Grant Ferris
Grey/Bruce Outdoors

The sun was already blazing down, making everyone squint and shield their eyes Tuesday morning at 9:30 when Kathy began giving instructions on how we were to rescue Owen and Syd if it became necessary. We were gathered in the Great Lakes Elevator parking lot on the west side of Owen Sound’s inner harbour, about two dozen volunteers and a couple of media types like myself. Syd and Owen are the two peregrine falcons local volunteers had been feeding for three weeks. In a few minutes the birds would be set free and experience has shown that falcon's first flights are sometimes controlled crashes into water or land. 
 

MNR Biologist Kathy Dodge demonstrating how to capture a grounded falcon with a towel without hurting the bird or getting injured yourself.

Kathy Dodge is a biologist with the Owen Sound office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and has been involved with the release of 68 peregrines in Ontario, until now, all big city birds. Syd and Owen are the names Kathy gave the two male falcons that were obtained as chicks just three weeks ago from a private breeder in Quebec. 

Peregrine falcons were on the edge of extinction in Ontario but were rescued by dedicated volunteers, Ministry of Natural Resources staff like Kathy, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Locally the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association, Sydenham Conservation Foundation, Grey County Forest Stewardship Network and the Bruce Resource Stewardship Network united and with cooperation from the MNR and the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, obtained three of these very expensive birds. 

An accident prior to delivery caused the loss of the only female of the trio but two male falcon chicks were successfully installed in a “Hacking Box” near the top of the grain elevator structure approximately 120 above the ground. 

Special thanks is owed to Great Lakes Elevator manager Peter Myatt and Gary Shipley who made modifications to ensure the safety of both the falcons and volunteer feeders as well as allowing property access and providing guidance to the volunteer team.

The proven method of raising falcon chicks is to feed them in such a way that they don’t see their human foster parents. Dropping food down a chute leading into their box provides the necessary barrier. The idea is to prevent their imprinting on humans, a natural occurrence that takes place with bird species and interferes with their return to a wild state.

On Tuesday, after everyone was assigned to a watch-post and with a boat ready in case the falcon’s first flight ended in water, Kathy and OSFN member Willy Waterton went up to the elevator roof to remove the bars from the bird’s box. About a half hour later Syd and Owen took their first steps to freedom, beating their wings and developing the power that will allow them, if everything goes right, to sweep across the sky over the Scenic City. 

When I left later Tuesday to write this story, one of the birds had made a short flight over the Pottawatomi River while the other made a non-flying rush at a curious and foolhardy pigeon that landed just a few feet away.

Visitors wishing to see Syd and Owen learning how to fly and catch their own food shouldn’t drive into the Great Lakes Shipping parking lot but should park outside, walk in and check with the volunteers on duty. Binoculars will make viewing easier but perhaps if you ask one of the volunteers nicely they’ll let you have a peek at our new peregrine falcons through a spotting scope as they rest between zooming flights around their new home. 

The latest falcon news seems to sweep across town in a few minutes. So far the news has been both good and sad. The good news is that the bird that was slowest to gain flight is doing great, at least at press time. His new nickname is Fat Albert. He has been flying well, perching around the elevator area on the west side of the harbour and roosting on the east-side cement silo structure at sundown. The sad news concerns the bird that flew first and best. Nicknamed Russell by local spectators and volunteers, it seems he has been lost. A predator, likely a great horned owl, took him last Friday night or early Saturday morning. Arnie Clark found only bloody feathers when he searched for any sign of the missing bird. Everyone concerned and interested in the project is disappointed; he was a splendid bird and great to watch as he taught himself falcon-flying skills. My wife and I watched him fly directly over our heads, cross the harbour and return to the elevators on one of his first flights last Thursday afternoon. It was a magnificent sight. Dave Fidler, Blake Smith, Willy Waterton, Kathy Dodge, Arnie Clark, John Ford, Gord Maher, Ken Cowtan and all the others who have invested so much of their time must be crossing their fingers, hoping the remaining falcon of the original three chicks survives. The plan now is to slowly wean Fat Albert from his daily food rations in the hope he will start feeding himself.

Nature can be cruel but as keen birder Martin Parker told me once: “ Hawks and owls have to eat too, Grant.” Yes Martin, I know that, but do they have to eat birds I know? 

So far, cross your fingers, Fat Albert is doing just great. According to Ken Smith who lives in one of the towering blue condominiums near the grain elevators, the remaining Scenic City falcon is swooping down and around surprised seagulls, doing flight training dives and retiring to the cement elevators on the east side every night. Ken got close enough Sunday to read the numbers on his tag, there is no doubt it’s Fat Albert and the bird seems to be learning fast just what falcons can do.
Kitchener released four falcons July 3, from a hacking box right on top of their city hall. Hopefully all will survive and some will stay around to scare off Kitchener’s over-abundance of starlings and other pesky birds.
The Canadian Peregrine Falcon Foundation is over-seeing eight falcon re-introduction projects in southern Ontario now, including Owen Sound’s two-bird project. A predator killed one of the two birds that were released two weeks ago from the top of the Great Lakes Grain elevators; the most likely suspect is a great horned owl. Falcons, although they have uncanny daytime eyesight, are almost blind at night and vulnerable to owls.