Hamilton Falcon Watch 2008

Four new baby falcons hatched on the ledge atop a bay window high above King Street West adding too the growing Hamilton Peregrine Falcon population. Two were female and two male, ranging from 23 to 27 days old. The chicks where named Blashill, Duncan, Elstone and Miles, for four now-deceased club presidents, Betty Blashill, Bruce Duncan, Robert Elstone and John Miles.

The Hamilton nest is one of 16 urban sites being monitored in southern Ontario. To date it has been one of the most successful, in use since 1995. Three adult females and four adult males have nested there over the years, producing 38 chicks, 36 of which have fledged and flown away.



The above picture is from the Falcon cam perched a top the Sheraton Centre. When you right click on the picture and select reload image, this will bring up the up to date photo with curent date and time. Or if you don't like to reload please visit http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/ and view their cam shots which reload automatically.

In 2006 I first wrote a post about the Falcon program, you can read it here, http://theeternalkenaz.blogspot.com/2006/06/hamilton-falcon-program-has-earned-its.html

Again in 2007

Later,
Kenaz

Hamilton's for the birds!

Three in fact! Since my first post back in March about this years Falcon Watch update here in Hamilton, there has been new additions to the family. Here is a capsulized look at the new events.

April 9, 2007 - Three eggs are noticed the scrape and may be four. The cold weather is still keeping Madame X close to the nest.

April 16, 2007 - The fourth egg is seen. The cold weather is still keeping Madame X close to the nest but it looks like things will warm up a bit later this week. Falcon fans will be interested to know that the Falconwatch TV monitor and information signs are now on view in a storefront in Jackson Square Mall. Look for the display in the aisle closest to King Street, on the James St. side of the Sheraton hotel.

May 8, 2007 - Madame X is being one protective mama!. No interviews allowed! Around 11:50AM today Madame X started twisting and turning. A short time later a bit of white appeared, and at 11:52:44 a little black beak and eye line were clearly visible. One here, ?? to go!

May 9, 2007 - At approximately 12:25 the second chick of 2007 emerged. The adults take turns incubating, with a couple of 'shift changes' observed. During the afternoon several clear views of both chicks and the two remaining eggs. Two here, two to go.

May 11, 2007 - At 07:07 in the morning the adults did a food exchange and a clear image of THREE CHICKS and the remaining egg are captured. Three here, one to go.

Click on the link to see pics of the aw! so cute chicks and the proud parents.
http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html

Later,
Kenaz

Hamilton Falconwatch is back!

The above picture is from the Falcon cam perched a top the Sheraton Centre. The cool part occurs when you right click on the picture and select reload image, this will bring up the up to date photo with curent date and time. Or if you don't like to reload please visit http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html and view their cam shots which reload automatically.

Last year I wrote a post about the Falcon program, you can read it here, http://theeternalkenaz.blogspot.com/2006/06/hamilton-falcon-program-has-earned-its.html

Hamilton Falconwatch is a great program run by the Hamilton Naturalists' Club. Their goal is re-introduce the once extinct Peregrine Falcon back into Ontario. Peregrine Falcons, although never common, were once widely distributed in Ontario. Their population declined drastically between the 1940s and the 1960s and they disappeared completely from Ontario in 1963. This was due to reproductive failure caused by exposure to the pesticide DDT. Concerns that the species could become extinct led to a breeding program in which 600 captive-raised young were released in Ontario from 1977 to 1996. Peregrine Falcons have adapted to life in cities, where food is plentiful and tall buildings provide high perches and nest sites. Volunteer Falcon Watches are established in many cities to keep an eye on chicks as they learn to fly above busy streets. Peregrine Falcons are also returning to formerly occupied wilderness areas in Ontario.

The adult Peregrines spent the winter of 2006-2007 roosting on signs on the CIBC and Standard Life buildings in downtown Hamilton. They have been active at the Sheraton nest site on and off. The Hamilton Community Peregrine Project confirmed that the adult female present this spring is Madame X and are working to confirm that the male is again Surge (the new male that appeared last year).

In 2006 Madame X and Surge hatched three chicks - all female: Albion, Sherman and Webster, named for local waterfalls. All three fledged safely and left the area later in the summer.

Click on the title link to read more about the organization, read previous Falcon watch updates and view an extensive liabrary of web cam galleries.

Later,
Kenaz

Hamilton Falcon program has earned it's top gun wings

Perched on an 18th floor ledge of the Sheraton Hamilton hotel, he dodges "Madame X" as the screeching peregrine falcon circles and dives about his helmeted head.

And "Albion," "Webster" and "Sherman" -- cute, white, fluffy and just 25 days old -- try to sink their talons into his leather-gloved hands.

The young triplets waiting to fly from their Sheraton Hotel nest and other peregrines are coming off the province's endangered species list.

Peregrines have been on the list since 1973.

But nesting programs at urban highrise buildings in Hamilton and other cities have been so successful, the falcons will be delisted down a notch to only "threatened" next spring. This is the first time ever that has happened, usually we hear about another species being added.

Biologist's carried out the annual banding, weighing, sexing and health checkups of this year's brood in the Sheraton ledge nest.

A fourth unhatched egg belonging to "Madame X" and "Mr. E" was collected to be examined for contaminants.

The 36 chicks hatched or fostered and fledged at the Sheraton nest since 1995 boast a greater than 80 per cent survival rate compared to a 50 per cent rate for peregrines in the wild.

That's primarily because of the dedicated Peregrine Watch volunteers of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club which has a constant web camera http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html trained on the nest.

In the fledgling weeks ahead, as the chicks learn to fly, volunteers will wait below to rescue them as they fall or float to the ground.

This year's chicks are all female and their christening followed the tradition of using landmark Hamilton names.

It's the sixth year "Madame X" has nested at the Sheraton. "Mr. E" was her fourth mate in Hamilton.

She was named "Madame X" because, for some time, her origins, in Pennsylvania, were unknown.

The origins of "Mr. E," who was a new mate this year, will be known in a few days because binoculared volunteers caught sight of his leg band numbers for the first time.

Peregrine falcons disappeared in Ontario in the 1960s because of the effects of the pesticide DDT on the eggs and and young.

Captive breeding and release programs gradually increased the breeding pairs in the province to 56, mostly along cliff ledges in northern Ontario. Six years ago, there were only 23 pairs.

City buildings and urban sites in southern Ontario are home to 12 of the 56 pairs.

Bald eagles are also starting to make a comeback in southern Ontario.

There are two nesting pairs; one pair with triplets at Navy Island on the Niagara River and another with twin eaglets at Dunnville.

It's fun to walk downtown stairing at the highrise bank towers and then hear the distinctive cry of the falcons. It gives you a sense of pride too know your city cares.

Later,
Kenaz