!!! Controlled Flight, A Hunt, and A Food Transfer
July 05, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Frank Butson Reports:
Lyn had plenty of action today. Timing is often everything.
Canada Square Peregrine report 20120705
My observation today was barely an hour and sixteen minutes long.
When I arrived I spotted Stormin on the antenna atop 2180 Yonge. A few minutes later I heard squawking from a hungry young peregrine and searched all the known spots for their perching. I finally found a youngster on the antenna on top of Canada Square. I am not sure this was the one squawking though. Shortly thereafter Stormin flew and I lost track of him.
The next bit of activity was when the pigeons on top of the CIBC building, across Yonge, scattered. This was indication of something afoot. I checked the top of that building and sure enough on the south west corner of the brown part on top of the roof was a peregrine. Just from the size I believed this to be young Solar. I did not at any point see band colours. The peregrine on the Canada Square antenna was Simcoe.
I saw a small bird almost drop all of its feathers when it flew up to the roof where Solar was sitting. No exit was made any faster than that one! This particular roof is a favourite perching area for the pigeons at Yonge and Eglinton and as pigeons do, one flew up to the same level as Solar but far end from her and landed on the roof. I could almost hear the hysteria when this pigeon realised it was perched within feet of its foe! Wing flaps were wild and uncoordinated as it almost fell off the roof in its attempt to make a fast getaway. Solar just looked at it in astonishment.
Fifteen minutes after this Simcoe could stand it no longer and flew from the antenna to the east over Eglinton Avenue where he actually chased a pigeon!!! He missed but scared the living daylights out of the pigeon, which I think is still on its way to the Maritimes!!! Haven then launched herself from a hiding spot and showed Simcoe, who was still in the air, how it should be done. She chased another pigeon over Yonge Street and close to the CIBC building but she also missed and this second pigeon has migrated to the United States!
Solar seemed to be plagued by pigeons as another one landed on the same roof level as she was and began walking towards her! When the pigeon realised the big bird was a peregrine it turned tail and walked VERY fast from Solar. As Solar had just seen her brother and mother in action and she figured out that pigeons were for eating, she began stalking the pigeon in a very hurried manner. This unnerved the bird which dropped to a lower level of the roof.
Ten minutes after that and after a number of stretching exercises and runs along the roof ledge Solar lifted off and flew to Rio-Can where she PERCHED ON ONE OF THOSE WINDOW UPRIGHTS. She did this with ease!!! I was so impressed. A couple of fellows from 53 Division were talking to me when this happened and I told them it was the first time I had seen this happen this year.
Haven flew from the east side of Canada Square, along Eglinton West and up Duplex and west again. This set up more squawking from Solar! A mere few minutes after this Haven returned with a pigeon in her talons and one of the fellows saw her food parcel and exclaimed *she has a pigeon and is going to transfer it in midair*!!! This is exactly what happened.
On seeing Haven return with food Solar launched herself and flew directly to Haven who by this time was over Yonge near the CIBC building. Solar, squawking madly, of course, made and missed one attempt but Haven knew she wasn’t ready and did not release the pigeon. On the second try Solar did grasp the pigeon and as Haven let go we saw Solar visibly drop a bit in height and her little wings flapped madly as she struggled to maintain height and move over the CIBC where she went to the roof. We all breathed a sigh of relief. I told the chaps that they were very lucky to have seen what they did!
Haven’s persistence and lessons are definitely paying off!
We saw three attempts on different pigeons lives, Simcoe’s in flight, Haven’s in flight and Solar’s on footJ
I saw Solar land on one of those window thingies and then finally the transfer of a pigeon to Solar.
A very good day and well timed on my part!
Lyn
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