Liam and Hope Flying High at Holcim
July 25, 2013 - Mississauga - Holcim
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a summer camp in Mississauga for a presentation with our educational birds that was fairly close to the Holcim nest site of Storm and Caspian. I decided to head down and see if any of the young boys were visible and when I first arrived, no one was home. I circled around to the west side of the plant and I could clearly hear a peregrine calling but was unable to locate it. Back I went over to Avonhead Road and set up to watch for a bit and was not disappointed! I first found Hope (blue tape) on the east side of the nest building on the edge of the ledge looking east and howling. There must have been an adult or sibling out that way as it had Hope’s full attention. He made a few acrobatic flights back and forth along the east face before settling in one spot briefly. There he continued to call and it wasn’t long before a second falcon appeared. This bird was also a male and was flying like a fighter jet. He came in and stooped Hope which encouraged him into the air and the two were now chasing each other through the plant. This was Liam (white tape) and he was clearly making a nuisance of himself. Hope was not going to put up with this and the chase was on. Moments later both males were soaring above Avonhead Rd and a third falcon was in the mix. This bird was the same size as the boys, was definitely an adult and therefore must have been Storm. Liam and Hope chased him relentlessly and he finally zipped back into the heart of the plant and expertly disappeared before either of the boys could catch up and see where he went. The two boys continued to chase one another and I finally lost sight of them in the heart of Holcim.
While I didn’t see Hurricane Hazel (red tape) or Caspian, it would seem that the family are exploring more out to the east which is where I am sure the two were. In my brief visit it was great to see Liam, Hope and Storm and I look forward to visiting again soon.