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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.