On Peregrine Patrol at the Burlington Lift Bridge: Monday, June 9, 2014

Mom: Cirrus
Dad: Mackenzie

Photos copyright of Bill McCreadie

It has been a difficult week and a good week. Happy Days, sad days, hot days, cold days and rainy days. A week of meeting old friends and a week of making new friends.

A Recap of Falcon Watch Week....

Our official watch started on Tuesday, June 3rd. The morning started with a lot of flapping going on in the nest box. Ireland was the brave boy. He was the first to the front of the box, first to stand on the edge, while Ghent was a little more timid and hung back. We had ourselves convinced that it would be a couple of days before we had a fledge, so we sat back to watch. Around 12:45 pm, Mom approached the nest box and landed on the canopy. Ireland was so excited to see her that he rushed at her lost his footing and ooops he was airborne. Out of the box round the canopy and out towards the lake with Cirrus and Mackenzie in hot pursuit. Bill and I lost sight of him in the trees and behind the bridge. Suddenly Cirrus and Mackenzie returned so we decided that we must have been mistaken, it was Dad that we saw. As we watched the box we knew that Ireland had fledged. So the search was started. Bill walked the Burlington Pier, in and out of every path and checked every tree at least 3 times that afternoon. We were convinced that he was gone.

Thanks to Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) for allowing me to post this photo of the lonely Ghent left in the box.

After Bill and I took a break for dinner, David and Rob Williams and Tracy Simpson arrived and did the same search again with no luck. Just as dusk was settling in, Rob happened to notice 3 Falcons flying just above the tree line on the Burlington side of the pier. Everyone was ecstatic, Ireland had reappeared. Cirrus and Mackenzie chased him into a tree where we were able to check on him. We decided he was in a safe place for the night, there was nothing we could do and we all headed home.

Mackenzie Feeds the Kids

Mom Takes Flight

Cirrus and Mackenzie show the kids how it's done

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

In the morning when Bill arrived, Ireland was gone from the tree. As other watchers arrived, it was decided that a ground search would be conducted in the area where he was last seen. With all the work going on under the Skyway, it is very difficult to gain access to the area. Barry Cherriere and Mourad Jabra took on the task. They searched the entire area and again, no Ireland.

In the meantime, we were joined by Margaret Nelson, an experienced watcher from Mississauga Executive Centre. She had parked her car and walked from CCIW and back searching the whole way. No Ireland.

Ghent works on strengthening his wings

More Wing Exercises

Dad Looks After Ghent

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Other than Ghent getting up to the front landing of the box and a lot of flapping, things were pretty quiet. Everyone continued to walk the area searching for any sign of the missing Ireland. Cirrus and Mackenzie were certainly not issuing any clues.

It was a miserable and cold day. By the afternoon, winter coats were required as we continued to watch Ghent.

Ghent gets in more exercises

Winter coats in June! Yuck!

Friday, June 6, 2014

When we arrived in the morning, Ghent was still in the box and there was still no sign of Ireland.

Everyone, Barry, Linda, Mourad, David, Rob, Bill and myself continued to scan the surrounding area.

In the late afternoon Bruce Massey arrived to assist us and close down the watch for the night. Bruce did a search of the Marina and Waterfront for Ireland and still no luck.

Tonight I received an email advising us that a few of the girls from Rochester, www.rfalconcam.com were coming to spend Saturday with us to assist in the watch. What great news to receive. I know that they love the Falcon Watch at the Lift Bridge, but they also love our Canadian Back Bacon.

Cirrus check on Ghent

Cirrus tries to entice Ghent to Fly

"No Dinner - Get out of here"

Pretty Soon

Almost Ready

Mom, I'm going to Fly at 7:05 Tomorrow Morning.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Bruce arrived on sight at the crack of dawn. At 7:05 AM, Ghent flapped his wings, bobbed his head, stretched his wings and was off. Without any assistance from Cirrus and Mackenzie, Ghent made his way to the roof, of the Hamilton Bridge Tower. He spent the next hour or so running the roof, exploring his new surroundings and even ventured out unto the light standards above the Canada sign.

