Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Canada Square Has a Hatch!!!

May 14, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Yesterday I met up with Cameron from Northam Realty Advisors to confirm the presence of the first wee one at Canada Square.  Upstairs on the ledge the winds were quite strong and Haven was covering her precious little package of hatchlings from the cold.  We could clearly see the spent egg shell and the fluff of one or possibly two little chicks underneath her.  In this cold and snappy weather, there was no way that she was giving up even the slightest of looks at her new family.  Back outside I met up with Lyn and shared the great news of the hatchlings with her.  We sat for a while on the watcher perch and watched Stormin on the south side of the Rio Can trying to preen in the gusty winds.  Just as he would get his feathers all together the wind would come along and blow them out of place again.  He gave up on his preen attenpt and took off on a recon flight over the nest ledge to see if Haven needed anything.  He immediately circled back to the Rio Can as I am sure she gave him the “not yet” look.  He stayed on the Rio Can for a while and then flew over to the nest building, retrieved a cache from the ledge next to Haven and flew around to the north side to prep.  Lyn and I joked at how he was chowing down on the whole thing and not sharing and at that we parted company for the day.  Just as I returned to my car and was driving north on Duplex, who should fly in but Stormin with the first dinner package of the day.  He and Haven exchanged the food and a few choice words before he was shooed off the ledge so she could feed.  He clearly wanted to do it himself but Haven would not allow him to do this yet, they’re too little.  Congratulations Canada Square on your recent hatch and we look forward to the days to come with these little ones!!  I have added a few pictures and tried to avoid the reflection of stuff in the glass.  The little red bits are reflections from my sweater, sorry about that!

Only 37 days to first flights so if you haven’t signed up for the Fledge Watch yet please do at raptor4@peregrine-foundation.ca !!!

So Close to a Hatch at Canada Square

May 10, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

This past week I have been down to visit Haven and Stormin at Canada Square in the hopes of catching sight of the first hatch.  While it hasn’t occurred quite yet we are so close!!  Yesterday Haven was on the three eggs napping away and was suddenly compelled to partially stand and reach for some rocks to pick.  She picked and shuffled and picked and shuffled until now she was off the eggs and in the corner nibbling on the wall.  This is the exact same behaviour that Marion and I witnessed Quest doing at Duncan Mill Road just hours before her first hatch.  She settled back down on the eggs but not before looking down at them and giving them a good talking to.  This could mean a hatch today and by Monday I will be in touch with Cameron from Northam Realty Advisors for news on whether the signal we received today was indeed correct and the first chick has arrived.  A big thank you to Cameron and Neil from Northam Realty Advisors Ltd. for being great hosts and watching over the pair.  Don’t touch that dial, we are moments away!!!

CALLING ALL WATCHERS!! THIS IS A CRITICAL MESSAGE FOR YOU!!

May 09, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

With nest sites throughout southern Ontario all hatching eggs this week the Fledge Watch program will be in full swing throughout June at multiple sites and all at the same time this year.  This critical positive intervention program that was pioneered by the CPF in Ontario has been in operation since 1996 and each year has supported the offspring of nesting pairs with resounding success.  Were it not for the stewardship efforts and the gift of time from all of our volunteers, many of the Ontario hatched resident adults that are currently producing young of their own would not be alive today.  This message is a call to you to join us in June for one of the most incredible things we get to experience supporting this species at risk.

What do you need to be a Fledge Watch volunteer?  Well, I’m glad you asked; two things.  The first would be the generous gift of your time during the month of June for which we are all so grateful.  Whether you can spare an hour, a day, a week or every waking moment, it all contributes to the success of the program, the survival of the inexperienced peregrine offspring and the ongoing monitoring efforts of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.  The second thing that you will need is the sincere desire to be a part of something so amazing that it will be one of those memorable experiences that you will never forget.  I won’t tell you tales here, there are days that are slow.  These are the days that are filled with learning more about the birds, stories, camaraderie, training and connecting with the local community; all rewarding in their own right.  There are also days where its absolute pandemonium and we all wish the fledglings would just stop moving for all of one second so we can count heads and catch our breath.  Regardless of the type of day it is, I can say this from my personal experience and it is a sentiment that all of our watchers both new and seasoned share.  You will go home knowing that you helped make a difference in the life of a species at risk in Ontario and that you have given each and every juvenile at your chosen watch site a chance at survival that they otherwise wouldn’t have.  It is incredibly rewarding knowing that your presence made all the difference in the world. 

