Another Episode of “As The Brampton Eyrie Turns”
November 26, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I have been writing an enormous report on peregrine activities and have not been out and about for weeks. Bruce decided to “kidnap” me for the day ( I was all too willing to get out ) and head up to Brampton for a check in on Milton and his girl. We learned today that Milton is one of two things. He is either a cheating cad or he is in fact the real James Bond. Let me get you up to speed here.
In 2011, Milton nested successfully at the Brampton courthouse with Truss from Burlington producing one offspring. In the spring of 2012, he showed up around the courthouse with a new young lady on his wing; an un-banded sub-adult female still in juvenile plumage. They toyed with the idea of nesting but eggs were not forthcoming. They were still seen together off and on all summer. A month ago, I was in downtown Brampton and reporting seeing two females going talon to talon over the core of the city; one girl was the un-banded female and the other… …all I knew is that she was banded with a purple USFW band and was possibly wearing a black over green recovery band. A week ago, Winston of the Brampton Fledge Watch team photographed and confirmed Milton at the courthouse with an unbanded adult female peregrine hanging out. OK. You’re all caught up.
Bruce pulls into downtown Brampton and finds Milton, confirmed by his band number, sitting on the east sign of the Brampton Plaza building with a female. I get an excited phone call that she is banded and I better hurry up and get there before she finishes her pigeon!! OK. Like lightning I race along. Check the courthouse, no one. Checked Shoppers World, the Kaneff buidlings, Gage Park area, the church, George St…. ….no peregrines to be had. I pull up onto Queen Street, pulled over and… …here’s Milton on the sign sitting just to the left of a female peregrine. She appears to be in adult plumage, she’s picking away at a pigeon and I could clearly see that she is banded. Milton sat about 5 feet away from her hoping for a tasty treat but she knew better. She filled her crop and then fell asleep standing right on top of her prey. Milton shuffled a few feet closer. She woke up, ate a bit more and Milton settled back down roosting nonchalantly. She fell asleep again. Milton shuffled closer yet again. This time she woke and ( I can’t believe this ) pulled off a teensy little piece and fed him!! Yes, fed him like a child!! She clearly told him that this little crumb is yours, and this big pile… …yeah, that’s mine!! He made one last attempt at the food, she flew off and landed on the SW corner of the BDC building to finish in peace. By this time Milton was showing off his prowess and taking out his frustrations on a local Red Tailed hawk flying to the west. The female then cached the remains on the SE corner of the BDC roof and took off to the east and out of our view.
Moments later, who should sneak in but Milton. He flew straight over to the BDC, grabbed her cache and flew back to the Brampton Plaza sign to eat. He kept looking nervously over his shoulder to the east hoping to plow it down before he got caught and when he finished he was off to the John St apartments to roost. By this time, the female had returned and was looking for her cache on the SE corner of BDC… …cad!! Stole my goodies!! It was there that she stayed to digest her enormous crop of pigeon and it was there that she told us who she is as Bruce and I were able to get a good scope view of her as she preened. Her recovery band read Black 98 over Red E with a purple USFW band on the other leg. This bird is Midnight, a 2011 hatch from the Chase One nest site in Canton, Ohio. She is daughter of the late, great Maverick and is from his final brood with Mystic; this dashing 12 year old male having been tragically lost last year.
So. Questions begging to be answered. Is Milton really a cheating cad or is he just an innocent bystander in a turf war? We’d prefer to think he’s the real James Bond; irrestable, charming and dashing 007. Will Midnight be his lady love this coming spring or will the un-banded female win his affections? Tune in soon for another thrilling episode of “As The Brampton Eyrie Turns”.
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