!!! Flying and Fabulous Father
May 29, 2012 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Frank Butson Reports:
Janet made a few big flights today, keeping her altitude and going long distance both. She made it back to the nest building eventually.
Tracy will edit this part..As we arrived,all 3 falcons were in the air. Janet being harrassed by the new female and Sante protecting Janet. By the time we parked things had momentarily settled. Soon Janet took off again. She headed behind the MEC complex and ended up on a red bricked condo at the corner of Shipp and Rathburn. She landed on a windowsill. There she sat for many hours. By now Tracy had left for a Mississauga school visit so I watched Janet. She wasnt active so I sat down briefly out of visual contact with Janet. I checked several times and she was still there. I saw Sante go to check on her and when we both looked neither her father or I could see her! Ugggh she had flown. I had no idea where. I began scouring every building I could see starting with her last known location. Nothin! Tracy called to say she was on her way back and wanted an update. Frustrated I gave her answers that she was less than happy with. Finally, while I had been scanning the building she left a fellow saw me looking from his condo unit and came out to the street. He told me it was his windowsill that Janet had rested on and which direction she flew. He said towards the condo across the street. So I went there. I still couldnt see her. Then I saw 2 falcons on the same ledge at MEC 3. It turned out it was the new girl and Sante. Back to looking at the other condo. Finally I took the long walk down Rathburn and the backside of the condo where I found Janet! Pheew!! I called Tracy with the good news who by now had arrived and was doing a car search. As I was telling her, she was just down the road at the intersection and spotted Janet too. Crisis over, Tracy had to get gone to school 2.
Janet stayed atop the condo for several hours. Around 4pm she flew again. Out of my site around the corner. Bruce had just arrived on site and he was relayed the message that Janet was coming his way. He looked up and saw her arrive back at MEC 1. Yeah!! She made it home.
During her stay on the first condo, Sante was trying to bait her off with food. 2 times the new female tried to interfere with this. Sante gave up on the food idea and seemingly came up with his plan of attack..literally. I know we sometimes give human thoughts to Peregrines to explain their actions, but tell me this doesnt sound like Sante was running interference? He would hover almost in Janets face as if to say ok get ready. Then he made a beeline for the new female where she was perched. He dove at her,stooped her and made contact with her forcing her to duck and cover on the ledge she was on. Not once but at least 3 times he repeated the whole process. My interpretation was that he was keeping the new female busy, giving Janet the chance to fly undisturbed.
Sante was very very agressive with the new female. He attacked her several times, all over the MEC complex of 4 buildings. He gave suck a display of flying. As stated in other postings, he is really using alot of his energy to do all of this and I do hope as do we all that he looks after himself too.
As the day started to wind down, Mark arrived and he, Tracy and I discussed the days happenings. Mark was chasing answers about Rogue the resident female that is in rehab. Im sure he will post soon with what he has learned. We sat chatting at MEC 3 when we got a call. Security had a double banded bird down and dead. Our hearts jumped to our throats as Tracy and I went over. Indeed they had a band on both legs of a very dead bird. Fortunately it was a Peregrine meal rather than a Peregrine. It was a banded pigeon! We thanked security for the call and told them to keep calling as the next time it could indeed be an injured (or worse) Peregrine. We are glad they are so vigilant in their inspections of the properties and know to call us ASAP. Thanks again for the call!
Tracy and I will be onsite again today, hoping to see more great flights by Janet and there incase the new female does cause Janet to get into trouble. This dynamic is both high drama and very interesting personally to watch unfold as this is a new experience for me. What a chance to observe what goes on when a resident adult female is (potentially)replaced.(photos to come)