May 19, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
CPF Postmaster Reports:
May 19th - 2012
Bruce Massey reports this morning after doing the rounds at the various nest sites to get further updates on the status of the nesting peregrines, that he can confirm an “eye-ball” view and confirmed TWO EGGS in the nest tray at the William Osler - Etobicoke General Hospital nest site.
Earlier this season, there were territorial disputes and battles going on at this territory where it appears that O’Connor - Banded Black M over Green 87 - (the previous resident territorial adult female) lost the battle (and the territory & nest site) to a younger sub adult female.
This new younger sub-adult (now the resident female) has produced two eggs in the nest tray at the William Osler nest site and is currently involved in full time incubation duties with her newly acquired mate (the same resident adult male named Hurricane -that has been the resident adult male at William Osler for many years).
Hurricane has obviously accepted his new gal and is actively involved in incubation duties.
The new camera continues to produce an incredible HD colour image that is now being displayed on the internal flat screen monitor that allows daily observations of the nest ledge and all of the live real time happenings and activity from the nest ledge and nest tray.
We are hopeful that with the hospitals support that we can connect the new live camera image to an internet connection so that we can get the live real-time colour images to the CPF web site and global audience soon.
Stay tuned………..
:
The previous resident adult female at this nest site (named O’Connor) has been found and obviously doing well, as she has taken over the nest site at the Sun Life centre nest site at Bloor and Islington. O’Connor is currently tending to FOUR hatchlings with her new mate - (the existing resident / territorial male named Jack) at the Sun Life Centre nest site!!!
Banding at the Bloor & Islington - 3300 Bloor Street - Sun Life Centre has been scheduled for May 24th at 1:30 in the east tower lobby and is open to the public.
Posted on May 19, 2012 1:39 pm
May 02, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I finished my day at the William Osler Hospital to check in on Chessie and Hurricane and their efforts to nest this year. After all of the tumultuous events at the hospital, I was overjoyed when I went up to check the monitor and found that a single egg lay in the scrape. Hurricane was sitting on the edge of the tray guarding his most precious egg and Chessie was sitting in the eastern tower in the rain enjoying a bath. I must admit that I had my doubts that there would be production at the site this year after Hurricane’s collision with the building and the loss of O’Connor. When Chessie arrived, I was even more concerned about eggs this year as she is still quite young and as a 1 year old, it was not clear whether she would nest this year. I am so pleased to say that there is one beautiful egg in the scrape today and things are moving forward with this new pairing. Congratulations and many thanks to the William Osler Hospital staff and security!!! We still have a long way to go but its going in the right direction!!
Posted on May 2, 2012 11:29 pm
April 27, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I concluded my whirlwind afternoon tour at the William Osler Hospital to check in on Chessie and Hurricane as they have been thinking spring lately. When I arrived, I found Chessie on the southeast corner of the building preening the day away and there was no sign of Hurricane. It was a mere 5 minutes later when he came rushing around from the west, flew in to the ledge and mated with Chessie. Seconds later he was gone! Chessie went right back to preening and so I headed up to the monitor for a peek at what is happening in the tray. They certainly have been expanding on the scrape and making it just so for the potential eggs that she might still lay this year but sadly they have not arrived as of yet. Back in the parking lot, Chessie was still on the southeast corner and in roars Hurricane again, this time into the tray. Chessie ran, and I mean RAN down the ledge over to the tray with much excitement and vocalization as Hurricane had just brought in a treat. The food was handed off to her and Hurricane beat a hasty retreat as she gobbled away!! I will continue to check in on the pair regularly as the spring progresses and the weather warms. Eggs are certainly not out of the question and it won’t be for lack of interest as the pair are courting, mating, scraping and bowing on a daily basis now.
Posted on April 28, 2012 8:55 am
April 20, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Bruce Massey stopped by the William Osler Hospital to check in on the progress of Chessie, the new resident female, and Hurricane as the pair have been working towards raising a family together this year. He went upstairs to check the camera monitor for evidence of eggs and found Chessie working on expanding the scrape in the tray, but no eggs as of yet. Back outside, Bruce was able to watch the pair in action as they flew around the building and finally landed on the east side to mate. We are unsure as to how long it has been since Chessie took over the site but we do know that if they are to nest this year, the first egg should not be far off.
Posted on April 21, 2012 9:32 am
April 16, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
After a day of branch visits with TD Canada Trust to kick off Earth week, Frank and I decided to stop in at the William Osler Hospital to follow up on the recent changes with the resident female on site. When we arrived the winds were howling around the building so much so that I was having a hard time walking. The first discovery was of the male, Hurricane, in the nest tray on the edge of it roosting. The female, Chessie, was on the nest ledge to the north of the tray. Hurricane took off of the tray and in some rather daring and exciting tucks and swoops, flew up to the eastern “H” and remained there for a few minutes. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, Chessie took to the air and led her own daredevil flight display before landing just to the right of the tray. Hurricane left the sign and swooped in on her for mating, then back up onto the sign. Within 15 minutes, both birds were preening and dozing off. I will be checking in regularly this week for the first egg to arrive and will keep you updated as things progress.
