!!! All 3 Fledge
June 13, 2008 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
CPF Volunteer Reports:
Early Shift: Diana reports that on her arrival,2 birds had flown. They must have flown at first light. This is a trying time for watchers,as we dont know the birds whereabouts. Experience has taught us that if we have searched the most likely areas and not found them,they will likely pop up safe and sound. By 930am this was the case,Sunny popped up first on the condo next to the nest building,as I updated Mark on what was going on. Almost as soon as I hung up,the 2nd Perry appeared atop the 2nd condo. 2 successful flyers!! They had kept their altitude well.
1030am Screech made her first flight. She made a good strong flight to the closer wall of the 2nd condo. Bravo all 3 made good first flights!
All good things must come to an end though. Sometime between 930am and 1pm,Perry had flown again,coming to rest between a wall and the Sun Life Centre marquee,which is quite low. He was safe and unhurt. We are thankful for a condo resident and the phonecall from the consierge telling us about this bird. Bayley was present watching it when I arrived to help her. By then Terry and Elizabeth Shiels had also arrived to watch and say hello. I meanwhile had been with Screech,who had made her 2nd and 3rd flights by now. Flight number 2 had been from the condo,with some loss of altitude,landing awkwardly in a balcony pigeon screen. She quickly extricated herself and sat on the ledge of someones balcony. Upon leaving there,she made a very long flight which was highlighted by a brush with a Sun Life tower office window and eventually an exhausted Sunny went into a steep decline towards the residential area behind Bloor Street. I was worried she’d be in a private residences yard,but luckily she landed on a rooftop,very visible. Ian and I watched her,as an American Crow buzzed her. The adult female Peregrine came in with a purpose,not only attacking the Crow,but very nearly Ian. He told me he heard her wings beat twice,as she sped past him. An event that Ian said he shall not soon forget.Thanks to Renee also for helping watch and refilling my waterbottle between trips back to her office.Eventually she made her way to the top of the Bell Building by 9pm when a local resident alerted us to her. She stayed there as the terrible thunder and lightening storm began for the night. Are U confused yet? Just wait there’s more! While I was watching Perry,I got a call from Mark Nash. He had received a call from security and one of the young falcons had come to the ground near the Aberfoyle entrance to the building. I packed up and headed over to find a small group of people who were keeping an eye on her. I was very pleased to see she was in a spot that was easy to rescue her from. There was a wall behind her and on each of 2 sides. This made throwing my towel on her and scooping her up very simple. WOOOHOOO my first rescue,to a little applause from those gathered. One of the security staff went and got the carrier and I put a feisty unhurt Sunny in the box.
Mark Nash arrived,Bayley offered to treat us to dinner so the 3 of us left,while Diana who had returned watched Perry close up. We soon got an excited call from Diana on the radio,saying Perry had flown and she had got him. That sounded simple…but Diana at risk of life and limb had run onto Bloor Street into traffic after Perry had bumped an SUV. He was very nearly rundown by another car but fast acting Diana had already scooped him up! Way to go Diana..her first rescue too! Later Mark Nash did a medical check on both birds and determined as we’d beleived,that both Sunny and Perry were fine and good to go back to the roof under darkness. Enter the big storm,so we decided with lightening,strong winds and lotsa rain to wait till early morning to release the birds.
Our thanks to all security,staff and local residents who played such an important roll today and always in helping to locate and rescue their Peregrines.Well done to you all. Alls well that ends well…the day was as hectic and in some parts confusing as my report!
Reported by Frank Butson.
Photos by Frank Butson.
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