!!! First Fledge for the 2014 season at the MEC nest site! It’s a boy!
May 10, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Mark Nash Reports:
May 9th - 2014
In typical peregrine fashion, as we know only too well, peregrines don’t wait for anyone or anything!
Canada’s first peregrine hatchling took his first flight yesterday - May 8th,, (well sort-of took his first flight). Given his age and the huge amount of visible white down that still remains on his body, it is likely that he misjudged the distances between the ledges and slipped off in the ledge hopping games he’s been playing over the last two days, and of course, gravity took over.
As we have witnessed many times over the past 17 years at all of the peregrine nest sites, (and as young children will be children), peregrine juveniles are no different. They usually end up doing something stupid in their play and either get hurt or get into trouble,,, (thus the need for the fledge watches)!!
Such is the case with little male peregrine fledgling, - (yes, its a boy),, as he likely slipped off the ledge while ledge-hopping from ledge to ledge and ended up coming up short to make the next ledge, slipped and became airborne, fluttering down onto the lowest elevation closest to the sidewalk out in front of the MEC #1 office tower, some 19 floors down! This particular rooftop is almost directly below the nest ledge and nest box.
Luckily, its not like “Turkeys falling out of WKRP helicopter’s”,, (for those that remember that WKRP TV episode years ago), as although the young peregrine fledglings are unskilled and un-coordinated at this age having never flown before, they are in-part actually capable of some limited flight, (they just don’t know it yet)!
A huge thank you to the MEC security team for both calling and alerting us that one of their falcons was causing quite a stir on the lower roof top out front of the MEC building, and to Chris Newton for quickly sending us a few photos that he captured with his smart phone that confirmed that is was in fact a juvenile peregrine and not one of the adults.
Once again, with no else available and fearing the worst, despite being caught in the other end of the GTA, I abandoned the rest of the days booked appointments and rushed across the top of the city to Mississauga. A quick stop into the CPF head office to grab a rescue carrier, towel and net in hand, back on the road heading west. Oh my goodness, the traffic and the construction!! Remember we have two additional seasons here in the greater GTA,,,, peregrine season and construction season!!! Both can be very stressful and frustrating, with the latter, “construction season” being by far the WORST!! You would think that someone at the city planning departments would stagger the road work being done on the major routes to free-up some of them up to help ease the already unbearable traffic congestion that grinds traffic to a halt during this time of year!
Upon my arrival, I was immediately met by MEC security who in fine form was closely watching (and guarding) the young fledgling from their ground level position just below his roosting spot, one floor directly above where they were standing.
Bruce Massey from the CPF arrived shortly after 2pm and joined me in the watch, watching the north side of the building so we could have eyes on both sides of the building in case the fledgling attempted to fly and ended up coming down on the roadway.
While not really very funny at the time as you always fear that the worst is happening when your not there to help, I have to laugh now (after the fact) as the little fledgling seemed quite amused and animated with all of us as he looked on at all of the “humans” below him fussing about at his presence.
The long and short story, this little peregrine was (and appears to be quite satisfied with his new roosting spot, one that has a much larger area to play on)! And play he did throughout the following 8 plus hours that Bruce and I were on site waiting for him to do something.
His mother, did although attempte to encourage him into the air for over an hour and twenty minutes this evening (this despite the rain), by teasing him with food that she dangled in her clutches as flew both overhead and around him over and over again. While he was very aware of her presence and obvious teasing efforts, he clearly lacked both the confidence and flight skill set to try and fly, and in typical baby peregrine fashion, screamed at her throughout the entire process, with real no effort being made to take flight. He does although run “like he stole something”!! 
I hope that we don’t end up having to chase him on the ground in an effort to rescue him from traffic!!!
Finally, at approx. 6:30 pm, mom finally gave-in and ended her low fly-over teasing, and actually flew in and landed next to him on the lower roof elevation where he was perched and beak to beak fed him. Hardly even a thimble sized piece of food, with a single wing feather attached to the small tidbit. Truly a touching family moment. Thank goodness for moms, aren’t they great!
For the balance of the evening, up until dark, the young fledgling remained quite settled-in (in addition to being quite wet as a result of the rain) on the lower roof top and seemed quite happy about his situation. I departed around 8:30pm so I could get the CPF raptor centre in Woodbridge before returning home in Scarborough, while Bruce stayed on until dark and closed the watch for the evening.
I spoke with MEC security by phone shortly after midnight just prior to filing this report and they told me that they checked on him earlier under the cover of darkness and reported that he was still tucked-in under the overhang on the lower roof elevation where he has been roosting, (and is just fine).
What an incredible team of caring people!!!!
With nothing better to do than simply watch and wait, (kinda like watching paint dry) and with many hours of absolutely no activity, I finally grabbed the camera and took the opportunity to take photos of the youngster. Something that I rarely get an opportunity to do during a typical fledge watch, given that you’re usually running your pants off trying to keep a constant view of the fledglings as they move around the various elevations that they find themselves on, and god forbid, you should have to abandon your camera or drop it while running to follow the fledglings around rooftops.
While the photos are far from being National Geographic material, I did get some decent photos of the young fledgling and have added a few of them to this report for your viewing. Notice the amount of white down that still remains on the juvenile.
Stay tuned, we’ll be back on the fledge watch again tomorrow…………
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