Falcon Rescue 2020

Hello! I hope anyone reading this is doing well as we are still in this pandemic. Blogging for me is not coming so easily what with Angie working from home so much and tying up our computer station. Then there's been the falcons recently, the fledge watch as I participate in every year.

Covid 19 certainly added to our struggle in 2020 with so many closures including easily accessible restrooms; something needed when spending hours at a watch and drinking coffee. A lack of people interested in volunteering to watch over the nest sites throughout the Toronto area was nothing new but I am sure less people wanted to come out during these trying times. The young birds weren't able to be banded early on made keeping track of the young at the watches a challenge too. With so many people working from home, there was a plus side being far less traffic in the area.

I helped out a little bit early on at the Mississauga Executive Centre with the 2 chicks there. One went missing for a few days which prompted me to get out there and help look for him. The night I found out about his disappearance, I couldn't sleep. I think I slept maybe 4 hours total. I was at MEC for about 5:30 am the next day and began my search. Almost 4 hours later I gave up. The other bird had not fledged yet and wasn't going to that day either.

I returned the next morning and still had no luck. I believe it was the following day the missing chick appeared, all high and safe, not needing to be rescued. Yay! Unfortunately the bird's sibling lost her life in one of her first flights, colliding with that damn reflective glass. Ugh!

Then it was on to my regular site to monitor at Islington and Bloor, the site we call Etobicoke Sunlife. Four young birds here. None banded either. One chick fledged on the Tuesday if I am not mistaken and was flying around like a pro, as if he had been flying for years. I missed that as I was at work. The next day I arrive first thing in the morning and I could not locate him. His 3 siblings were still on the nest ledge.

A short bit later in he comes from the west. He does a great landing on the nest tower. Seconds later he takes another flight only this time it didn't go so well. He missed the roof, and thankfully the reflective glass as well. He clung to the side of the building near the top for a short bit. I stood on the sidewalk below and waited to see what would happen. In came one of the adults who tried to push him up but was not successful. The young bird now took another flight, trying to gain altitude but he lacked the strength to do so and flew south across Bloor Street. I quickly followed on foot. I watched him head west across Islington Avenue. Ring-billed Gulls were not pleased with the sight of this falcon and caused him further grief. I lost sight of the bird and could not locate him with my search. I decided to head back over to stand where I could watch the other 3 on the nest ledge and maybe this one would show up.

The remaining 3 young birds all fledged in a very short time frame. It got pretty silly with them all out of the nest. One did the most amazing thing I hadn't seen before at such an early stage of flying; he left the nest ledge, flew to the condo roof east and then about 10 minutes later he flew back to the nest ledge. It was a perfect landing. In the past I have seen young falcons attempt this and miss the ledge, either hitting the glass (even lightly) or the wall. It would be weeks into the summer before we would see any of them back on the nest ledge.

I left to start my day and get ready for work.

I learned later on that the missing kid ended up on someone's porch and had to be rescued. Another kid ended up stuck on someone's balcony and also needed rescuing. So grateful for the couple watchers present to help these 2 young falcons.

The next morning I arrive on scene. I don't see 4 chicks during my head count. I decide to go for a walk and search the perimeter like I do, hoping I do not find a dead falcon on the ground anywhere after a window strike. Minutes later there's a guy flagging me down on Bloor Street. Long story short, he had come into work to find one of the falcon chicks sitting in his parking spot at the Bell building which is across Bloor from the nest tower. The bird had moved since and was in the alleyway behind the building. Luckily for me, he was in a narrow fenced off section and while he had some distance to run away from me, he eventually would corner himself.

The finder stayed on the other side of the fence in the alley. He took some photos and videos but was ready to help if need be. One of his coworkers followed me, holding the carrier for me, and also being ready to be a blockade if the falcon got past me when I tried to catch him.

This was going to be my 4th rescue ever of a peregrine falcon chick. It was very early in the morning. So I was a little shaky initially. Having an audience was making me nervous. Deep down I knew I would get this bird though. It would only be a matter of time and opportunity.

My first attempt to towel him failed. I was slow and the bird got away on me. He ran from me. I kept my slow walk towards him only because I knew he wasn't going to get far. He motored along and this was kinda funny... he hopped up on a small rock and then just glared at me. Why? Did he realize he wasn't getting much further? Did he think "okay, I gotta fight this monster" and those couple inches in elevation gave him the confidence? Only he knows for sure. But this is where I finally caught him. The whole ordeal took less than 2 minutes but it sure felt a lot longer while it was happening.

The finder took a video of the rescue which you can see here.

After many thank yous to the finder and his coworker for helping me, I brought the bird in my carrier to the car and let him have a time out. I went and got a coffee, and watched the other birds including the adults. I never really looked at the bird I rescued, to make sure he was okay, not bleeding or anything. He ran like a champ so I was sure he was alright but I decided to have a peek. You know, see him in a moment of clarity. I took this photo and then covered him back up.

He wasn't happy with me and gave me a hiss.

He was later banded and finally released back home with his family. He was named Nino and his band is C 13. He has blue tape which is a temporary thing but really helps us during watches, seeing tape colours instead of looking for band numbers.

Here's hoping Nino does well and maybe we'll find out about him being somewhere on territory in a couple years. That would be amazing to me.

Hopefully this blog reads well. I've been up for about 18 hours now. I really need to get some sleep.

Thanks for stopping in to give this a read, and not forgetting about Rob and the Animals.