September 14, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Our adult birds are protecting the nest ledge vigorously. Since junior mysteriously disappeared we have been monitoring the site EVEN CLOSER. NO JUNIOR!!
Any information on what happened to Junior please contact us. Any information will be treated in total confidence.
The adults have settled into a daily rhythm but they are on the nest ledge it self far more than last year at this time
WE will be at Holiday Beach this weekend the 19th and 20th of Sept. for Hawk Fest to answer questions and just hang out with our peregrine friends.
Oct. 4th 1-5:00 PM we will be at the Grove Gallery to raise awareness of the Peregrines plight.
Victoria the owner of the Gallery will be hosting the event at her gallery The Grove Gallery. I will be posting more info.
Again any information on what happened to Junior please contact us.
Please continue to go down to the bridge site. You will not be disappointed if you love to see peregrines. In the evenings even after work 6:00 Freddie is always active hunting and so is Voltaire. They fly over head with total authority!!!
I have some other great shots but have been unable to upload them so hang in there.
D&G and the falcon crazy team.
Posted on September 14, 2009 8:24 am
August 10, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Our resident pair of peregrines is making it VERY-VERY-VERY Clear that they are not going any where. Both of them are roosting not 50 yards from the nest at most times. They go on the nest ledge and off the nest ledge, back into the corner of the nest ledge. From University Avenue you can hear them SO LOUD. I think there parent clocks are still running that they should be caring for young. If there was ever any doubt that they were going to hang on to that nest ledge even though they lost their young..PUT IT OUT OF YOUR MIND. You can relax!!!
I wanted to post this to put your minds at ease but have some very disturbing news to post about Junior our little fella. D&G
Posted on August 12, 2009 8:48 am
July 02, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Junior has been resting and we hope for x-rays to be done.
I know we are not supposed to make assumptions only report but it sure seems like Voltaire and Freddie are still chut-chut-chutting looking for junior.
Freddie has been seen just sitting on the nest ledge looking around and calling. The cooler weather has brought on some great flying displays. Fast stooping and swooping. Just beautiful. It appears exactly as we had thought all along Voltaire and Freddie have no intentions of going anywhere and haven’t budged from the abutment.
Very vocal up in the beams and on the pipe they love to roost on. Some of the ruckus sounds like when it was feeding time for junior but no Junior.
Voltaire has been doing rigorous cleaning and moving around on the nest for extended periods of time.
Both are really displaying dominance over this nesting site, with no intention of giving ground to any vagrant peregrines.
The evening displays especially when the wind has a Northern element to it are dazzling.
The pair are managing and maintaining the nest ledge very actively.
We wait anxiously on Juniors health.
D&G
Posted on July 2, 2009 8:34 am
June 27, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Junior the male chick is resting comfortably after a nasty tumble during the Vicious Thunder Storms we had on Thursday evening.
The family has not left to wander aimlessly around the region. Despite reports other wise. Two of our dedicated volunteers who are actually following what is going on at the Bridge found Junior grounded and with due protocol rescued the little fellow after that terrible storm.
We are all thankful that Ray and Toni listened to their hearts because of their love of the birds and went down just to see how the birds were doing. Gwen and I had been there in the morning but had other obligations going on when Junior needed to be rescued.
Gwen and I are totally thankful for Ray and Toni finding Junior, keeping their heads and most probably saving his life.
I will give you more information as I have it on Junior.
The chicks are not officially banded or named yet and the male will be named only in the event that he gets better.
There is still every reason in the world to go watch these birds dazzle you with their flight displays. We hope and pray that they stay loosely together as a couple around the bridge all winter again.
To the untrained eye you would say they have left but in actual fact they are hanging around in the same places they did before the hatch was announced and the commotion began.
As I said the Peregrines are not en route to sunnier climes and Junior is not on his way to South America he is resting quietly.
So lets put our thoughts and prayers into his convalescence.
I can’t thank our volunteers enough who are still faithfully daily keeping an eye on the birds. Ray and Toni just happened to be the implements that were in the right place at the right time but that began with their hearts being in the right place at the right time first.
So keep looking up and never assume you know it all. How can you learn anything that way? True genius is knowing that “the more you learn the less you know”. This is a book in the writing it is still in the works. I am thankful for the opportunity to be involved with such marvelous birds and the marvelous people who truly love the peregrine falcon.
Dennis and Gwenster and the “Falcon crazy Team”
P.S. I posted a couple stoop shots and some watchers!!
Posted on June 27, 2009 9:30 am
June 25, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
You might ask “why is Nick’s Auto Clinic in our post”?
Nick’s place is in the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge and he is an avid supporter of the Ambassador Bridge Peregrine Falcons and our volunteers.
When we were pulling 16 hour days during the fledge watch and needed a rest or a rest room, Nick was a God send and I felt we should say thank you. He was also on stand by if we needed a cool place to keep a fallen chick.
He also rescued a couple of chicks!! He gave Caroline a jump start when her and Gwen were sitting in the car in the pouring rain and drained the battery. Thank YOU!
He is right where Sandwich Street turns into Riverside Drive and University Ave. Right at the “Y”
The youngster dropped a hand off of food this morning almost had it but chased it to the ground and mantled and then flew up onto the top ledge of the abutment. I didn’t think he would fetch grounded food, I was wrong. We checked on the family before the fire works and then after and they didn’t seem to be bothered.
