Canada Square Update on the Kids
June 14, 2013 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I was out at 3:30 pm today and saw a bit more action than before.
Haven was on the wall north of the nest looking down on her charges on Canada Square. I saw a little head pop up, then down, then up again.
Stormin flew in from the west and went directly to last year’s scrape ledge where he chupped, had a scratch, spent some time at the back and finally on the edge, in the shade out of the sun.
In addition to the head I saw a wing pop up and flap then disappear. The little head watched in astonishment!
Stormin flew to Rio-Can and perched whilst Haven spread herself out on that wall with wings hanging over both edges! Shortly thereafter Haven flew to the mast atop 2180 Yonge St, followed by Stormin. They flew together and back over Canada Square where they perched temporarily on the tall mast on that roof. Haven flew to Rio-Can and perched and about a minute later Stormin flew from the mast, chupping madly as he made his way west, over the crane further down Duplex Ave and was gone. Five minutes later Stormin was back on RC on the south west corner. He flew off and back a couple of times and then was gone.
Haven too had left her perch.
Roughly 5minutes late someone did a *flyover* the nest and headed east.
A couple of minutes after that Haven flew onto the north side of the tall condo, followed by Stormin. They were there for all of two minutes when Haven was off again! She flew to the west side of the condo, appeared to brush one of the windows, flew behind the condo and then north up Yonge St. Haven was gone for ten minutes and returned to her perch above the scrape. I wonder if she was trying to get Stormin to hunt ?
Stormin had followed her to the east side of the condo and disappeared. Fifteen minutes after his departure he was back on RC three floors from the top. Barely two minutes after his return I spotted three Turkey Vultures east of the tall condo, making lazy circles. They were circling upward until I guess they found the breeze they needed to take them south west. As they emerged over the tall condo Stormin woke up and gave an alarm call. I looked at Haven who appeared unconcerned and continued her preening. The turkey vultures disappeared. The wind was at two levels and blowing in absolute opposite directions. I know this because there were two levels of cloud moving in the exact opposite direction!
A few minutes later a fuzzy head popped up followed by a second one. The first fuzzy head stepped onto the edge and I could see a patch of fuzz amid the *Big bird* dark feathers on its rump. There were bits of fuzz on the wings and the head and then of course those delightful little *peregrine plus-fours* in fluff - the legs. One of the youngsters was exercising his/her wings by stretching and flapping - then was still.
Haven found a stash on the ledge next to last year’s scrape and plucked feathers from it and had a bite to eat.
As Haven chupped and flew towards the nest Stormin also took flight and homed in on a *kamikaze* pigeon so I missed whether Haven had a food parcel and took it to her young. Stormin dived on the pigeon which nearly had a heart attack as it jinked and dived down the side of the black building and onto a ledge there. Storming tried twice to get onto the ledge but eventually flew to the top of that building and looked down. Five minutes later he flew over Canada Square and then onto the big mast atop that building where he perched for a mere two minutes. He launched into flight and immediately went into a stoop over Eglinton Ave and the corner, which is now blocked off for construction. He was so low he just scooped over the scaffolding, did a fast turn and came back over Eglinton Ave with a bird in his talons. It was not a pigeon but may have been a sparrow as there are plenty around there. He landed on the NW corner of the black building where he plucked the feathers off. Seven minutes later Stormin flew over my head with the food parcel and disappeared northwest of me. It was simply to gain height, as a minute later he was back and flying onto the ledge. His offspring mobbed him and took the food to the back of the ledge out of my sight. He remained on the edge for a minute before flying off to a perch on RC.
Haven was back on her wall above the ledge and that is where I left them all. As I was walking to the bank Haven flew to the second ledge south of the concrete wall. She must have left the food there when she flew off earlier. So, today, it was Stormin who brought in food for the youngsters.
Lyn