Windwhistler (a.k.a. - Spike) Black E over*T is still the resident adult male!! He’s 14 years old this year!
December 31, 1969 - All Reports
CPF Postmaster Reports:
While we have long since speculated with regards to the identity of the 18 King Street resident adult male, we can 100% confirm his identity.
With a huge thank you to Steve Warner of Solar Window washing who has sent us some of the photos that he managed to snap while operating the swing stage during the 2011 banding. After some photo enhancement to blow up the photos of the resident adult pair, we can confirm that the resident adult male is still Windwhistler - (a.k.a. Spike)!
The most compelling clue was that he was one of only three Ontario produced peregrines that had their Provincial Colour Recovery Band put on the RIGHT LEG, instead of the left leg. The photos confirm this fact - (both of his 1998 banding photos and these new photos of him on 18 King Street nest ledge). These new photos have allowed us to confirm the E over *T band identification numbers from the Solid Black provincial recovery band.
As you all may recall, Windwhistler is a Canadian produced peregrine, hatched in 1998 at the Etobicoke Bloor and Islington nest site - (known back then as the Mutual Group centre).
This puts Windwhistler at 14 year of age as of this year, and it appears that he is still going strong!
As some of you may also remember, there was a time when Windwhistler - (a.k.a. Spike) had two nest sites going each year during the same season, (2004 to 2006).
He had two female mates, and two separate clutches of hatchlings! - (one female mate and hatchlings each year at the 18 King Street nest site,,,, and another female mate - Named “Wind” - (and hatchlings) at the Toronto Sheraton Centre nest site on Queen Street west, Toronto at the same time.
While the distance between the two nests site were horrifyingly close to one another - (less than a mile as the “peregrines fly”), we still to this day really don’t understand how everyone survived and tolerated each other with these two active territories so close!!
At no point did we EVER SEE the two families cross over to one another’s territories,,, (with the exception of course of Windwhistler - (a.k.a. Spike), who was “(in part)” providing food to both nest sites to help feed the hatchlings. We did although have to provide and augment food to the resident adult female (named Wind) during her incubation period, as Windwhistler was not interested in any incubation duties, leaving his mate “Wind” spent almost 40 days alone on the nest ledge incubating the first year. She went days without ever leaving the ledge, and was not provided food by Windwhistler throughout most of this time frame. I remember we had to provide food to Wind on the nest ledge and other “food cache spots” that we identified. She actually ate most of the food that we provided on the nest ledge itself, (three times while still positioned on the her eggs incubating)!! The live CPF video web camera didn’t miss a thing!!
Windwhistler produced / sired a total of 7 chicks (2004 to 2006) over 4 seasons at the Toronto Sheraton Centre nest site, while simultaneously producing a total of 30 chicks (2003 to 2011) over 9 seasons at the Toronto 18 King street nest site.
Windswhistler - (a.k.a. - Spike) was displaced from the Toronto Sheraton Centre nest site by a new male peregrine several years later, - (a male peregrine who turned out to be one of Windwhistlers sons who he produced at the 18 King Street nest site in 2005, named Tiago - banded Black 29 over H).
We finally we have the resident pair at 18 King Street nest site identified!!
Windwhistler - (a.k.a. Spike) and Erin!
See the attached photos.
