
disentangling of ropes, which caused us no end of delays and frustration each
day. As much as we complained about them though, these ropes are the
backbone of the structure, being used to tie the panels in place at both the top
and the bottom, as well as providing critical support elsewhere.
(Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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July 5, 2002 -- Among the skills we acquired
while working on the roof was rope-tossing - getting the yellow rope over the
edge of the roof and down the side of the building untangled took a bit of
practice, but as with everything else, we eventually developed a reliable
technique for it, as demonstrated here by Leslie Hunt.
(Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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July 5, 2002 -- By day three, we had realized
that to complete the project it was necessary to repeatedly access the gutter
below the roof. Here Leslie Hunt climbs back up to the roof over the
angled skylights. Though the situation looks precarious, we were always
fully secured to ropes with our safety harnesses. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 6, 2002 -- Marcel Gahbauer sits in the
gutter on the west side of the C.D. Howe building, preparing to secure one of
the horizontal support ropes into place. (Photo by
Leslie Hunt)
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July 6, 2002 -- This view typifies how we
spent the weekend - wedged into the gutter, with tools (scissors, packing tape,
electrical tape, extra ropes) all secured to us for safe transport up and down
the slanted skylights as we progressed along the roof. In this case Leslie
Hunt is reinforcing one of the middle strands to minimize the weight being
carried by the outer support ropes. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 6, 2002 -- And here is the finished
product! After four days of work, the panels were all hanging in
place. Looking at this, the south face of the C.D. Howe building, it is
easy to understand why young peregrines are at risk of flying into the glass
windows as they reflect the sky so well. Though the flags appear small in
the photo, they are large enough for the peregrines to spot from a distance,
especially as they flutter noticeably in even slight breezes. (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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July 6, 2002 -- A somewhat closer view of the
building, focusing on a pair of panels on the south face. Each features a
horizontal row of Canadian flags at the bottom, roughly three or four storeys
above ground, connected to the roof via long strands of triangle flags and/or
rope. The gaps between streamers are roughly 3 metres (10 feet). (Photo by Marcel
Gahbauer)
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2002 SEASON - BANDING / FOSTERING |
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July 3, 2002 -- Grisou, the young male, being placed in a bucket to be weighed at the start of the banding process. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- Though only three weeks old,
Grisou's feet and legs are already almost fully grown, which accounts for why
they look so large and out of proportion as he sticks one leg out in defence as
banding is about to begin. (Photo by
Leslie Hunt)
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July 3, 2002 -- MNR biologist Shaun Thompson
holds Grisou, while CPF biologist Marcel Gahbauer (centre) and MNR biologist Pud
Hunter (left) scan references to estimate Swift's age, based on her feather
development. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- MNR biologist Pud Hunter
removes the breeder's band from the leg of Swift, one of two captive-bred chicks
being fostered into the Ottawa nest on this occasion. (Photo by
Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- The Crowne Plaza Hotel kindly
provided space for the banding in their penthouse level lobby, allowing members
of the public to watch the event. (Photo by
Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- Ottawa's new peregrine
family: Summit, Grisou, and Swift. (Photo by
Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- CPF director Mark Nash was given the honour of returning the chicks to the nest at the conclusion of the banding event. In his hands is Summit, being placed beside Grisou, while Swift tries to race away toward the corner of the ledge. (Photo by Chris Mikula, Ottawa Citizen)
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July 3, 2002 -- Grisou (left) and Summit
(right), moments after being placed on the ledge. (Photo by
Mark Nash)
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July 3, 2002 -- Later the same afternoon,
Horizon landed at the nest ledge, prompting Swift to run toward her. The
head of Grisou or Summit can be seen in the bottom left of the picture. (Photo by
Mark Nash)
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2002 SEASON - OTTAWA'S FAMILY TREE |
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June 25, 2002 -- It may look like Horizon, but it isn't her! This in fact is Horizon's mother, photographed at her nest ledge in Montreal on the 32nd floor of Place Victoria. While she has not been fully identified, her band leg pattern suggests that she is from the northeastern United States. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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2001 SEASON - FLEDGLING WATCH |
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Fledgling peregrines are often susceptible to colliding with the glass-windowed buildings while learning to fly. Some buildings pose more of a threat to others. This spring, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources joined forces to ensure that the C.D. Howe Building, at 240 Sparks, would not pose a threat to the fledgling peregrines this spring as it has in the past. Below are some photos documenting the installation of an elaborate banner and rope system over the sides of the building. |
