Canada Square Report June 20
June 20, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
On arrival at 8:50 this morning there was one fledgling on top of Canada Square having a wonderful feed. Poor little Solar was squawking madly AND he was on the level below the nest ledge!! His first step towards fledging!! Haven was on the balcony below the nest
I saw Haven fly but did not see where she went. Shortly after that I saw feathers flying madly from the ledge at the foot of the black building where it meets concrete. I checked but was unable to see anything. I assumed Haven was preparing a food parcel. I was wrong because I found her sitting serenely on top of the black building. She had an interesting few experiences which were different for me.
First she flew to the youngster on the black building ledge, checked on progress and then flew to the fourth floor wall on Canada Square where it meets the black building. She landed away from the wall and walked very quickly towards the wall in which I think she saw her reflection. She put her beak to the wall and then lift a talon and *scratched* the wall. She did that a number of times before flying further back along the wall on the other side of the greenery. After looking up she again flew to the fledgling which was on the black building ledge. She took away his food, flew to the top of the black building and ate it herself. Once she had finished eating she flew to the nest level and sat on the fourth wall away from the nest.
Stormin flew to the *pantry* - old nest ledge then flew north up Duplex Avenue and west and was gone from view.
Later on Haven flew to the old nest ledge and the fledgling on the roof dropped to the new nest. Haven then flew to the tall condo and was chasing pigeons but was out-manoeuvred when the pigeons land on the balcony! Some of them do learn. Haven was playing favourites today! She caught a pigeon over the bus bay area and prepared it on the Canada Square roof before feeding the fledgling who dropped into the nest, not the poor squawking and starving baby on the level below! Haven flew to the balcony below the nest then circled south before returning to the balcony below the nest ledge. Finally I identified the fledgling on the black building by his red band; Brisk. That left Solar on the level below the nest and Simcoe on the nest ledge!
Simcoe showed us what a young peregrine can do if it really decides on something. He flew high and beautifully today. He soared like a professional. He flew above Canada Square and to the top south west section of Rio-Can where he just touched the wall, recovered immediately and continued flying. He flew another circle Just as Haven flew over Heart and Stroke with a large something white in her talons. Both disappeared over RC.
Later in the afternoon Haven flew south directly over the nest and although Solar squawked madly he was so pooped he did not stand up.
The next time I saw Simcoe he was flying with his mom! Not playing tag or practising anything but flying and they were high! Simcoe landed on RC and had a rest in spite of Haven diving on him. Later on both he and Haven flew together with Stormin; lovely big lazy circles. Stormin returned to his perch on RC and both Haven and Stormin flew over him but he was having none of that! He was tired and stayed put.
The next time I spotted Brisk he was on the fourth floor balcony wall stalking pigeons who simply kept moving away from him. He slipped on the black parts of the balcony so he simply jumped to the concrete floor and walked along there out of our sight but by following the pigeons gazes and the third pigeon which arrived I could tell he was still stalking them. Sure enough when he figured he was close enough he jumped back on the wall and pigeons scattered everywhere.
A while after that Haven fled to the ledge where Brisk had been fed, looking for another juicy plump pigeon. No luck. Our intrepid little hunter flew around and then she took in a food parcel, big one, to the ledge below nest level. Both youngsters mobbed her but I believe Solar got the prize and tucked in. Brisk also managed to get some food. Haven flew to the level; below the nest ledge and was ignored by the youngsters. She was there for some time and eventually flew to the RC building, stayed a short while and flew back to the nest where she sat on the wall.
At 9:15 Haven decided it was bed time and flew to RC. At 9:33 she flew back to the nest ledge and that is where we left her.
One more fledge to go and I think it will be soon.
Lyn