Burlington - Lift Bridge

WOW, WHAT A WEEK

June 16, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

We have been kept so busy this week.  Unfortunately, we have been getting home too late to do any reports.  So much has happened that I can’t begin to recap the week.  Both Brant and Diana have fledged.  Brant on June 10^th and Diana on June 13^th.  Diana unfortunately came to the ground on June 13^th and had to be rescued.  Luckily, Mark Nash was with us and was able to check her out and release her again that evening on the Hamilton Tower. 

Today, the winds were so strong and the rain torrential that all birds, including Mom and Dad were kept very low and were hanging on for dear life.  Winds are supposed to decrease by midnight.  When we left at 7 PM, Brant and Diana were not visible as they were laying low on the Hamilton Tower roof.  Both juveniles have been making some strong flights, but the landings are still a little shaky.  We saw a little talon touching yesterday and look forward to more of that in the days to come.

WE HAVE LIFTOFF

June 10, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

When everyone arrived at the Lift Bridge this morning (around 9:30 am) we were very surprised to find Brant on the cable arm of the bay side of the Burlington Tower.  Mom came in and landed on the cables with food and he proceeded to try and reach her by walking along the cables.  Mom then took the food to the cable arm and he followed her.  That’s where he spent most of the day.  Between napping and flapping and preening it was a very long day.  All of a sudden around 5:50 pm he took to the air and circled around to the other side of the Burlington Tower.  We thought he had gone to the Hydro Towers, but he was nowhere to been seen.  After a time of searching Linda Cherriere found him inside a cross beam on the lake side of the Burlington Tower.  He had gotten himself into a predicament.  He couldn’t figure out how to get out.  After a few tense moments and some VERY awkward movements, he managed to get himself from inside the cross beam and onto one of the horizontal beams.  Whew, what a relief.  When we left at 9:30 pm, he was still there.  Mom did a few fly bys and we felt confident that he would be there for the night.

What will tomorrow bring? 

I Don’t Think We Will Make It To Saturday

June 07, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

At the Lift Bridge today we had a scare.  Brant had been hanging on the outside ledge, for the first time, flapping and building up his confidence for a takeoff.   Brant then disappeared to the back of the box and then along comes Dad to do a fly by.  The next thing we knew, we had a juvenile scrambling to get back into the box. The photo below shows his back end right out of the box and talons scratching the box to get himself back in.  WHEW that was close.  

!!! Fledge Watch update, Burlington watch will start Saturday June 12th.

June 06, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

CPF Postmaster Reports:

Typically, the young peregrines are challenged to stay aloft for any extended periods of sustained flight and some end up on the ground during their first couple of flights. (Much like a juvenile infant human child leaning to walk for their very first time), as the human infant stands and falls and struggles to stand again in an effort to walk upright.

The young peregrines are no different when they are learning to fly for the first time. They are uncoordinated, still building muscle mass and building strength and confidence. Confidence is EVERYTHING! Some of their first flights are very shaky and has then come to ground.

Because of their heavy baby weights and their lack of any flight skills at this age, the fledglings also completely unaware of any of the usual associated dangers while on the ground. While this is the same historical happening at most peregrine nest sites (urban or non-urban nest sites), the young peregrines are vulnerable to predation and other dangers while on the ground as they have no idea what the dangers are.

The fledge watch team is there to retrieve them from the ground and any potential dangers and return them back to the nest area or a higher elevation where their adult parents will resume their protection and carry on feeding them.

Introducing Brant and Diana

June 02, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

I am happy to report that today’s banding went well.  According to Ministry of Natural Resources Biologist Anne Yagi, we have two very healthy chicks.   Their statistics are as follows:

A male who has been named Brant after Joseph Brant, weighing in at 674 grams, banded with  49/Y and he will be wearing a Yellow and Blue leg band.

A female who has been named Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, weighing in at a whopping 969 grams, banded with 39/X and she will be wearing a Red and White leg band.

Now the fun begins.  Given their size and estimated age, the official Fledge Watch will begin in approximately 8 to 10 days (June 10^th).

Photos to follow later.

WE’RE GETTING SOOOOOOOO BIG

June 01, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

Bill and I and Barry and Linda have spent the last few days at the Bridge.  The little ones are definitely getting BIGGER and stronger.  Below are a couple of photos of Mom at a feeding from yesterday.  Today we witnessed wing flapping going on inside the box with a short hop, jump and fly from the front to the back of the box.  Dad made a delivery of what appears to be a Blue Jay.  He just made a short stop at the box, dropped the prey and immediately took off again.  During this delivery, Mom was having a little snooze tucked into the shade on the Hamilton Hydro Tower.  

Airborne Cover!

May 28, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

CPF Postmaster Reports:

With thanks to Jim Elliott for sending in this shot of the adult flying cover over the nest site.

two growing balls of fluff

May 27, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Robert Williams Reports:

As I arrived this evening at the bridge, mom was already actively hunting and quickly caught a pigeon over the harbour.  She returned to the Skyway and then the overhead wires of the lift bridge to finish preparing it, then took it to the nest ledge to feed the chicks.  There were two very visible white chicks that came to the edge of the ledge to be fed.  They spent some time at the edge after feeding, looking all around and there was even some flapping going on after dinner.

The male arrived from parts unknown while the chicks were eating, and settled on the south tower.  He seemed to keep looking down towards the parking lot and south of the tower.  Later in the evening the female gave an alarm and dove across past the parking lot, around an old house south of the tower.  Unfortunately I couldn’t see what upset her, but she buzzed the area several times screaming (while dad looked on), and settled for a short while on a lampost overlooking this area.  She eventually returned to the hood beside the nest ledge where she remained when I left.

The chicks are growing so fast, they’ll be losing their downy white in no time.  It’s nice to finally get a reasonable look at them.

TWO BEAUTIFUL DAYS AT THE LIFT BRIDGE

May 24, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

Bill and I spent a few good hours at the Lift Bridge yesterday (May 23rd) and today (May 24th).  Yesterday, around 2:00 pm, we witnessed Mom pluck a pigeon out of the sky.  She took it to a concrete ledge under a light standard on the bay side of the Skyway Bridge to prepare it for the little ones.  Today, she went to the same area and picked up an already prepared meal and returned to feed the little ones. 

We had a third Adult Peregrine in the area today.  All of a sudden we heard a lot of vocalizing and knew that something was about.  Both birds took off after the intruder.  Mom returned a short time later but Dad was missing for quite a while, but eventually returned after making certain the intruder did not return.

With scopes and camera, we have been trying to see band numbers and today, after much deliberation, we are almost certain that the adults have not changed from last year.  We have Dad, Sir Adam Beck born in 2006 at the King Street nest in Toronto and Mom, Cirrus born in 2006 in Dayton Ohio.

Here’s hoping for a successful season.

And There Were Two

May 20, 2010 - Burlington - Lift Bridge

Sue McCreadie Reports:

Bill and I spent a couple of hours at the Lift Bridge yesterday and I’m very happy to confirm that we were able to see two little white heads.  Are there more?  We will keep watching.  Mom was trying to shelter the little ones from the hot noon day sun, but they still managed to escape to peer over the edge.