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June 15, 2001 -- One of 15 bundles of ropes and banners which we hung over the west and south faces of 240 Sparks to create a visual distraction for the peregrines in front of the glass windows. Deceptively compact, this bundle contains almost 300 metres (1000 feet) of streamers and connecting ropes. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 15, 2001 -- Each of the bundles consisted of a panel of three or four streamers reaching from the roof to the ground. Every panel had to be carefully unpacked on the roof before being lowered over the side of the building. Here, volunteer Phil Maillard attempts to find the end of one strand of banners. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 15, 2001 -- Despite careful packing, parallel streamers often seemed to be hopelessly entangled. Ryan Robson (left) and Leslie Hunt (right) attempt to sort out the confusion with this panel. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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June 15, 2001 -- To add to the challenge, there were considerable gusts of winds on both days during installation. Ryan and Ville, interns with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, struggle to keep these two lines separated. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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- June 16, 2001 -- Along the south (Queen Street) side of the building, the streamers had to be laid out along the edge of the roof prior to being lowered. The Crowne Plaza Hotel can be seen in the background at left. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) - |
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June 16, 2001 -- Leslie Hunt lowering one of the streamers down over the Queen Street side of the building. Sequences of small Canadian flags (visible in foreground) were used to connect adjacent streamers. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 18, 2001 -- A view of 240 Sparks after the installation was completed. The banners can be seen hanging down on both the Kent and Queen Street sides of the building. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 18, 2001 -- A closer view of the Queen Street face of 240 Sparks Street, showing the pattern created by the hanging banners. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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2001 SEASON - FOSTER & BANDING |
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June 15, 2001 -- A crowd of close to 100 people crowded into the Falcon Watch Centre to watch the banding of this year's two chicks. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 15, 2001 -- Bailey, the foster chick, looks back at the plastic tub which had just been used to weigh him; he had a healthy weight of 520 grams. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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June 15, 2001 -- Bailey squawks in indignation as the position of his leg band is checked following its attachment. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 15, 2001 -- Scott Chamberlain (right) of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation holds Bailey, the young peregrine whose fostering into the Ottawa nest was sponsored by his organization. Paul Gully (left) is providing a bit of water to Bailey to keep him cool and calm. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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June 15, 2001 -- Arlene Williams holds Quest, Connor and Horizon's only naturally born chick of 2001. Though the same age as Bailey, Quest is several days more advanced in terms of feather development, perhaps reflecting their different genetic and environmental backgrounds. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 15, 2001 -- One of the unhatched eggs was retrieved from the nest ledge at the time of banding. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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June 15, 2001 -- Horizon swooping in for an attack shortly after her chicks were removed from the nest ledge for banding. (Photo by Leslie Hunt) |
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June 15, 2001 -- Horizon perches on the ledge near the nest while her chicks are being banded, and squawks her indignation. (Photo by Leslie Hunt)
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June 3, 2001 -- The foster chick at age 14 days, the night before being introduced to its step-sibling on the Ottawa nest ledge. It is screaming for food. (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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June 3, 2001 -- Feeding is underway, with the foster chick receiving small bits of quail, provided to it with tweezers. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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June 3, 2001 -- Having been fed, the foster chick displays its bulging crop. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 3, 2001 -- At only two weeks of age, peregrine chicks are still relatively weak. The foster chick, having just fed, flopped forward to take a rest. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 4, 2001 -- A crowd gathers in the Ottawa Falcon Watch Centre to be introduced to the foster chick (being held at the desk by Marion Nash) which is about to be placed on the nest ledge (seen on the video monitor at right). (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 4, 2001 -- Melanie Moore, Coordinator of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation (left) takes the foster chick from Marion Nash from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation head office (right). (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 4, 2001 -- Melanie Moore enjoys a moment with the foster chick during the press conference. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 4, 2001 -- Marlene Nevins, of the Ottawa Branch of the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, holds on to the chick whose purchase for release was made possible thanks to the generous financial support of her organization. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 4, 2001 -- A view of the Ottawa nest ledge shortly after the foster chick was placed there. Horizon is perched on the ledge near the nest; to her left the white dome of the CPF webcam can be seen. The chicks are not visible in this photo. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 2001 -- Inside the Ottawa Falcon Watch Centre. Chairs are available for visitors to sit and watch the live action from the nest on the television monitor in the Centre. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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2000 SEASON |
