!!! Holcim Quarries - Colborne Ontario - Now this is something that you don’t see every day HERE in Southern Ontario!!!
July 04, 2015 - International, National and Local News
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Saturday July 4th - 2015
A big thank you to Barb at Holcim Miss. after her Saturdays visit to their Colborne quarries,, and for sharing yet another great photo of their three newest feathered residents.
While somewhat typical of what you might expect to see in the far northern regions of Ontario where the vast majority of Ontario’s peregrines actually reside, (well at least the historical peregrine population),, this is something of a twist!
A man made cliff (but a cliff type situation with a ledge never the less), but with a stick nest base,, courtesy of the recently evicted occupants,, (the ravens), and you have a nest site that we refer to as a “near-urban“. Not quite an urban nest site under its true definition, nor a non-urban under its true definition. Unlike many of the other peregrine sub-species in Europe and Asia where some actually nest in trees, our three native / indigenous North American peregrine sub-species do not nest in trees, nor do they actually bring in sticks or any other nesting sub-straight. Historically, (and instinctually), peregrines here in North America are cliff nesters and dwellers.
That being said, a few stick on a ledge (as long as its on a cliff) is obviously not a deterrent at all. Quite a bonus I’d say! The picture tells it all!
So, like the two other quarry nests and the earlier Niagara nest site when the peregrines were nesting on the gorge ledge, the “near-urban” designation fits quite well indeed.
So back to the Holcim quarries nest site, one of the three hatchlings has fledged, (a male), with the two other hatchlings still yet to take their first flights. It might also appear that one, (if not both of the other siblings) might also be males now that we can see a good view them.. In any case, they are all looking pretty good indeed, with their “Taj Mahal” of all nest sites here in southern Ontario!!
Unfortunately, neither of the resident adults are banded so we have no idea of their history or origin - (urban, non-urban or near urban produced)? Thus will be the case with the three young produced this year, as there was simply not enough time to organize a banding within the appropriate banding age of the hatchling this season so we will never know their fate.
Next year we hope to on top of this one and looking forward to working with our new friends in Colborne!
Attached is a GREAT photo of the nest and the three young peregrines!
Photo credit to follow…
Thank you ALL for sharing this great story with us!!
