Hamilton Peregrine Falcons 2010 Season

[hazelrunpack]

Looks like all is going well so far, Winston! And that Madame X and Surge don't suffer the same drama that the Dutch couple did!

[chico2]

Winston,yes there is a lot of tragedy in the wild,but like you say,it's the way of nature,does not make it any easier for us humans though.

One of my bird-houses was raided,the babies are gone,usually it's a Blue-Jay who gets them,I am really not too fond of Blue-Jays,but I guess that too is the way of nature.
The male Sparrow was sitting by the house chirping away,but he got no reply
They work so hard every spring,only to lose their babies,but they'll try again.

I hope the little Peregrines will be fine

[Winston]

HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?

May 31, 2010 - The image at left, taken yesterday around 20:00, shows the relative sizes of the chicks. The smallest one, at near right, is most likely male, and the other three female. The adults have - obviously - been feeding them well. Over the weekend both adults also spent a lot of time in the nest ledge shading the youngsters from the sun as temperatures went into the low 30sC. The effect of the heat could also be seen from the adults' open mouths, caused by panting. This is how Peregrines and other birds cool down in hot weather.

We are keeping a close eye on the electronics which have occasionally caused the the image to get 'stuck' and will try to make sure that pictures are available throughout tomorrow's banding, which should start around 10:00.


BANDING DAY TOMRROW LIVE ON THE WEB CAM!

[Chris21711]

Are you going to be able to participate in the banding Winston?

[chico2]

Winston,I was just thinking of you today and the babies,they look fine,although I don't see the fourth one

[Winston]

Chico I was not able to make it on time today. I was about an hour late so I didnt see anyone?? The fella on the web cam looked different to me! and I guess it turned out to be true...here is an update below. There are some concerns but we will have to wait and see what happens. Falcons are pretty tough birds! The blue foot seems to becoming a common issue in the Hamilton nest. It is apparently a respiratory type infection that they get from pigeons and other birds. I am going to confirm that though...Others have said its hereditary but I know for a fact that Madame X had this start about 3 broods ago...with one each year. Now 3????? I hope the tiny one makes it....


June 1, 2010 Afternoon - After a heavy rain storm overnight, Banding Day 2010 turned into a warm blue-sky morning. Veteran climber John Millar coached Chris Finney in his first descent to the Sheraton Hamilton Peregrine nest ledge. Madame X was her usual vocal self, making many close passes and actually clipping Chris a couple of times. The chicks were placed in a specially built four-compartment container, raised up and brought inside the Sheraton where biologists weighed them and affixed numbered metal and character coded plastic bands. Blood samples taken from two of the chicks will be analyzed for contaminants. The four are generally in good condition, although there is a concern about the smallest one. Our prediction of three females and one male has been reversed - the extra white fluff fooled us.
In keeping with HCPP practice the four youngsters were named after historic Hamilton sites, this year four of our oldest hospitals - St. Joseph's, Chedoke, St. Peter's and Henderson. Meet the new 2010 Sheraton Hamilton Peregrines!


Introducing!

[Winston]

Joseph (492 g, male, blue feet, some yellow):

The Sisters of St. Joseph came to Hamilton in 1852 to care for orphaned children. During the cholera epidemic among immigrants in 1854, they nursed the sick in make-shift sheds. For the next 30 years, they built a reputation for caring for the ill and homeless poor. With bequests they opened a small hospital in 1890. New wings and a school of nursing were added and by 1947 the hospital occupied most of a city block. With further major expansions and conversion of the nurses residence, today it is a 430-bed teaching hospital with a 30-bed chronic care unit.

[Winston]

Chedoke (518g, male, blue feet): Founded in 1906 the Mountain Sanatorium - the fourth in Canada - provided care for tuberculosis patients from Hamilton and the surrounding communities. With the advent of effective drug therapy in the 1940s the need for years of bed rest came gradually to an end. In 1961, with a changed mandate, it became a general hospital called the Chedoke General and Children's Hospital. After several name and functionality changes it is now known as Chedoke Hospital of Hamilton Health Sciences.

[Winston]

Peter (525g, male, blue feet): St. Peter's Infirmary was founded in 1890 with room for 14 patients. Recognized as a hospital under the Public Hospital Acts in 1931, by the 1970s St. Peter's had grown to accommodate 284 mainly geriatric patients. Presently part of the St. Peter's Health System, the hospital now specializes in the care of adults of all ages with chronic illness.

[Winston]

Henderson (746g, female, yellow feet): With wounded soldiers returning from World War I it was decided to build a convalescent hospital on the escarpment. The first building of the Mount Hamilton Hospital, opened in April 1917, was a 100-bed veterans' unit. A maternity hospital built in 1932 sat empty until 1938 because of lack of funds during the Depression. In 1954 the 322-bed Nora-Frances Henderson Convalescent Hospital, built on the same site, was named after the first woman in Canada elected to a city Board of Control. In 1965 the two adjacent hospitals were linked together and renamed the Henderson General Hospital; today it is part of Hamilton Health Sciences. Sadly, the Henderson name will soon disappear. Instead of choosing a joint name to recognize the addition of a newly built world-class cancer research centre, the hospital will be renamed after the latter only.

