A Heart Pounding Pursuit
May 17, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Lyn Reports:
Canada Square report 2012 May 17
A slow beginning to the afternoon’s observations. Three quarters of an hour after I arrived I heard calls but could not find the peregrine. A few minutes later I spotted Stormin leave the nest and fly to RC and settle 6 floors down. A few minutes later he flew to the fourth upright/wall on Canada Square for a few minutes before flying south and disappearing.
Half an hour later, Haven flew to the mast atop 2180 Yonge and had difficulty keeping her perch so she flew to the RC building and perched 2 floors down from the top. I was chatting to someone and watching Haven when I saw her fly off the perch and head towards Canada Square. I thought she was going to the scrape. Not so. She went into a stoop and focused on a pigeon flying towards the TTC garage under the black building. Heart in mouth I watched as she sped towards the wall, chasing the pigeon. The pigeon escaped and at the absolute last minute Haven realised where she was and pulled into a steep climb as she turned away from the wall. My heart was pounding. That was a really close shave!!!!
She flew up over Canada Square and then higher and circled lazily over RC three or four times before disappearing to the east.
Half an hour later when my heart was in a normal rhythm again I spotted Stormin with a food parcel on the RC building 5 floors from the top. Two minutes later, he flew to the nest ledge and two minutes after that he was off again. He flew north around Canada Square and down to the mast at 2180 Yonge and then back up the west side of Canada Square to the NW corner where he sat for a few minutes before flying to the SW corner of the same building. He was in full sunlight and seemed to be enjoying it. Haven flew off the nest over 53 Division with the remains of the food parcel then circled back without the food. Stormin had, in the meantime, flown north around Canada Square and disappeared to the east. When Haven flew back she followed part of his route but came back over Canada Square and then to RC where she briefly perched 3 floors down from the top. A couple of minutes later she flew to the nest ledge and disappeared from sight. Stormin had not returned so I left.
Watching Haven chase the pigeon was practise for those heart stopping moments when the eyases fledge!
Lyn