April 02, 2013 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Volunteer Reports:
I arrived around 3:45 on Saturday and waited until 4 when both Milton and the unbanded female (the adult who we thought could be a male) arrived at/in the nest ledge. Milton stayed a minute or two before leaving. The female continued chupping for a good ten minutes, then total silence for the next 30 minutes. I started worrying that maybe she managed to leave without me seeing but I was pretty certain she didn’t. Soon she popped up on her ledge and began to preen. She then flew to the NW corner where she began to feed on spaghetti (see the pic). This is the first cache I found on the CH since Courtney in 2011. She ate but only for 10 minutes or so. She didn’t totally get her fill when she took off south with the kill. By the time I get to the SW corner I see two peregrines zipping around low over the CH parking lot. Then as the two were flying away from me (neither one with the food) they started flying together and exposed their talons to each other. At the time I thought it was Milton and the adult female but after looking at the pictures it was a female sub adult and the adult female. The adult female returned to the nest right away after fending off the sub adult and returned into the nest ledge and began to chup. At that point I saw Milton return from the general area of the fight which led me to believe they were the two up in the air. He probably came along for the show. He didn’t stay though going NW over the police station. I left around 5:30 and the female was still in the nest ledge. She could be in there most of the time for all we can tell from the ground.
Winston
Posted on April 2, 2013 9:34 am
March 19, 2013 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
The CPF volunteer nest site monitor team was out on Saturday doing nest site checks and decided to cruise the Brampton corridor and look in on the happenings. Excellent reports and photos have been coming in from Toivo and Winston, our local watch team members, and it looks like things are as confusing as ever!! Both Winston and Toivo have been seeing peregrines at both the Brampton Courthouse and the George St. condo! During March break at the courthouse, there appeared an unbanded male and an unbanded sub adult female that investigated the area. Milton and Midnight were both focussed on the downtown core at this time. Then the unbanded adult male took off and was replaced by Milton who was vocalizing with the sub adult female. By Friday, Tracy found and positively identified both Milton and Midnight in downtown and there were no peregrines present at the time at the courthouse. On Saturday, Bruce Massey was out in Brampton for the day and positively IDed Milton at the courthouse alone without a female and Bruce later watched him take off north. He drove to the downtown core of Brampton and found him at first on John St., then on George St and later flying over to the BDC building and the Rose Theatre. During this entire watch period that Bruce spent there was no sign of Midnight but he believes that Milton could see her wherever she was roosting.
Theories… …there are many. It would appear that migrant peregrines are making their way through and checking out potential nest sites. The Hwy.10 corridor has always been just that, a peregrine highway that they jet through on their way to nesting. We are unsure who will stay and maintain a territory but it would seem that Milton and Midnight prefer the downtown area and yet Milton is still trying to hold onto the courthouse territory as well. Will he succeed? Will Milton run two nests at the same time? We will continue to watch and update you with the latest news from Brampton as everyone begins to settle in for the nesting season. A big thank you to CPF volunteers Toivo and Winston for your observations and photos!! Pictures to come!
Posted on March 19, 2013 8:54 am
January 12, 2013 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Our last stop this weekend was over at the Brampton Courthouse to check in on the happenings with Milton and his new girl Midnight. When we arrived at the courthouse, there were no peregrines to be found and so Bruce and I headed up to Shoppers World to look for Midnight. She has been see almost daily hanging out on the roof tops of the apartments behind the plaza and she is actively hunting the abundance of pigeons in the area. When we entered the parking lot we indeed found Midnight perched high on a building and digesting a crop of food. Many pigeons were swirling around her chosen perch and one nearly landed beside her before realizing what she was and veering off. Although interested in watching the activity, Midnight made no move to hunt any of these foolish daredevil pigeons that were flying around her as she clearly had already done that earlier and was satisfied. As we haven’t seen Milton in a while, we decided to drive north to the downtown area and look about. Bruce and I did a walk about of the area but were unsuccessful in finding any peregrines. Milton may have a new hangout and Midnight was sure interested in something to the east of Shoppers World. We will be back to check in on the pair and keep you updated as spring approaches.
