July 12, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS SPOT CHECKS JULY 6-12: Many thanks to Ted and Rob for checking on the kids every day and for their fantastic photos!! Valkyrie and Lorelei are doing great! Learning every day and looking so good! I joined them tonight(I will post more pics next week!) and enjoyed watching them flying and interacting. It never gets old.
Lots of pictures… Enjoy!!
Posted on July 14, 2023 10:07 pm
July 12, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS/AMEXON SPOT CHECK : Well, it took a week… After the Don Mills fledge watch was over, I was back to work so I could check almost every day for the three of them, on and off of course. At first I saw no one. Not one. But then one morning I found one on the roof.. And I didn’t have to wait long until Gordon showed me his bands! Looking good . The next time I saw one, it was Gordon again but with a parent. Ok. Then that night Sally and I saw 3 flying in the distance but were too far to make out kids or a parent with 2. But looked great! The next morning I found one on roof again.. Took a bit but she finally showed her bands-Paige!! And then Wed, I went over after work to go up to the roof and retrieve my crate .. I pulled in and saw one on the sign. Showing off her band… Lightfoot!!! Yayyy, all three! So all are still around and looking great. Maybe one these days I’ll be lucky enough to see all three together.
Posted on July 14, 2023 7:09 am
July 09, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS : Spot check and pics! Just a quick update, kids are doing well, dispite a few bumps and bruises! It’s hard being a fledgling peregrine! But all good. I have some great pictures to share from Rob Chann, Ted Duncan and Martin Elliott (and a couple of mine of Valkyrie batting… Not as good as the rest but… ). Enjoy!
Posted on July 9, 2023 5:29 pm
July 06, 2023 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
All chicks have fledged and were flying well until this morning. For some reason our rescue carriers were moved and it made for Rob an interesting rescue this morning.
Report From Rob
Fun morning, I found angel sitting on a bench outside the grocery store at the corner of Islington and Bloor. Anyway, Bruce told me there was 2 carriers in the security room. So in I go with Angel wrapped in a towel and there are no carriers. So it was a long walk back to the car. I drove to my house with Angel under my arm, wrapped up. Took her to the bathroom as Angie got a carrier setup for me. I have Angel contained, and we are on our way back to the nest site and I will put her in the security room.
She’s fine in my opinion. Feisty as all get out.
Angle will be released later today.
Posted on July 6, 2023 2:12 pm
July 06, 2023 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
Bruce watched ANDRE show great flying skills today .. he joined his parents as they kited over the nest building. He also flew north and perched on the condos along Islington. He’s definitely gained confidence. After circling and landing on the condo next to the nest building, he aimed for and made it back to the nest ledge .. where he remained for the rest of the day.
A couple of maintenance guys were on a swing stage working on the adjacent condo, and it caught everyone’s attention. We weren’t sure if the parents would approve or disapprove, but they didn’t look to be bothered by this at all!
ANGEL (green) and CASEY (yellow) were a bit energized and wing flapping, so we wondered if there would be another fledge tonight. Nope. ANDRE showed no interest in leaving and spent the night with his siblings.
Cheers, Lucie
Posted on July 6, 2023 1:54 pm
July 05, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
DON MILLS. Someone didn’t tell Valkyrie that the fledge watch was over… I got a call from Jean (one of the photographers) that Valkyrie was down. The property manager from 240 had found him when he arrived this morning. He went and found Jean(many thanks for that), who called me. I was heading out to work so off I went. I scooped him up. He had a rest and check up and went back on the roof! I got a text from Ted around 430 that he had Valkyrie flying all over the place! Made my day! Sally and I joined Ted and Rob in the evening. Lorelei was up high and Valkyrie was a few floors down. We saw some lovely flying from the parents. Food was delivered late, which got Valkyrie off. He flew low then up and landed on the top level of 240. Time to go home. He’s good. As Marion said, he’d probably ran out of gas this morning lol. It was another brutally hot day, humid. They would have some trouble with that and add in no wind this morning, tough for the little guy to get up. He sure looked good tonight. Hopefully that taught him another valuable lesson.
Posted on July 5, 2023 10:48 pm
July 05, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
DON MILLS additional pictures from yesterday by photographers Ted Duncan, Taufik Abadi and Martin Elliott. Thanks for the great pics!
Posted on July 5, 2023 9:43 pm
July 04, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS DAY 8: And that’s a wrap!!!