Ghent shortly after his first flight

Ghent Prepared for Another Flight

Cirrus at some time caught a pigeon which got everyone excited including Mackenzie. In a flash Ghent was off the roof and with Mackenzie in pursuit, he landed on the scaffolding under the Skyway Bridge. Cirrus joined Dad and the two of them tried desperately to get Ghent off the scaffolding and back to the bridge. After a few attempts by Mom and Dad, Ghent finally took flight and tried to return to the Hamilton Bridge Tower. After two missed landing attempts on a horizontal beam, he tried to land on the bridge itself. He missed again, this time slipping down and falling into a hole on a vertical beam of the bridge. We wondered if he would be trapped for good. Everyone sprang into action. We wondered if he would be trapped for good. Up onto the bridge watchers ran, (Bill, Bruce and David) towels in hand at the ready. Luckily, Ghent must have landed on top of a pigeon nest, because there he was looking out the hole, wondering what the heck he had just done.

Mom With a Pigeon

Ghent in Scaffolding

Cirrus Brings a Pigeon to Try and entice Ghent Off Scaffolding

Ghent Trapped in a Hole

Ghent Tries to get out

Ghent Tries to Get Out

Just shortly after this happened, Carol, Kathy and Dana from Rochester and Margaret and her husband David arrived on scene. Everyone split up. Some taking up the watch from the Burlington side of the Bridge and some on the Lake and Bay side of the Hamilton Bridge. He would peak out one side of the hole and then the other side of the hole. He tried for a couple of hours to get out. We had hoped that during one of the bridge lifts, when the people and traffic were quiet he would get up his nerve. Finally, he did manage to free himself and landed on a horizontal beam on the bridge with the traffic whizzing by just beneath him. It was funny to watch because at one point there were 4 pigeons sitting right beside him on the beam. I guess they must have realized that he was just a baby and was not a danger to them. But just wait for a couple more days and they won’t think that.

After another couple of hours, he finally few off and after several attempts to land, came to the ground behind an 8 foot fence of the construction site close to one of the bridge abutments. He managed to get himself over the fence and landed on top of a shipping container which he ran about much to our amusement. His next move was to the top of the scaffolding around the bridge abutment under the Skyway Bridge. Cirrus and Mackenzie tried to coax him off, even using food as incentive. Cirrus flew into the scaffolding to beak feed the little man and then flew away showing him the way out. When Bruce closed the watch at 9:30 pm Ghent remained in the scaffolding.

Thanks to all who helped out today. Bruce, David, Rob, Barry, Carol, Kathy, Dana, Margaret and of course my hubby Bill.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

When Bill arrived this morning, Ghent had made his way to the roof of the Hamilton Bridge Tower, where he remained until noon, when he made his way to the very top arch of the Burlington Skyway. Tracy Simpson arrived to assist. We watched Ghent fly to the Penthouse of the Burlington Tower then to the Penthouse of the Hamilton Tower. He noticed Cirrus sitting in the Hamilton Hydro Tower and he flew to her knocking her right off her perch. Cirrus went and retrieved a meal from under the skyway with Dad and Ghent hot on her tail. The three landed on the very top arch of the Skyway. A great flight by Ghent. Cirrus eventually gave the meal to Ghent but she stayed right with him to ensure that Mackenzie didn’t steal it. As of late, we have watch Mackenzie go into the nest box to steal remains for himself. Dad started searching for other caches for himself.

Around 2:00 pm, it started to rain and the little man spent the next 5 hours out in the rain on the very top arch of the Skyway. Cirrus dropped by to check on him a few times but for the most part he remained there alone. He must have run the arch from one end to the other at least twice.

Finally around 7:30 pm the rain stopped. Everyone was wet and cold and tired. When we left around 8:00 pm, Ghent had managed to get himself of the Skyway Arch and back to the Hamilton Hydro Tower.

In all for a little guy who had only been flying for a couple of days, he is doing amazingly well.

He is maintaining his altitude but his landings still need a little work.

Ghent Practises

Ghent Gets a Reward From Mackenzie After Those Flights

Ghent in Flight

Monday, June 9, 2014

When Bill arrived this morning Ghent was on the roof of the Burlington Bridge Tower. He flew back and forth between Burlington and Hamilton Towers. Mackenzie delivered two small food packages to the roof the Burlington Tower. Ghent made two more flights between the bridge roofs. The final flight included a really good landing.