The youngsters flights are showing more and more control and he is chasing the adults for food which will lead him to make his own lunch! They are making him pluck some of the food packages as well.
D&G
Posted on June 25, 2009 12:17 pm
June 23, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Wait a minute if they are all under the umbrellas where is Ken?
Dedicated bird watchers Caroline, Sharon and Gwenster and Ken standing in the rain taking the picture.
How do I know he is in the rain? His umbrella is right there in the picture.
This is a special thank you to ALL our dedicated spotters who all contributed in their own way.
Our family of falcons is in high gear.
From what I have seen the birds are on the go before the crack of dawn.
The falcons really put on a show at the North West corner of our viewing area especially when the wind is brisk out of the North West.
Our youngster flies every where even to the top of the tower of the bridge.
D&G
Posted on June 23, 2009 8:06 am
June 22, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Well we were at the bridge this morning and the training is moving along. Freddie came in with a kill and flew on to the abutment and feathures were a flyin. Youngster was on the white cable 1/5th the way up. Voltaire was 2/3rds the way up. youngster was clamouring. Voltaire came to the abutment (youngster in Tow) picked up the food package and flew East over the Church yard youngster in hot pursuit and Freddie Really obviously flying wing man. Circled around under the bridge and up to the nest and the food package was dropped on the nest sight. Freddie took up position on the ledge East of the nest. Youngster jumped on the food package like it was going to escape and the chunk of food got stuck on his talons. He looked like a cartoon character, jumping around with a bucket stuck on his foot!! Round and round in circles, flapping trying to kick the food off!! Too hilarious!!!!
If you love to see falcons fly this is a wonderful time. Don’t miss it. Just like the days of amazing growth from egg to flight in 39 days. You now get to see two very dedicated parents who are excellant hunters trying to teach the youngster their very best moves. Actually just taging along and watching the parents execute their hunting skills,will give the youngster a very good chance at being an excellant hunter. Please if you do watch them please report your sightings so we can post.
I read something very interesting that concurs with some of our findings. I’ll post it tomorrow. I’ve also gotten a better look at some of the archive photos of the female chick. I think if we study those archive photos we can fine tune how to read their body language (posture) and facial expressions.
It looks like we are super lucky and the “Falcon Finishing School” will stay at the bridge. A good falcon friend that has watched over many a nest had a family move to an unknown location for 6wks. to do the trainig. The falcons came back so she knew they were OK but missed the training.
Keep looking up.
Dennis and Gwenster.
Posted on June 22, 2009 9:36 pm
June 20, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Dear Peregrine Community,
I am sorry to inform all of you that late Friday the little female chick died peacefully at Wings Rehab from a type of fungus infection. We believe this to be the first reported case of such an infection at Wings Rehab.
Obviously this outcome is far from what any of us hoped for our peregrine family and our first Peregrine Watch.
However, it is important to put this sad news into perspective: the rate of mortality for young peregrines in their first year ranges from around 60% to over 80%.
The fact that one out of two chicks on our Watch not only survived, but seems to be doing very well is a success. This first Peregrine Watch has been a learning experience for everyone involved, and we all did a good job under very challenging circumstances. We have learned so much that can be applied to future Watches. Look how far we’ve come! As a community we went from no peregrines, to a pair of peregrines checking out the nest site but without a successful hatching, to having 3 eggs but only 2 hatch, to having 2 young make their way into the world, and one chick doing extremely well. Now Voltaire & Freddy can focus all their attention on the young male, and that is a good thing.
Once again, Dennis & I thank you for your commitment, passion, and concern regarding these young peregrines. We do plan to apply lessons learned from this year’s Watch, and we sincerely hope that you will consider being part of this important effort in the future. And of course, we hope our family of peregrines will grace us with their presence next year.
Dennis Patrick
Gwenster
CPF Site Coordinator
Caroline Biribauer
Friends of Watersheds Organizer
Essex Region Conservation Authority
P.S. We will be reviewing our picture archive history to see if we can I.D. when little missy started to exhibit.
We wil forward our findings on this disease to all our fellow net watchers.
The two shots of the female chick flapping were on June 10/09. Do you see anything?
Posted on June 20, 2009 11:41 pm
June 17, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
Thank you Mark for these shot. Nice one with all four family members present.
Hats off to two of our spotters for a heads up play catching a couple of quick feedings of our little Princess on the nest.
Great job Sharon and Ken.
What a team!!!!
These little beggars have won our hearts so much that I think if we could fly for them we would.
I’ll be posting again later. Heading down now to the nest site.
D&G & “The Falcon Crazy team”
Posted on June 17, 2009 5:01 pm
June 16, 2009 - Windsor - Ambassador Bridge
Dennis Patrick Reports:
It is with great relief that I post that our little male is “flying like a Champ” to use Smurf one of our spotters words. Up to the top of the Tower all around. So this is just a quick post to let everyone know he’s doin fine!!!!!!!!!!!! Come down and watch our flyer and help with the watch on his sister who hasn’t gotten up the nerve to venture out yet.
D&G
Posted on June 16, 2009 11:20 am