Day started out as last night ended. Kids together, same spot. Mom came in but no food. She pecked at some left overs. Then left. Rob and Ted joined me, hoping to get Lorelei flying… They had to wait. Dad flew by and landed on nest building, on the top of the window,2nd level from the top. Valkyrie was getting hangry and finally flew over, knocked Dad off and landed on the window top! Wow, great move for only flying for 2 days!! He eventually flew off , no problem. He’s doing great. Now Lorelei… She stayed in the same spot until some time after 2pm. It was a brutally hot day. She must have had enough (I had left to cool off) and when Ted came back, he found her almost on the top of the building across the street! Way to go! Rob arrived back in time to see her fly to the building next door(and across from the nest building) and try and land next to her brother on the top floor. There is only a small ledge… She missed slipped and flew off. I arrived then. We saw Valkyrie fly off nicely. And found Lorelei on the rooftop of that same building! Nice job! She also went from 0-100 in just a few hours… Hard to believe that we just rescued her a mere 24 hours ago! She then ended up next on the very top of the building next to the nest building. Excellent. Mom came in with some food and Valkyrie came screaming over from the roof of the nest building. They both got fed and hung out together for a bit before Valkyrie flew across the street to the copper building and Lorelei followed. The watch ended with both the kids together on the roof of that building… Lovely. And so ends this year’s watch. I’ll be spot checking often and will be posting.
I would like to thank first, Bob, for joining me almost every day and helping me with both the rescues.. It really does take teamwork and after all these years, I think we have it down! Thanks to Ted and Rob, not only for their great pics but joining me and being my eyes, whether I needed a quick break, or when things were going 2 ways lol. Thanks guys! Also thanks to the security and the property management at 220 for all their continued support. So very much appreciated. And a shout out to Carolyn for being my eyes off season! And finally, to the 2 people who started all this, got me involved in this crazy but very rewarding work, Mark and Marion Nash. Not only for coming almost every day but all their knowledge and experience… They have taught me so much… And continue to do so. They are the best.
Can’t wait for next year!
Posted on July 5, 2023 12:22 am
July 03, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH DON MILLS DAY 7: Well it was quite a day!(Sorry, this is going to be a long post lol) I arrived to find Lorelei had flown next door, 2nd level from bottom. Well at least she was off the other building. Valkyrie was in the same place but not for long. He took off, pretty good flight, to top balcony on the copper building on the outside of the glass. Lorelei then decided she wasn’t able to ledge hop here so back she went… Back to yesterday’s spot… Lowest level. Ugh. I settled to watch her as she was the most vulnerable and there was only me. A photographer named Jean went over to see Valkyrie. I saw him fly off but didn’t see him land. Lorelei was lying down so I decided to go check. Jean hadn’t seen him fly off but did see him land… On the street! She said the cars went around him and then he flew down the middle of the street towards Don Mills and then lost sight of him. Shoot. We walked down and I heard the birds… I was explaining to Jean how when you heard the birds alarm calling, look for him and she said there he is. In a tree just into the forest. Top of an evergreen. Oh Valkyrie, what a pickle you got yourself in… Boys! As Lorelei was at most risk, I had to leave him. Jean remained taking pictures. Bob arrived as I got back and he headed to Valkyrie. It wasn’t long and he was back… Valkyrie had gotten himself out, gained height, over the road and back, behind where he started and landed on the top of the garage back there! Good job.
Now, back to Lorelei. I stepped away but Bob was there and called out, she was down. She just slipped and floated clumsily right down on the walkway around the building. Bob went on one side of her, me the other. She ran right towards me! Finally started to the wall, we were both on her, Bob had the net on her but she slipped out! I said no way, and just grabbed her. Whew. Into the crate, a nice rest and up to the roof for her release! Teamwork . Ted and Rob had joined us(their pictures will be posted tomorrow!). Bob had to go, and Mark joined us. Soon it was just Mark and I sitting there when a shadow went over us.. We looked up and saw a peregrine on the 2nd from the top ledge. Lorelei!! Way to go girl. In the mean time, Valkyrie was flying all over the place. Sat for days, then off he sure went! Mom and Dad finally rewarded him with a huge lunch. Naptime. Lorelei never moved. Valkyrie did some more flights, then Mom brought the late meal Dad had caught (nice big pigeon) to our hungry Lorelei! Valkyrie flew in shortly after (nice job) and Quest beak fed them until they were stuffed. She left with the remainder and the kids were together again and there we left them, sleeping together . What a great way to end the day. We’ll do one more day to see some flights from Lorelei and make sure she stays high. Valkyrie is good.. Time to learn from Dad!
Good day!
Posted on July 4, 2023 12:10 am
July 03, 2023 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
On Banding Day just before we arrived Canuck was defending his turf from a skunk who was wondering around across the street. He was missing later in the day and we joked that he may have been sprayed and is now having a bath. Thanks Ted for sharing the photo.
Posted on July 3, 2023 7:27 pm