Posted on January 15, 2013 9:02 am
January 07, 2013 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
The new female identified recently in Brampton, Midnight from Ohio, has been seen regularly hanging out behind the Shoppers World plaza at Hwy 10 and Steeles where a sizable flock of pigeons roost. I have seen her there several times over the past week and today she gave me a show stopping flight demo!! She was roosting on the top of a building and then went from roost to pursuit in 10 seconds flat!! I grabbed my camera and had no time to adjust for lighting. Take the picture!! Wait… …put car in park… …OK now TAKE THE PICTURE QUICK!!! I was able to snap a few shots of Midnight amongst a chaotic swirl of pigeons and I was amazed to see that she was not successful in singling one out. Merely browsing I guess. Sightings have been reported over the past month of the unbanded female in the area but I have yet to see her around. She may have found a location that I have yet to discover. I will be back again to look for Milton, the resident male, and follow up on the progress of who is who, where and when as we head towards nesting season in Brampton.
Posted on January 7, 2013 10:44 pm
November 26, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I have been writing an enormous report on peregrine activities and have not been out and about for weeks. Bruce decided to “kidnap” me for the day ( I was all too willing to get out ) and head up to Brampton for a check in on Milton and his girl. We learned today that Milton is one of two things. He is either a cheating cad or he is in fact the real James Bond. Let me get you up to speed here.
In 2011, Milton nested successfully at the Brampton courthouse with Truss from Burlington producing one offspring. In the spring of 2012, he showed up around the courthouse with a new young lady on his wing; an un-banded sub-adult female still in juvenile plumage. They toyed with the idea of nesting but eggs were not forthcoming. They were still seen together off and on all summer. A month ago, I was in downtown Brampton and reporting seeing two females going talon to talon over the core of the city; one girl was the un-banded female and the other… …all I knew is that she was banded with a purple USFW band and was possibly wearing a black over green recovery band. A week ago, Winston of the Brampton Fledge Watch team photographed and confirmed Milton at the courthouse with an unbanded adult female peregrine hanging out. OK. You’re all caught up.
Bruce pulls into downtown Brampton and finds Milton, confirmed by his band number, sitting on the east sign of the Brampton Plaza building with a female. I get an excited phone call that she is banded and I better hurry up and get there before she finishes her pigeon!! OK. Like lightning I race along. Check the courthouse, no one. Checked Shoppers World, the Kaneff buidlings, Gage Park area, the church, George St…. ….no peregrines to be had. I pull up onto Queen Street, pulled over and… …here’s Milton on the sign sitting just to the left of a female peregrine. She appears to be in adult plumage, she’s picking away at a pigeon and I could clearly see that she is banded. Milton sat about 5 feet away from her hoping for a tasty treat but she knew better. She filled her crop and then fell asleep standing right on top of her prey. Milton shuffled a few feet closer. She woke up, ate a bit more and Milton settled back down roosting nonchalantly. She fell asleep again. Milton shuffled closer yet again. This time she woke and ( I can’t believe this ) pulled off a teensy little piece and fed him!! Yes, fed him like a child!! She clearly told him that this little crumb is yours, and this big pile… …yeah, that’s mine!! He made one last attempt at the food, she flew off and landed on the SW corner of the BDC building to finish in peace. By this time Milton was showing off his prowess and taking out his frustrations on a local Red Tailed hawk flying to the west. The female then cached the remains on the SE corner of the BDC roof and took off to the east and out of our view.