Last year the Fledge Watch teams collectively rescued 21 juvenile peregrine falcons from imminent mortality and gave them a second chance at life.  If you would like to be a part of one of these critical support teams this June, we would love to hear from you.  Please send us an email to raptor4@peregrine-foundation.ca with your name, a contact number, your site of interest and a general indication of the time you can share.  We will be following up with you with further details about the site you are going to attend and the expected start date for that watch.  Fasten your seatbelts and return your trays to the upright position for lift off in June!!  As always it promises to be one amazing flight after another!!!

Canada Square Still Incubates Amidst the Action

May 04, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

This afternoon I took a trip down to Canada Square to check up on Haven and Stormin’s progress towards a hatch.  When I arrived I met up with Lyn at the observation post on Duplex and we chatted about the pair for a bit before I headed upstairs for a look.  Lyn witnessed the pair taking a Turkey vulture to task earlier on as they were both not in the mood for messing about with their first egg close to a hatch.  I met up with Cameron from Northam Realty Advisors and up we went to view the nest ledge.  When we arrived, Stormin was on the eggs and was right in the middle of a readjustment.  He had two eggs that I could clearly see beneath him and one directly in front.  He reached forward and using his beak he attempted to roll the third egg back underneath himself.  As he rolled the egg towards him he released just as it was about to slide up over his toe and the egg rolled back forward.  He tried a second time and again, it rolled away on him.  If you could have just seen the look on his face!  Every time that the egg rolled away instead of underneath, he narrow his eyes and stared at it for a good few seconds before trying again.  You could almost hear the “darn!!” that he was thinking each time.  On the fourth try, the egg successfully rolled over his toe and was now securely tucked away with its other “yet to hatch” siblings.

Back outside I joined Lyn again back at the watch post where we sat chatting and waiting for Haven to return.  When Haven did return on the scene it was not for a simple changeover but in full on defence of her site!  We could hear the vocalization of an adult above the roar of the traffic and looked up to see a bird soaring around the Rio Can building.  I looked quickly to the ledge and there was Haven and boy was she mad.  The intruder turned and made a direct flight to the west with another falcon hot on her tail, this smaller bird being Stormin who came out of nowhere to take on the third bird.  Haven followed within seconds and all three birds were now off to the west and out of our view.  We waited for the return of one of the resident adults and began reviewing the pictures.  We had a third bird alright but I have yet to figure out if this is the pesky juvenile / subadult that has been sighted around the lower province.  It would appear that a few of our juveniles from last year did not migrate and are wandering the countryside being little bugs!  Unfortunately this has had some serious consequences at some of the nest sites where this has been reported.  Canada Square and Haven is one place and one girl that an inexperienced bird does not want to mess with.

With all of the excitement, Stormin must have slipped back in on the eggs and Haven was now on high alert in the area.  She flew to Rio Can and roosted on one of the window uprights and then was back over on the ledge just below the nest ledge where she located a small bit of food that she kind of played with.  Although anxious, both Haven and Stormin settled back in to their regular attentive parenting as we were gathering up to call it a day. 

Thanks Lyn for your excellent observations and watchful eyes on Stormin and Haven.  I will be back on Monday to the site to check for a hatch so check back soon for news of it.  Pictures will be following shortly.

Canada Square Action

- Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Frank Butson Reports:

Canada Square Incubation Continues; Three Eggs Confirmed

April 27, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

On Friday I stopped in at the Canada Square nest site at Yonge and Eglinton to check in on Haven and Stormin’s progress towards hatching eggs this year.  I was delighted to meet up with Neil Armstrong from Northan Realty and his collegue Cameron Reynolds who took me up to the suite for a period of observation.  I found Haven standing in the nest bowl re-adjusting her three beautiful eggs, giving them a good turn before settling back down.  She was feeling rather dreamy and was relaxing on the ledge, at times talking in her sleep and calling Stormin for dinner.  Stormin did make a great fly by to check up on her and she chupped at him as he passed.  She gave me a brief look at her precious eggs and I can confirm for certain that there are three.  It won’t be long now before the eggs begin to hatch as the first egg was calculated as being laid on March 30th based on observations by myself, Neil and Cameron.  We will begin looking for the first hatch to arrive around May 1st.  Thanks so much to Neil and Cameron of Northam Realty for all of their support and care of the resident pair, you are fabulous hosts. 

