Ossie Has Fledge and What a Fledge It Was!!
July 17, 2012 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I started the watch today at 6:30am to a chorus of screams coming from the nest ledge. True to their schedule, the resident sub-adult female, Chessie, and her mate Hurricane were exchanging food and bringing it in to Ossie and Tobi. Both chicks took part in the feeding and were quite happy to play during the cool of the morning. A second feeding was in the offing at 7:30am that the male took full advantage of and finally a third feeding in the morning at 8:30am that came in to the female. With both chicks now cropped up and happy, they bounced on down to the northeast corner and around the bend to the northern “H” sign where they spent the better part of the morning. This side of the building provides ample shade during the high heat of the day. Kathy and Marion arrived at 9am to take over the watch and were joined by Mark Heaton of the OMNR and a second group of Ontario Stewardship Rangers. As the day was heating up, neither the chicks nor the parents were very motivated to move and slept through the morning. At around noon, Marion and Kathy witnessed a feeding and that further baffed out the chicks and they trundled back off to bed. Bruce arrived at 1pm to relieve Kathy and Marion and the chicks were each behind their own “H” sign napping. Very little activity was seen until at around 4pm when Hurricane flew in and woke the chicks up. He didn’t stay but instead went off the ledge, made a few excellent swoop passes and came back up to the nest ledge with a sparrow. Tobi swiped it off of Hurricane and ate a bit, but not all, as Ossie was in like a flash to steal it away and take off down the ledge. It would seem that this has now become the norm at feeding time between these two. Ossie ate what remained of the prey and very soon after… …fledged!!! His first flight off of the southeast corner took him north towards the medical center where he turned back. He flew low over the emergency room parking lot and then swung back and landed on the 4th floor window ledge on the east side. He ran the ledge a bit and stayed for about an hour. Just after I arrived, he burst off of the ledge and made for the tower. Well if the little brat didn’t stick the landing and make it!! Ossie had landed about half way up the tower on the spire closest to the hospital. He was very uncomfortable and looking to leave so it wasn’t long before flight number three. He headed for the nest building, flew right over our heads, and pumping as hard as he could, MADE IT TO THE NEST LEDGE!!! Bruce and I high fived in the parking lot while Ossie was doing the same with his sister whom he happened to land beside. Phew!! The most amusing part of all of this is that the adults were off site hunting at the time and both of them missed the whole thing. When they returned, the chicks were right where they left them and they were none the wiser. It was all over by 6pm when Winston arrived to spell of Bruce and close the watch with me. The chicks for the most part were calm and relaxed with a bit of play about. Winston and I waited for the evening feed to happen and right at 9pm, both adults flew in with food. This had the chicks on their feet and howling and in all the excitement, off goes Ossie from the southeast corner flying west along the building. He banked north at the western corner and disappeared from our sights but looked to be really high. Winston and I circled the building several times as it was now almost dark to make sure he wasn’t on the ground or low and to figure out where he had gone. Hurricane was on the southern “H” sign and Chessie was now flying circles around the building and being very vocal. As far as she was concerned, her little man had flown for the first time. She landed on the southwest corner and was looking down the ledge and as we came around to the southeast side, she flew to that corner as well. In the near dark, I could make out Chessie with one chick each to her right and left. I could also hear the vocalizations of three distinct birds. It would seem that Ossie landed on the west ledge and ran all the way down the south ledge to home. For a first day out, Ossie is fantastic and this is not the norm. As fledglings begin to explore the environment beyond their home ledge, their inexperience leads them into all kinds of dangerous situations. Even though he has done well today, Ossie still has a lot to learn and much trouble that he can still get into. We will certainly be watching him for a while yet!!
There are lots and lots of pictures to come soon!!!