Imitation the Greatest Form of Flattery
June 19, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Once again, the three juveniles were ledge running most of the evening. Much to my chagrin, they have now found that there is a FOURTH side to this building. They have had me running circuits all night!! They are certainly gearing up for take off any day now. The one chick, known as Apollo and donning a blue band, was the most active of the bunch, running up and down the ledge so fast that I was worried he would fledge without really meaning to!! Several feedings were had throughout my watch ( 4 to be exact! ) with mom showing impatience with them on the final snack of the night. Dad ( Hurricane ) brought the food in, dropped it and left it to the chicks to self serve. Katarina, our little one with a red band, grabbed the food and made a dash for the nest tray. Apollo, our chick with the blue band, jumped in front with wings spread, blocking all escape with the food. Katarina turned around only to find her big sister Margherita standing right in her face like a little brown tank. That’s when mom flew in, took the food and generously fed each one a share. Satisfied, the three juveniles made their way over to the northeast corner where Apollo, the male chick, did something that made me absolutely laugh.
Dad, the resident male known as Hurricane, often sits right on the northeast corner ( literally on the edge ) with his back to the east. It would appear that Apollo decided he wanted to be like Dad tonight so he wandered up to the corner and very gingerly “pawed” at the edge. When he felt sure of his footing, he took a step forward and shuffled around using little baby steps until he was in the exact same position that Dad always sits. He was so proud of himself that he did a huge rouse of his feathers, wiggled his tail and then sat up straight as an arrow as if to say, “Look at me!! I’m a big boy now!!”.