Theyre Back!

[chico2]

Winston this is so exciting,I hope all the babies survive,is the building they are nesting on King Street in Hamilton?
Or is that Main Street?
I think it's wonderful how people are helping them out and how many really care about these beautiful birds.
Thank's for all the pics and info

[Winston]

Chico yes they are at the Sheraton Hotel on King Street in Hamilton....across from the Hamilton Convention Centre...very busy area. Thats one of the reasons we have a falcon watch group. Last year our female took her first flight, landed at the entrance to the undergroung parking levels right on King Street...she would have been killed...

Chico it is so amazing to watch them grow up and become adults. between the webcam and I also volunteer with them it is truly amazing..It has become an addiction for me! If your ever downtown in the next few months stop by the parking lot right across from the hotel. There is always someone there watching...great people to talk to and maybe youll see some action.

I couldnt resist this shot from this morning! 4 cute babies!

[chico2]

Awww,they are soo sweet,I hope the parents defend them against other birds,like Crows,or other Hawks.
It might just be worth a visit,I can always go to that big market,a great place..

[Winston]

Chico with Peregrine's they will protect till the death! Very very territorial...Even if one their own came back to the nest they would still defend their nest! I have watched both of them chase red tail hawks, seagulls anything that passes through is a threat...

If you visit the market then you can just go strainght through the mall to the end and you will see the Sheraton..its actually part of the mall the markets in!

Its amazing how the falcons teach their young as well..I have seen the Dad teach his chicks how to do a food transfer while flying in the air! simply amazing!

I have also seen him tempt them to come out of the nest when they are older! trying to get them to chase him as he has prey in his talons! they dont always fall for it but sometimes thats all they need to attempt their first flight!


Cindy

[Chris21711]

Appreciate you keep us upto date Winston. With dial-up it's kind of difficult watching any kind of of video.

[Winston]

Growing nicely!

[chico2]

Awww Winston,that's beautifulthey'll all survive and thank you very much,it's great to see them

[Chris21711]

Too cute Thanks Winston.

[Winston]

So what do you all think? There is supposed to be 4 falcons in the nest ledge...There is a section where the wall meets the gravel in the ledge and it sort of jets into the wall..anyway a chick can hide well under that part..but I see 5 chicks in this picture not 4?? does anyone else see 5? look from right to left and look for the eyes and head area??

Cindy

[chico2]

I see what you mean,took me a while
On the right side,right beside the head of one chick it looks like another little head with an eye.
Maybe a little runt??

[Winston]

Chico thats what I thought too! Not a good thing though! Cause it is not appearing in any other photo might mean its not fighting for food~! But then again maybe there are only 4? I am pretty sure they have been looked at through a spotting scope?? I guess I will find out soon when I start the falconwatch! looking forward to seeing how these chicks do! The males will take flight usually first because they are 1/2 the size of the females..Females generally fledge after the males but you never know..It will be another week or so before we will be able to judge from the pics...once the pin feathers start to grow in....

Cindy

[chico2]

Winston,it could very well be one that is not going to make it,but I guess that's the way it goes.
The ones with the biggest open beak and loudest will make it:sad:
Almost every morning,I find dead little baby-birds in my backyard:sadrobably from predators,my bird-houses seem to be safe though

[Chris21711]

I can't tell, but thanks for the update Winston.

[Winston]

Dinnertime~! and what a difference a week makes!

Cindy

[chico2]

Winston,that is great to see
I guess we were wrong about 5 babies
I don't know much about Peregrins,but isn't even 4 babies surviving a bit unusual?
Mom/Dad looks soo beautiful.thank's Cindy!

[Winston]

Actually Chico no a mature peregrine will usually lay about 4-5 eggs...its after they fledge the nest that most of them dont make it! Most falcons dont make it past the first year or so! this is more so for the Urban nests we know about..the others in the wild well we just dont know enough yet...There are some peregrines that are fitted with a transmitter and it has been shown that they sometime die by the elements and stuff during migration...

Madame X has only lost 2 chicks after fledging..they flew into the buildings down here that surround their nest...Another couple have died in the nest just after a few short days...either from being too weak or from diseases they have contracted...Thats why banding chicks with a leg band has become so important...This was when they are spotted they can be identified....Its funny the Cdn chicks tend to end up in the USA and the USA chicks tend to end up here in Canada??

