Canada Square Report for June 12; Things Are Getting Exciting
June 12, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I arrived at 5:27under a clear blue sky and sunshine. There were 2 eyases visible on the Canada Square nest ledge one of whom was sitting on the edge! Stormin was sitting on top of Rio-Can near the south west corner. About ten minutes later he flew to the top floor of RC and perched.
Twenty minutes after that Haven flew in with a large food parcel and circled the Canada Square roof, circled and then flew onto the ledge where, naturally, she was mobbed by her brood! However, a minute later she flew off with the food parcel!! She made a fly-by and then disappeared around the east side of the building.
Stormin then flew to the old nest ledge, landed and called *chuk-chuk * twice. He then flew to the south face of RC and called *chuk-chuk* three or four times before flying back to the old nest ledge and repeating the calling. He flew from the old nest ledge around the side of RC and reappeared a minute or two later and flew from Canada Square to RC and called again. Haven then flew from the east side of Canada Square to the east side of RC. I could not tell if there was food in her talons or not.
When the adults were not entertaining me the eyases were with their *pigeon toed run* along the ledge, or their wing flapping exercises. Haven reappeared on the top floor of Rio-Can and chilled for twenty minutes. Then we had action!
I caught sight of a pigeon with lots of white on it flying up and up along Eglinton towards Duplex. It seemed to be climbing and was totally unaware of Haven perched high up. It knew its mistake when Haven launched and flew directly at it. In its panic it dropped a few feathers, executed a masterful about turn, for a pigeon, at the same time jinking and diving on the west side of Canada Square where Haven hit it a second time and grabbed it and flew onto the black building over the TTC garage. As the pigeon had taken evasive action so Haven followed it, she was quite impressive doing very tight turns up and/or down following the pigeon. I took no pictures and did not even pick up the binoculars so enthralled was I. Haven finally caught the pigeon at about the twelfth floor height on the Canada Square building. All I said was *ohhhhhhhhhhhh*! It took a few minutes before I could see some feathers flying, as Haven and her prey were out of my sight. I also watched with interest as a gull zoomed in on the feathers, flew towards them and then changed its mind. Ten minutes after catching the pigeon Haven was at the edge of the black building preparing to fly. This bird was heavy! Haven took off and dropped in height and was unable to regain it. She flew at about the sixth floor height over the old bus bays, over Eglinton and Yonge and north a bit on Yonge. She circled three times in that general area, large circles gaining height with each circuit and then she disappeared behind the RC. Two minutes later she was back and high enough to fly over Canada Square, towards the condo building, still gaining height and finally she turned back and flew to the RC roof top where she landed with the pigeon still in her talons. What an epic flight that was and I am sure the breeze in this case hindered rather than helped.
The eyases were up and exercising on the ledge and a couple of minutes later I heard a gull squawking in panic. I found the gull with Stormin on its tail. I have no idea why he decided to pick on this gull. Those silly birds have been flying high and low through the area since I have been watching and the peregrines have not bothered them. Anyway, Stormin was intent on chasing the gull away. I actually think he hit it once as the gull seemed to lose height but did continue to fly. Stormin was under, over and at the side of the gull it took evasive action, squawked and climbed. Finally when the bird was higher than Canada Square Stormin took one last charge at it and then he flew to the top floor of RC. The gull, realising it had escaped, this time, made a bee-line for the east side of the tall condo hurling maledictions and epithets as it went. Haven had just sat at the top of RC holding onto the pigeon during this altercation. Five minutes after he had seen the gull out of the area Stormin flew to the old nest ledge again and called. He flew out to RC and then once more back to that old nest ledge, called again and disappeared along the east side of RC.
A few minutes later Haven flew from her perch, pigeon in talons, around the east side of RC and was gone. A couple of minutes after her departure Stormin flew in again and settled on the top south west corner of RC where he stayed for quite some time in spite of the wind!
Forty five minutes after leaving the roof top with the pigeon Haven did a fly-by of the nest and around the south end, circled the building and was gone. Three minutes later she was back with more circling and fly-bys; three times in all. Two of the youngsters were up on the ledge at this point. Four minutes later Haven flew in with a food parcel. She sat of the edge for a few minutes before disappearing. I thought she dropped it off and flew. Not so. She must have been feeding the eyases out of sight. Stormin in the meantime was back on his windy perch on the south west corner of RC. Haven popped into sight from the back of the ledge and sat on the edge. One of the youngsters came right up to her and she moved from him. Not sure if he was expecting more food or not.
Stormin flew off but returned yet again to his perch and that is where I left them at 8:30. Stormin was on RC and Haven on the ledge on Canada Square. A very exciting and eventful few hours for me. I spoke to a number of passersby during this time. Their timing was all wrong as they missed the activity. Some did get to see the youngsters on the ledge.
Personal opinion: I think one of the youngsters is being encouraged to fledge. The fly-bys with and without food, and Stormin’s mission to the old ledge and calling I believe are indicative of something soon to happen!
Lyn
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