Juveniles at William Osler Getting Ready!!
July 13, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Tonight I spent 5 hours at the William Osler Hospital nest site to check up on Chessie, Hurricane and their two young ones before we start the official Fledge Watch tomorrow. I have to tell you, these kids are a blast!! When I arrived, the juvenile male was on the southeast corner napping and the juvenile female was in the nest tray. Chessie, the resident adult female, was in the eastern hydro tower preening away while her daughter just screamed away!! She wanted food NOW!! The young female left the tray and headed down to the northeast corner of the hospital all the while screaming at the adult. Her waddling has now improved to running as her confidence and coordination improve. After about 20 minutes of this, she tuckered herself right out and laid down for a nap. All through this display, her brother never awoke and Chessie didn’t once stop preening, recognizing a tantrum when she saw one. Both juveniles slept for the next hour and when they woke, that’s when the real silly stuff began.
The juvenile female ran back across the ledge towards the south end where her brother was now preening like a madman. When she reached the south side of the nest tray, she found and old pigeon wing which now became the toy of the moment. She ran the rest of the ledge down to her brother, screaming of course, with the pigeon wing in her mouth. She tripped over it twice but refused to give up her prize. Now down at the southeastern corner, she was tuckered out again and just plopped where she stood with her pigeon wing. The juvenile male now wound up and decided to make his own fun. Down the south face of the ledge he goes attacking everything in his path. He didn’t go far before encountering an insect that required a sound thrashing. “OK Dad, territory safe from that dangerous butterfly!!”. Now he sets his sights on his sleeping sister. Payback time!! He romps down the ledge, jumps on her tail and grabs onto a piece of down sticking out of the top of her tail. He yanked it right out!! She didn’t find that funny. By 7:30pm, Hurricane had arrived with food and Chessie flew out to meet him. In to the ledge she goes with the nights dinner. As I left, Hurricane and Chessie were in the hydro tower and the two young ones were plopped down for the night.
The William Osler Hospital name the chick contest has now closed and we look forward to the selection of names for these two little characters. Full time Fledge Watch starts tomorrow so stop by!!
