Webcam community watches young falcon 'Ancaster' take first flight

Flapping her wings and psyching herself up, the city's youngestperegrine falcon steps out onto the ledge of the 18th floor of the Sheraton Hoteland takes off forthe first time.

The flight was captured on a pair of webcams,which broadcast the event live to followers online. For those who didn't catch the first flight in real timeon Wednesday morning, the moment was repostedto YouTube.

Mike Street, a senior monitor with the HamiltonFalconwatch project, has been a volunteer with the groupsince it began in 1995. He said since March, the group's website has been visited more than 108,000 times. Most of those visits cameafter babyAncaster hatchedin April.

"People are cheering for the bird," he said. "They watched it grow, literally from a little white fluffball to this 18-inch, one kilogram creature."

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The young bird has received numerous messages of encouragementand congratulations on Facebook following its first flight.

Linda Miller said"OMGI feel like I've just witnessed my firstborn taking his first step. Funny how moments such as this can trigger wonderful memories. Safe skys Ancaster. May the wind always be at your back!"

Dawn Be said "And the search begins wonder what shenanigans Ancaster will get up to today."

Ancaster is airborne

Street said the volunteers at Falconwatch knew the young bird was going to take to the sky when it did. She displayedall the signs of being ready: the jumping around near the ledge, theflapping of wings, the helicoptering.

"The first flight is always the biggest concern because that's the most dangerous one," he said.

Volunteerspreparedfor the initial flight by stationing themselves at street-level and onthe 14th floor of the Stelco building downtown. If the bird was unable to fly back up to its nest after leaping off, the volunteers wouldmake sure it wasn't injured once it toucheddown onto the ground.

"Falcon watching is hours of boredomand moments of panic," Street said.

Since the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project began in 1995, there have been 24 rescues for birds that ended up at street-level after attempting their first flight. Most of those birds were uninjured and brought back to the nest on the ledge of the Sheraton to try again.

Listed as 'special concern'

Streetsaid Ancaster was the only fledgling to come out of the nest this year. There were three other eggs, he said, but the cold snap earlier thisspring likely contributed to thoseeggs remaining unhatched.

Over the next few months, Ancaster will continue to practice her flying, building up to September, when she will migrate south. She may come back to the area the following year, he said, but she will not return to the nest on the Sheraton.

Ancaster is the 55th fledgling to successfullyfly out of the nest, Street said. All the birds are banded with an identifiable code. Most of those 55 are scattered throughout North America, and bird watchers will spot them from time to time, he said.

Currently, peregrine falcons are listed as "special concern" by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).