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June 9, 2000 -- Biologists Pud Hunter and Shaun Thompson of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources place bands on Freedom while Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation watches. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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June 9, 2000 -- Shaun Thompson of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources holds Zephyr in preparation for banding, while Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation looks on. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon)
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June 9, 2000 -- Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation holds up Windracer, showcasing the newly applied bands on his legs. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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June 9, 2000 -- The three chicks are shown to the gathered crowd before being returned to the ledge. From left: Freedom (held by Eve Ticknor of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club), Zephyr (held by Shaun Thompson of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), and Windracer (held by Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation). (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon)
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June 9, 2000 -- The three Ottawa siblings following the banding. From left: Freedom (held by Eve Ticknor of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club), Zephyr (held by Shaun Thompson of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources), and Windracer (held by Mark Nash of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. (Photo by Bob Boisvert) |
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May 25, 2000 -- The three chicks are huddled together in a clump; perhaps for warmth, or maybe to help support each other. They are not quite two weeks old yet, and still have very limited mobility. (Webcam snapshot by Susan Brandt) |
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May 2000 -- This clip from our video camera shows Horizon bringing food to her newly hatched chicks. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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1999 SEASON |
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October 8, 1999 -- Connor is flying high above Kent Street. He is heading north and will turn towards the west. He is observed gliding near the Crowne Plaza Hotel and then takes off in a blink of an eye after some unsuspecting prey. The chase will continue as they make their way towards Lebreton Flats. These past few days, I have observed Connor in the company of Horizon on many occasions. Connor will be leaving Ottawa and migrating south within the next few days. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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September 29, 1999 -- Horizon is on the NE corner of the Constitution Square Building. Her spirit of adventure fuels her passion to conquer the wind and taste freedom in its purest form. A movement in the distance has caught her eye and she leaves her perch heading east in hot pursuit of her prey. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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September 28, 1999
-- The beckoning wind has lured Connor to fly high
above the downtown core. Connor is observed swooping and diving near Horizon’s
favourite perch on Constitution Square Building. He heads back to the east and returns to
impress both Horizon and myself with his precise flying skills. He heads south and takes a
neck-breaking dive behind the buildings at Kent/Laurier Streets. I see him in the distance
with a bird dangling between his talons. He keeps flying further south/west and heads off
to eat his prey at some unknown location. Horizon and Connor are both notorious for their
daredevil swoops and dives. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna
Rochon)
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Mid-August, 1999 -- The Ottawa video camera suspended from its portable support structure. This unit is easy to move along the ledge, should that be necessary (as it was this spring when the peregrines moved their nest to the opposite end of the ledge). (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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Early August, 1999 -- Two of our chicklets are chasing each other and trying out their flying skills as they entertain the employees in the Journal Tower Buildings. They were heard vocalizing as they attempted to pass one another. It was thrilling to see them contour the three buildings with such precision. They instinctively knew how much distance was needed to successfully weave between the buildings. Amazing! (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon)
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Early August, 1999 -- Jessie, Loft and Preston are captured on film as they leave the familiar surroundings of their nest on the rooftop of the Crowne Plaza Hotel and fly off towards Lebreton Flats. They were observed playing a game of talon tag as they moved further west. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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Early August, 1999 -- Loft is perched on a window ledge at Minto Place. On many occasions during our Falcon Watch, we have seen him retire for the night between 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on one of these ledges. Loft is a creature of habit and not dependent on the company of his brother Preston and sister Jessie. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon) |
