One of the falcons nesting at CTV Kitchener goes missing – again

Volunteers with the Canadian Peregrine Foundation are once again looking for Jewel.

The young peregrine falcon, who hatched earlier this Spring in the communications tower above the TV studio, hasn’t returned to her nest for the second time this week.

Jewel was the subject of a dramatic rescue on Tuesday, after a day-and-a-half search to find the fledgling.

She had been spotted on a chimney at a former medical building on King Street West, but searchers couldn't pin her down.

"We started to think, what could have happened? Then, just off the top of my head, I thought maybe she fell down the chimney," said volunteer Kellie Superina.

Rudy Kruppa, with the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, was able to get into the building thanks to an electrician.

"I gave him access to the building and showed him where the clean out was for the chimney," said Steven Thompson, who also has an interest in birds. "It was actually concreted to the floor, so it took us an hour to chisel it out."

The chimney was full of debris, so that also took some time to dig through.

Kruppa said he almost gave up when Thompson decided to give it one more try.

"I was cleaning up and was about to leave and then I decided to check back one more time," Thompson said. "I poked in there with a stick and the peregrine fell down and I called them back and they came and got the bird."

That moment was captured on camera.

"I got on my back, got my hand in as far as I could to see if I could grab her, and sure enough, she grabbed the towel and my hand, so I pulled her out at the same time," said Kruppa. "I was just overwhelmed that… it was just an incredible thing. I was just so surprised."

On Wednesday, Jewel was released at the top of a King Street West apartment building.

She flew almost immediately, but headed away from the CTV Kitchener nesting box.

That's when volunteers began their second search for the falcon this week.

As of Thursday morning, Jewel was still missing.

"The young peregrines, when they're first learning to fly, they're just like human children," said Superina. "They're very uncoordinated."

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation has also alerted the Humane Society of Kitchener-Waterloo & Stratford-Perth in case someone calls them to report a sighting of Jewel.