Madame X used to be named "run around Sue!" cause she was seen many times during her first yr in Pennsylvania running around the highways.....

Cindy

[Chris21711]

It is real neat to see their progress, thanks for the upsate Winston.

[chico2]

Thank's Cindy for explaining,I really don't know much about Peregrins,Hawks or any other of the same kind.
I know a bit about my birds around the feeders and my Crows,mostly from watching and reading some.
But I am in awe when I see a Hawk in my backyard,although it usually means one of"my"birds will meet a grisly death.
I these little guys will all make it

[Winston]

Chico..this picture is of one of our 2 girls that survived through fledging last year.....what I find amazing is that they go from that little white ball of fluff to this picture in about 45 days or so!! Now they stay that browny tone for a few months to a year and then their colors change to almost a grey slate blue type color! I think they are so beautiful....yes your right though! many birds meet their demise with a falcon around...usually pigeons though! not that that makes it better ??

This picture is Blue Foot who had a respiratory infection which is why her feet were blue rather than the bright yellow...she still had her blue feet long after leaving the nest! no one seemed to know if they would change back to yellow or not??

[chico2]

Awww,she is beautiful
I get a lot of pigeons at my feeders and some are really beautiful,all kinds of colors,but in the winter they do get taken a lot by Hawks or Falcons(I cannot see the difference),especially a HUGE one that comes here,but only in the winter.
I get some Kestrels too,but they take small birds,it's sad,but at least they don't kill for the fun of it,they too need to eat to survive.
I saw a Bald Eagle for the first time at a sanctuary in South Carolina last october,talk about a beauty,WOW!!

[Winston]

Chico Bald Eagles are gorgeous! I never realized until last year how much of a come back they are making....We have some down at the lake in Hamilton! its really hard to tell their a bald eagle till they get the head and typical colors of the mature adults..I hear it takes 3 yrs for them to reach that stage and until then they are almost totally brown!

Cindy

[Winston]

Update!


I was at the exterior of the building today as the chicks were retrieved from the nest ledge to be banded..Boy Madame X & Surge put up quite the battle!! It is so amazing to see them protect their chicks! She bombed and try to attach for the whole time he sat on the ledge even after the chicks were being banded!! Fiesty one she is! anyway here is the offical names of the chicks in Hamilton!!

IF you want to see some of todays banding check out this link

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/379085


Everyone, meet Duncan, Blashill, Miles and Elstone. Our chicks were retrieved from the nest ledge today by climber John Millar, assisted by Chris Phinney. They were named after four former Presidents of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC) who passed away recently, Bruce Duncan, Betty Blashill, John Miles and Bob Elstone. The birds were banded by Anne Yagi of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), who was assisted by Bruce Duncan's son James. In the image at left two of the chicks are displayed for those attending the banding, among whom was Jim Stollard, current President of the HNC.

At this age Peregrine chicks are not fully developed so determining gender is not always possible. Female Peregrines are always bigger and heavier than males; based on weights it was decided, for the time being at least, that Duncan (666 g) and Miles (700 g) are male while Blashill (714 g) and Elstone (718 g) are female. By the time they fledge, in a month or so, the birds will be almost full size and it may then be possible to confirm or perhaps modify today's gender assignments.

[chico2]

OMG Winston,thank you for that,the video is amazing.
I could not have the sound on,hubby is sleeping,will watch the video again with the sound of mom protesting,later.

[14+kitties]

This is the first time I have checked this thread as I am not knowledgable about birds. Wow! I am amazed at the transformation that has taken place. Makes me want to go see them in person. Now just have to find the time. Thanks so much for sharing Winston!!

[Chris21711]

Video was a no go for me :sad: Any photos of what they look like now?

[Winston]

Heres one from yesterdays banding

[Chris21711]

Thanks Winston, they have grown huge in such a short time

[Winston]

Wait till you see what they look like next week..I will post some updated pics

Cindy

[Chris21711]

I'm waiting

[Chris21711]

Winston I was the Star this morning and they had an article in there about a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting on a condo balcony in Toronto, did you see it?