!!! Love is in the air at the Hearn nest site!
March 27, 2013 - Toronto - Hearn Power Station
CPF Volunteer Reports:
March 27th - 2013
A quickly stop at the Hearn nest site found the two love birds involved in some courtship and copulation activities and allot of vocalization. While the resident adult male (believed to be Peter - who was the same resident adult male at Hearn from last season) tried his best to coax his new female mate to several of his chosen nesting spots, she showed absolutely no interest and remained on her roosting spot throughout most of this observation period.
While she was very receptive to his courtship advances and allowed copulation several times during this same period, she had no interest in being coaxed off her roosting spot. Peter visited at least three different potential nesting spots (including the old nest cavity / nest spot of last year), each time vocalizing to her in an attempt to draw her off her roosting spot to join him and check out the great potential nesting spots he had picked put for her, but she would have no part or interest in anything he was showing her and refused to leave her upper ledge roosting spot high up on the south ledge of the superstructure!
Clearly he was really trying really hard to coax her to these spots, but alas, he was unsuccessful in getting her to budge off her roosting spot. By dark, he had flown up to a higher elevation, perched himself himself and continued to vocalize as darkness fell.
During our observation period, he made several hi-speed hunting stoops - (both unsuccessful) and just as darkness fell, he stooped at and knocked a large female Red-tailed hawk out of the air south of the superstructure - (south east of our location), grounding it as we watched it disappeared from our view below the tall grass! A spectacular event to witness. We never did see the Red-tail come back up from the ground level! Sadly, it happen so fast (and too dark) to get a photo!
We left when it was literally to dark to see much of anything. The strong gusting cold winds and rain really made it difficult to spend anytime out of the car thus the lack of any really decent photographs.
Stay tuned………..