Moments later, who should sneak in but Milton. He flew straight over to the BDC, grabbed her cache and flew back to the Brampton Plaza sign to eat. He kept looking nervously over his shoulder to the east hoping to plow it down before he got caught and when he finished he was off to the John St apartments to roost. By this time, the female had returned and was looking for her cache on the SE corner of BDC… …cad!! Stole my goodies!! It was there that she stayed to digest her enormous crop of pigeon and it was there that she told us who she is as Bruce and I were able to get a good scope view of her as she preened. Her recovery band read Black 98 over Red E with a purple USFW band on the other leg. This bird is Midnight, a 2011 hatch from the Chase One nest site in Canton, Ohio. She is daughter of the late, great Maverick and is from his final brood with Mystic; this dashing 12 year old male having been tragically lost last year.
So. Questions begging to be answered. Is Milton really a cheating cad or is he just an innocent bystander in a turf war? We’d prefer to think he’s the real James Bond; irrestable, charming and dashing 007. Will Midnight be his lady love this coming spring or will the un-banded female win his affections? Tune in soon for another thrilling episode of “As The Brampton Eyrie Turns”.
Posted on November 26, 2012 10:09 am
November 13, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
Tuesday Nov. 13th - 2012
At around 2:30pm today I found Milton at the top of one of the communication towers above the courthouse.
As I got closer I could see him moving about on his perch. Today I forgot the camera at home but did have my bins so I pointed them at Milton and after a few seconds he was off. I tracked him for a second with the bins when I noticed a second PG!
I brought down the bins long enough to see a cop a few feet from me, staring at me and probably thinking I was crazy but I didn’t have time to explain since I saw the two Pefa’s chasing after a flock of about 7 pigeons.
The flock split and well amid the chaos I’m not sure who went where but there was some serious diving going on by both Pefa’s and fastest of all, one pigeon. I had to look twice as I’ve never seen a pigeon dive for its life before; super fast! Neither PG wound up catching anything and the two flew east BVR.
If I remember correctly there were pigeons on the courthouse as I approached and when it was over there was but one. All the attacks and diving took place over the courthouse parking lot with nobody but myself paying any attention to all the drama above.
Aside from being super lucky to have witnessed two Pefa’s hunting ‘together’ I am most surprised at Milton. This is the first time I’ve ever seen him go after pigeons. It is also notable that they hunted the pigeons from the courthouse which I have not seen since the Courtney’s fledge watch and that was Truss, not Milton.
Unfortunately, everything happened so fast that I don’t even have a clue if the other Pefa was a juvenile or adult let alone banded. I hope I would have recognized if it were a juvenile but seriously, I wasn’t expecting to see two Pefa’s in my bins at the same time!
Can’t wait for tomorrow!
Winston
Posted on November 14, 2012 2:16 pm
November 01, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I started out my day presenting Project School Visit at Central Peel S.S. speaking to an awesome class of grade 12 students and once done, decided I was so close to downtown Brampton I should check out Milton and his lady friend. This was one bizarre day.
It started off with finding Milton on his own on George St. on the top ledge of the condo he frequents. He was joined 10 minutes later by a female in full adult plumage who landed at the other end of the ledge and started to peck around for a bite to eat. Milton had already eaten his fair share and then some as his crop could be seen from space!! I continued to watch for a while and the pair settled in, after some ee-chupping and chit chat, into a relaxed roost and nap mode. I left George St. to head down to the courthouse for a bit of recon there and didn’t find any peregrines in the area at all. I scanned all of the buildings and each side of the courthouse but came up empty. Back to George St. I went.
When I got there the mood had changed significantly. The pair were now sitting on a low roof together and both were looking off towards the Go station. I tried to focus in on the female to see if this was in fact our unbanded subadult now all grown up but she was too far into the ledge for a look at her legs. Milton then took off towards the north and the female followed him. I drove up to Railroad St. for a look at where they might of gone and found the female again on a low roof. In the rain my camera struggled to focus through the raindrops but I managed to get a few shots of her. In one picture, she was just about to take off and lo and behold, a band! This adult female was wearing a purple USFW band that can clearly be seen in the photograph. This meant that this was not the subadult that Milton had hung out with all summer nor was it Truss who was not located this season. This was a new girl on the block. She took off and flew low over me and landed in a tree to my right. Once in the tree, she proceed to walk down the trunk towards an extremely shocked little squirrel. She was going right at it!! Now, I know only one famous squirrel hunter and I hope she was at Etobicoke Sun Life today behaving herself. I took a few shots but in my flu addled brain, I couldn’t get focussed and on her fast enough to get her band number. Of course it was hidden behind a branch. She took off and landed on a hydro pole a few meters away and I was about to pursue when a local resident came out to ask what I was up to. He assured me that Chester, his squirrel in the tree, would be fine and not to worry about this female peregrine stalking him. Back to the tree she comes for another go at Chester the squirrel. She didn’t stay long and was off like a shot out to the north and over the Go tracks.
