Great Flying Displays
July 17, 2010 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Lyn Reports: I have just had the most wonderful hour and a half outside. The first 15 minutes were very slow with nothing to observe until one of the female youngsters began flying. She flew on her own for about 10 to 15
minutes all around the tops of the RioCan, Heart and Stroke, glass building
and the apartment complex on Duplex. She even came across a couple of time to the nest building and on one occasion flew HIGH OVER the taller of the 2 condo buildings! I was immensely impressed, so much so that I questioned whether this was possibly the mom. However all tail feathers and wing feathers were in place! After a brief respite, she landed out of sight on the Heart and Stroke building, 2 birds took to the air and gave me an incredible display of their aerial prowess! I was mesmerised as they flew apart, together, one above the other, one ahead of the other, side by side and actually talon touched! They were practising, it was obvious, because there were many misses and many occasions when both turned the same way and of course missed again. However, there were many *hits* when they actually touched or almost did! Then a 3rd bird took to the air and joined in the fun and I was watching all 3 youngsters, talon touch (much of the time), fly together,apart,above and below and in front of and behind one another! Most of this took place in the air space above the RioCan and Heart and Stroke buildings but they did fly over Duplex Avenue and over the nest building on occasion.
After 30 minutes of this interaction one of the females flew *east along
Eglinton* - I did not follow! Then Typhoon had a rest on the antenna on top
of the nest building. A few minutes respite to relax my neck and the display
began again. First a sole female took to the air and then Typhoon joined her
and they *played* over the RioCan building and up Duplex avenue. There was an almost hysterical outburst of young Peregrine squawking and I saw Mom fly over and onto the Yonge street side of things out of sight! She has lost another wing feather, the other wing, and I think another tail feather! Once she was out of sight all was quiet again and the third youngster came in from the east and again I had a display of all 3 in the air! They fly
beautifully, missing one another in the air, turning on a dime, and ducking
and weaving!! It was quite breezy so I don’t know if they have all actually mastered the art of *kiting*, staying in the same place deliberately, or not but they all managed it a number of times each!
The youngsters all went to roost on the back of the Heart and Stroke
building, I think! They appeared to come down over that building. Once they had been down for a while dad sneaked in from somewhere, flew over the nest building and part of the black building above the TTC bus bay, turned and came in to land on the third balcony (middle), nest level, on the south side of the concrete wall. I did not have the scope with me and try as I did I could not see his band. I don’t think I would have been able to with the scope either as he was just back far enough that I could not see his bare
legs.
All this time in the air was done in silence, except when mom appeared and
disappeared. I had a ringside seat from my perch on the EMS ramp! I was so impressed with the youngsters!
Cheers
Lyn