The first 5 pictures attached were taken by Cameron Reynolds from Northam Realty and the last few were taken by myself on Friday.  Thanks again to all for your support!!

Canada Square Has Three Eggs!!

April 05, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

I stopped by Canada Square yesterday to take a look at the progress that Haven and Stormin were making towards eggs this year.  I met up with Cameron from Northam Realty who accompanied me upstairs and we found Haven sound asleep in the gravel of the old nest ledge protecting her eggs from the strong winds.  She didn’t move so much as a feather and only repositioned once during our visit showing me two of her three eggs.  Cameron informs me that the third egg was present yesterday and based on that observation, working back 48 hours per egg as the maximum laying gap, we date the first egg being laid as March 31st.  She may yet lay a fourth egg this year but if so, that would be her first clutch of four as she has up to this date capped production at three.  Congratulations Canada Square and a huge thank you to Northam Realty for hosting such an awesome pair again this year!!! 

Pictures soon to come.

Canada Square Getting Serious About the Season

March 19, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Bruce Massey Reports:

I stopped in at the Canada Square nest site on Saturday for a site check on Stormin and Haven as we are getting closer to the nesting season.  At first I was able to locate Stormin on the south upper ledge of the Rio Can building but Haven was not to be seen.  I did a walk about and found Haven on the south side of the TVO building and she was very active, flying off and then returning to the same corner.  I repositioned myself back over at Duplex and Eglinton and sat down waiting for some action.  I was not disappointed.  Haven came flying in and landed on the south face of the Rio Can a few floors directly below Stormin.  The male kept looking down at her and watching her body language as she sat roosting.  Believing her to be receptive, Stormin took off of the roof ledge and flew down to mate with Haven.  Success!!  He then returned to the Rio Can roof and they both preened for a while.  Haven then took off like a bullet to the south with Stormin hot on her tail and the pair of them were chasing something quite vigorously.  All I can say is that there is a Kestrel out there that won’t be hanging around THEIR nest anymore!!  Haven returned to the Rio Can to roost and Stormin positioned himself on the upright above the old nest ledge.  It was great to see the pair in action and that spring is most definately on track here.

Checking Up On Stormin and Haven

January 14, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Frank Butson Reports:

Lyn Reports:

Canada Square Peregrine report 20130111
I have been keeping an eye put for the peregrine pair from this location and have seen them at odd intervals.
On Wednesday this week I saw both of them. I saw what turned out to be Stormin on the east side roof of the Heart and Stroke building. I had no binoculars but I think he was having a meal. As I was staring at him I just happened to glance along Eglinton Ave. east and saw Haven struggling to fly in against the wind. Her breast feathers were really ruffled and her colour was clear - even naked eye. She made it to one of the top window uprights and stayed put for a bit.
Today I was out and about and checked the west side of Canada Square and found a peregrine sitting on the balcony railing below the nest ledge. I thought this was Haven but to be sure I fetched the binoculars and had a look. Definitely Haven. There was a rope from the roof to the ground at the third balcony over. She was unperturbed by this as she kept a look out over the west end.
Cheers
Lyn

Adorable Couple at Canada Square!

January 07, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Tracy Simpson Reports:

A big thank you to Julie Nyman for allowing us to share these photos she took over the holidays on Dec. 27th with you.  The Minto Towers condos are across the street from Canada Square and there is an exhaust vent that has become a favored perch of the resident pair Stormin and Haven.  Julie was able to capture a once in a lifetime photo of the pair roosting together on the same vent and a moment later, arguing over who’s crowding the bed!!  Excellent and amazing shots!!  It is awesome to see the size difference between wee Stormin and big Haven!