Once out of the tree and out in the open, she was met in the air by another female. The two of them went at it in a spectacular aerial dog fight that brought them back into the downtown core. I changed positions for a better look and found Milton on the Rose Theatre preening away and letting the girls sort their stuff out. The combatants split up and one of them landed on the roof of the theatre with Milton but again, too far back onto the ledge for a look at legs. She was back into the air in moments and once again, the battle was on. She found the other female and the two went at it again, diving and chasing one another just above the rooftops in downtown Brampton. Milton just stayed and chilled out.
After I lost sight of them I decided that I would have to come back when the weather breaks and I can see much more clearly. The adults are hanging low enough that band numbers can be read if their position is right so I will be back for more. This spring like weather has everyone all a flutter and I am not surprised to see this spit spat this late into the year. Its not as serious as it will become next spring but there was no doubt that these two females weren’t playing around. This banded female could certainly be a migrant moving through but I don’t believe so. She was not taking any hints about leaving and was fighting to stay so I think this lady is sticking around. As I was driving away, a single female had taken up the chase of a flock of pigeons and was after some lunch. I will be back again soon for another attempt at identifying just who the players are and which one has Milton’s attention. I apologize for the grainy photos but light was bad and it was raining.
Posted on November 2, 2012 8:15 am
June 21, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 21st - 2012
Absolutely no sightings of Peregrines at the courthouse so far in June. On the Hurontario side, just above last year’s nest ledge, I saw pigeons there a few weeks back! I can’t remember seeing pigeons hanging out there ever before. Also no body parts of other birds on the ground to suggest peregrine activity.
Winston
Posted on June 22, 2012 2:59 am
May 30, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
CPF Postmaster Reports:
May 30th - 2012
These pictures were taken on 3o th may, 7:00pm. At 24 queen st the BDC building. That’s a pigeon that he has just caught.
Ian Gregory
Posted on June 1, 2012 12:54 pm
May 22, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Bruce Massey and I attended the Brampton Courthouse this afternoon and then finished our observations in downtown Brampton in an effort to sort out who is where and doing what with whom!!
Many excellent reports have been coming in from our Brampton watchers Toivo, Winston and Grace. Thanks so much everyone for all of your efforts in trying to sort out the pairs and places!! At the courthouse, Bruce arrived first and had the unbanded subadult female on the courthouse calling quite racously. A male flew in, much too quickly to identify, and was gone as fast as he arrived. He flew northwest toward the police station and disappeared, soon to be followed by the female. Bruce and I then met up and headed downtown where many daily observations have been made of peregrines in the George St area.
When we arrived, we found an adult male on the George St building preening away. It took a while but I was able to get a look and a picture of the black over green band of Milton, the resident male from the courthouse. After about 10 minutes, the subadult female flies in with food and joins Milton on the George St building. They both disappear into the back of the ledge and the female pigs out on the food package without sharing much. We moved to another location that allowed us a view into the ledge and I could clearly see that the subadult female was quite full and now was sleeping it off. Milton was 10 feet to her left and was snoozing as well.
It is clear that the pair are not nesting right now at either the courthouse or the George St building. They are not incubating any eggs currently and seem to be spending time pair bonding rather than family rearing. There is still time for nesting to occur so we will continue to watch the pair closely for a change in behaviour.
Posted on May 22, 2012 12:43 am