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Early August, 1999 -- Our hungry chicklet Loft gracefully flies off his perch on the Constitution Square Tower B NE rail. He has seen Horizon fly south and is in hot pursuit of his Mother. His flying skills have improved greatly and he is observed in flight on many occasions during this volunteer watch on the rooftop of the Constitution Square Building. (Photo by Nathaleigh McKenna Rochon)
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July 23, 1999 -- At 1:48 this afternoon, Jessie decided to pay a visit to the window ledge at the offices of Industry Canada at 300 Slater in downtown Ottawa. Fortunately a photograher happened to be on hand with a digital camera. (Photo by Claude Dostaler) |
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July 23, 1999 -- Jessie looking in at her admirers at Industry Canada. This ledge is across the street from the nest on the Crowne Plaza Hotel. (Photo by Claude Dostaler)
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July 23, 1999 -- Jessie is evidently comfortable on the narrow window ledge, where she has temporarily taken refuge from the hot mid-afternoon sun. Here she is going through the process of stretching her legs and wings in preparation for further flights. (Photo by Claude Dostaler) |
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July 23, 1999 -- A closeup view of Jessie as she stared into the offices at Industry Canada. (Photo by Claude Dostaler) |
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July 5, 1999 -- Time for a snooze - Loft takes a break from the activities on the ledge to bury his head in his back. (Webcam snapshot by Ziggy)
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July 5, 1999 -- Loft (left) and Preston (right) standing on a small log on the ledge. The two males were only one day apart in age. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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July 5, 1999 -- A closeup of Loft taken as he stood near the camera, looking out over the city. He was 33 days old at this point, and was beginning to rapidly lose his down feathers. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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July 4, 1999 -- "Don't you dare take my picture!" Preston squawks just as this photo is taken. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer)
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July 4, 1999 -- At an age of four and a half weeks, peregrines can look a bit ungainly. In this photo, Preston looks much bulkier than he really is, since the down feathers are being pushed outward by the flight feathers growing in underneath. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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July 2, 1999 -- Jessie, the only female chick this year, standing on the ledge and looking out at downtown Ottawa. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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July 2, 1999 -- Running back and forth on the ledge can be tiring... Here four-week old Preston takes a rest, leaning against a small log on the ledge. (Photo by Marcel Gahbauer) |
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June 29, 1999 -- The chicks gather at the end of the ledge for a feeding session. (Webcam snapshot by Ziggy)
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June 24, 1999 -- Little Preston stands alone in the area of the nest. (Webcam snapshot by Ziggy) |
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June 23, 1999 -- One of the adults stands at the end of the ledge, while the three chicks all rest near the nest. (Webcam snapshot by Ziggy)
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June 21, 1999 -- Horizon stands guard over her hew family. (Webcam snapshot by Ziggy) |
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June 19, 1999 -- Connor standing beside the three chicks just a short while after they were introduced to the nest. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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June 16, 1999 -- Horizon and Connor together at the nest, inspecting the eggs. By this point it was apparent that the eggs were infertile, but both adults continued to take turns incubating them nonetheless. (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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April 15, 1999 -- Horizon perches in full view on the corner of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. (Photo by Dan Gill)
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February 24, 1999 -- Corey Walsh of Intercon Security works to install the camera on the ledge of the Citadel Ottawa hotel where the peregrines nested in 1998. (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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February 24, 1999 -- The camera has been installed near the end of the ledge, and will provide a view of not only the entire ledge, but also of much of downtown Ottawa. (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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February 24, 1999 -- A closeup view of the camera. The camera is remote-controlled, and the lens can silently rotate 360 degrees inside the housing without the peregrines noticing a thing. (Photo by Mark Nash)
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February 24, 1999 -- A bird's eye view from the site of last year's nest, looking out across downtown Ottawa. This is what Pippin and Jo-Jo saw daily as they grew up here under the watchful eye of their parents. (Photo by Mark Nash) |
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