[Chris21711]

Winston, Madame X hit the big time, in today's Toronto Star there is a photo of her laying her talons into the MNR guy who is gathering the chicks.

[chico2]

Winston,I saw them on the news yesterday,was thinking you might be there,but then again I don't know what you look like
The babies are already a good size,really cute
They said they might get sick from eating meat,contaminated in the heatI hope not

[Winston]

Yes Chris she did! it was his first climb! what a way to remember it! Next year I am sure he will not have his back to her! The normal guy that does it was training the new guy! I bet he was having a good chuckle!

I am pretty sure they will all be okay. From what I have seen over the past few yrs it seems if they make it through the first few weeks they tend to survive. However having said that after they fledge the nest and leave home we have no idea how long they live. inless there is a siting.

I missed the outdoor event this year..I couldnt get away from the office...I tried to watch online....

[hazelrunpack]

Poor new guy! Think he'll call in sick on banding day next year?

Wow, Henderson is pretty big compared to the other three!!

[Winston]

Yes Hazel she sure is! the females are always huge!

Okay this is what its like to have boys in the nest! and OMG this is just the start of it! check out this pic....

Oh what a difference a couple of days makes! check out the new growth in the wings...you see the black pin feathers coming in....they were just fluff balls on banding day!!!

[chico2]

Wow,do they ever grow fast,a sign of good upbringing by mom and dad

[Winston]

Sorry no updates for awhile..I have been distracted.

All 4 are doing well...Peter fledged the nest yesterday and is doing good...3 remain....the youngest Chedoke is alot younger and still growing...no doubt he will be the last one! he is brave now though as he will venture onto the ledge now!

[Chris21711]

Thanks for the update on their well being Winston....Good to hear they all appear to be doing well

[hazelrunpack]

Wow, fledging already!

[chico2]

Thank you Winston,I am so happy to read they are all ok

[Winston]

Here is a new mug shot! they have changed so much!

Hazel yes already...they are not sure if he chose his first flight or if it was the wind that forced him to off the ledge! but yes he is the first....they will be all grown up in a couple of weeks... they are such beautiful birds once they are mature with their unique colors and markings...

Peter is not in the pic because he is sitting on another rooftop!

On a sad note I had to call Animal Control for a seagull last week with a wing dragging behind him down the street...looked like he took a direct hit...also a pigeon....sadly neither would have made it but at least they didnt suffer! Kudos to AC for arriving so quickly for me! I know some people laughed at me because there are so many seagulls and pigeons but I could not let them suffer.

[Winston]

Heres another shot for good measure...One of our previous chicks has taken up roost in the USA...This is Duncan from last year!

[Winston]

For thos of you interested in checking this out....there is a great video done by the Hamilton Spectator of the Banding event. There are some stunning pictures! some nice close ups of the chicks, and a chance to see whats involved in banding them. There is a great shot of Madame X landing on the shoulder of the newbie climber! this is definately the time that she cut him!

Enjoy

http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/video2/Falcons/

[hazelrunpack]

LOL The chicks look mighty unhappy during the banding, as does Madame X...not to mention Phinney!

Duncan is quite the handsome young falcon!

[chico2]

OH Winston,Duncan is absolutely beautiful,do they usually stay around the same area,or would Duncan come back to the area he was bornprobably a dumb question
The babies are so big,amazing how fast they grow..

[Winston]

No Chico they do try ocassionally, but they quickly leave....The only time they would stay is to fight for the territory.

[Love4himies]

Thank you for sharing that video, Winston. Wow, Duncan is one handsome dude .

I do feel sorry for Madame X , she must get very stressed at banding time.

[Winston]

A little update from the site.....

JOSEPH GOES EXPLORING

June 20, 2010 - Falconwatch Coordinator Brad Asseltine reports: Now that both Peter and Joseph are flying regularly, Henderson (left, just after 07:00 today) looks as if she's going to jump any minute. Things are getting pretty exiting for Falconwatchers. Although Peter was the first to fly, Joseph is definitely the adventurous one. He spent much of his day trying out new perches and investigating rooftops. At 12:00 I watched him take what I believe to be his first ever bath, in a puddle on the roof of the Standard Life building. Joseph waded in so deep that the water was up to his belly. Then he commenced splashing about, dunking his head under water and using the backs of his wings to throw water onto his back, making it look as if he'd done it many times before.

Both Joseph and Peter got more practice flying, and more importantly, landing. Their flights are getting longer too. Madame X and Surge seem to be rewarding those who fly with their meals first. This quite obviously upsets Henderson; food will no doubt be the reason she makes her first flight. Chedoke is looking more and more like the others and has been getting plenty of exercise on the nest ledge with Henderson. Madame X has been showing us that she's still got it. This evening I watched her dive From the Fairclough building lightning rod to catch a bird over the city centre, moments later returning with supper. After dinner Joseph returned to the nest and Peter chose to perch on the Stelco tower for the night.


Enjoy!

Cindy

[hazelrunpack]

I'd love to be able to watch them develop their wing-skills! Must be fun to watch!

Glad to hear all is going so well! Madame X and Surge must be so proud!

[Chris21711]

Great updates Winston....for obvious reasons I couldn't watch the video but your accounts are great. I look forward to them every year