Posted on April 17, 2012 9:45 am
April 13, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Well, back to the site this morning to see whether my eyes were deceiving me. Nope. She’s still there. As I was pulling in, the female was sitting in the tower and Hurricane flew over to mate. He then took off over to the nest ledge and ran directly into the tray echupping the whole way. Hurricane was doing a great job of showing this new girl where everything was and where the eggs were supposed to go. He took off and flew back over to the eastern tower and the female decided to go to the nest tray and see what Hurricane had done in there. I was able to capture a few shots of her before she took off and you can really see her youth in her colouration. She also has a very distinct circle of white around the top of her head almost as if her halo had slipped. Within minutes of entering the tray, she took off on a mission to the east and was gone for about 10 minutes. Her return was announced very loudly as she screamed and cacked the whole way to the ledge carrying a pigeon. She landed on the nest ledge just beside the tray and started to eat. She eat very vigorously as not just feathers, but chunks of feathers were being removed. After eating for a few minutes, off she went with the food to the southern “H” sign where she stashed the remainder of the meal. Hurricane remained in the tower and several times begged for a taste but he never moved. He was sitting in O’Connors old spot which was front and center of the eastern tower and was focussed on keeping his eye on things. The female came over and joined him, landing a few sections back from the face of the tower. It was there that I finally got a look and a picture of her band number and she was identified by her Black 49 over Green AD recovery band as Chessie from the Central Terminal nest site in Buffalo, New York. Chessie is the daughter of Stash and Stella, an unbanded pair of peregrines that established the CT nest site and raised chicks there in 2010 and 2011. She was named by the Central Terminal staff in honour of the Chessie railroad system which had lines all over the eastern US. In a bizarre twist of fate, the Central Terminal nest site was taken over this year by a new female, Gleig, who hatched in 2009 at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel. Let the Great Lakes swap meet continue!!
As I was leaving, both adults were sitting together in the eastern tower digesting the morning meal. It is unknown, given her age, whether Chessie will be attempting motherhood this year but it won’t be for lack of interest. One good thing that Hurricane is helping her with is gently persuading her to use the tray on the eastern side of the hospital where just yesterday she was beak deep in the gravel enlarging the scrape.
Posted on April 14, 2012 8:43 am
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Tracy Simpson Reports:
This is one report that I never thought I would have to write. It would seem that our iron lady out at the William Osler Hospital has been replaced.
I stopped in at the site yesterday to check in on the progress of O’Connor and Hurricane towards laying eggs. I had hoped, as I was driving up Hwy. 27, that when I got there I would find eggs on the monitor. I could see, as I sat in traffic, a female perched on the southeast corner of the nest ledge and within seconds the male had flown up to join her. I pulled into the hospital and found the pair on the nest ledge; her on the corner and him on the nest tray. As I began to snap pictures I realized that this was not O’Connor. That sense of dread was confirmed when she gave me a look at her band colours. The current situation was then made crystal clear when a minute later, the male flew in and they mated.
My first order of business was to identify the male and I was able to get a picture of him in the tower that also captured his band number. The male is without a doubt Hurricane wearing a solid black recovery band 5 over X. I then turned my attention to this new female but by this point it was getting late in the evening and the “flight show” was starting.
I had to ask myself, what does it take to oust a bird like O’Connor. It would take another large, fast, agile bird with the attitude of a rhinocerous. This bird was definately last year’s hatch, her chest completely streaked from nares to navel. So bird, show me what you can do. Well… …she did. The flight demonstration put on by Hurricane and this new female was unbelievable. The two were displaying around the building at lightning speeds as they circled, then dove and kited in tandem above the roof. It was something else to watch. Right in the middle of this I spot another peregrine moving towards the building and off goes this new girl in pursuit. It was definately another female she was chasing and she continued the direct ”escort” until they were both dots in my scope.
While I can’t be entirely sure what has happened here, I do know that there is a new female on site that I have yet to identify. This would certainly explain the lack of eggs to this point as this site has not only experienced a battle between males but now another amongst the females. On a professional level I know that these battles are the law of the peregrine world in spring and nest site turnovers are bound to happen. On a personal level, O’Connor and Hurricane were my favourite couple and I will miss her antics at this nest site. She kept me on my toes and she made me shake my head at least once a day. She was the most fun to watch and I will miss her.
Posted on April 14, 2012 7:57 am
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