!!! First fledged at Hearn! Its a male. The two remaining hatchlings still un-fledged identified as one male and one female.
June 20, 2012 - Toronto - Hearn Power Station
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 20th - 2012
As the dawn to dusk watch continues, one of the three hatchlings - (a male) has taken it first flight and was able to hold enough altitude to stay off the ground!
While the first young fledgling lost a great deal of altitude and has not been able to get back to the nest ledge itself as yet, it has managed to stay off the ground and is slowly working its way back to the nest ledge area utilizing the various beams and parts of the superstructure.
Given the amount of land bases predators and other carnivores that we’ve observed hunting on the property from raccoons, skunks, coyotes, possums and the other avian predators including Red-tail hawks and Great Horned owls, it good that it hasn’t ended up on the ground.
The resident adult male did eventually find the fledgling and has been feeding it as best he can.
Sadly, it appears the resident adult male is only bringing in very small birds and is definitely challenged to supply enough food for the three young hatchlings. The oppressive heat and humidity that we’re been experiencing has also hampered his efforts to successfully hunt.
Foot note:
Now that one of the hatchlings has fledged and the other two remaining hatchlings are still at the nest ledge, it has been much easier to identify the sex of the three birds.
I can now say with all confidence that the first to fledge is a small male and the other two left in the nest are one male and one female.
The first to fledge has been named “Tiny” given his much smaller size in comparison to his other two siblings. Now that I can see the remaining two side by side, it has become quite obvious that there is one female hatchling and two males this year at the Hearn nest site.
Stay tuned….
Stay tuned ……………………