MEC Watch May 12
May 12, 2014 - Mississauga - Executive Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
A great deal happened and lots was learned yesterday at the MEC site and so I will try and be as concise as possible here so I don’t miss anything.
I started the watch yesterday at 5:30am with Mason on the roof retaining wall of MEC 1 eating a large meal that took about 25 minutes to finish. Rogue was sitting on the top of the windows on the southeast corner and the adult male was on MEC 2. After a few minutes the male flew over and mated with Rogue and flew over to MEC 3. We had noted this unusual behavior a few days ago, rebonding between the male and female while a dependent juvenile remained in the territory, first witnessed by Bruce and then by myself and others. I therefore decided to pay as much attention as I could to the adults behavior.
Mason finished his meal and began running the length of the retaining wall on the east side of the nest building. There was a lot of flapping and running with a few moments of lift and this looked really good; muscle building and practicing coordination. At 8:00am food came to Mason again but this time by the male and in a most unusual way. The male landed on the southeast corner about 50 feet away from the fledgling. He tentatively took 5 steps or so towards Mason and then stopped. Another 5 or 6 steps and then he stopped again. This continued until he reached a piece of food that Mason had abandoned which the male now grabbed up and ran / hopped down the ledge to the young one. He stood several feet away and stretched his neck out as far as he could offering the food to Mason. The fledgling didn’t move right away towards the male to take it but tentatively inched closer until he was able to reach it. Rogue then flew in and landed behind the male looking concerned about what he was doing with her offspring and stayed to watch the exchange. All went well between Mason and the male and so Rogue left for MEC 3 so “the boys” could have their moment.
Watching this, combined with all of our observations of strange adult behavior, I believe now that my theory regarding an adult changeover involving the adult male is most definitely the case at MEC. This theory is quite difficult to prove given that Sante, the resident male we began the season with, was unbanded and the “renegade” that now controls the airspace at MEC is also unbanded. Even so, I am as positive as I can be.
Mason spent the rest of the morning exercising and building his strength in between naps and preening and was looking great. The next feeding arrived at 2pm and this time it was all the renegade male’s idea. He took off on a hunt to the northwest and came back 10 minutes later with food to MEC 2. He sat and prepped it while Rogue watched from the top of the windows at the nest building. The male flew up to the roof of MEC 1, circled once, and then landed about 10 feet away from Mason and waited. This time he let Mason come to him and the exchange was made. The male didn’t leave immediately but instead sat for almost 20 minutes and watched as Mason ate his meal. After Mason was finished, the male sought out Rogue, mated with her, and then entered the nest box vocalizing to her to join him. I caught some screen captures of him excavating the nest crater that he’s been working on and he is definitely unbanded.
At 5pm another feeding of Mason instigated by the male. This was great news as he really hasn’t been paying any attention at all to the fledgling nor feeding him up to this point. What made this so significant was that he beak fed Mason during this feeding for the first time and it was really bizarre. He would tear off a piece and dangle it allowing Mason to make the move forward to take it from him. At no time did this new male make any gesture forward with the food, he instead remained absolutely still. About 6 pieces into the feeding, he took the food and flew over to MEC 3 where he stashed it.
Mark arrived at around 7pm and witnessed with me yet another feeding of Mason! Rogue took off of her perch on MEC 2 on a hunt over to Square One and the adult male followed. He returned first without prey and flew directly over to MEC 4 and disappeared into a window well. He came out with a cache and headed straight for Mason, no hesitation this time, and began to beak feed him. Moments later Rogue returned with prey and landed on the ledge behind the male waiting for her turn to feed the fledgling. They were literally lined up with food for the little man and he was taking it all in. The male stopped with his feeding and took the food over to MEC 3 and cached it. Rogue stepped forward and began her feeding of Mason until he literally walked away from the food as he was too full for another bite. Mark closed down the watch and witnessed feeding number 7 by Rogue after which she encouraged Mason down onto the roof of MEC 1 at the northeast corner and moments later, only she emerged. She had tucked him in for the night.
I realize this is a lot to take in but it is so incredibly important to note. I have no doubt that there has been a male changeover. While I can’t prove this 100% due to absence of bands on the males both past and present, the behavior clearly indicates the change. There were multiple copulations throughout the day that was not re-bonding. The intent, for lack of a better word, of such frequent mating is egg production, not bonding. This male has created a huge scrape in the box which Sante would not have done with a young one to attend to; that would have occurred in the fall after his duties to his offspring were done. Tentative interactions with Mason, guarding by Rogue and lack of territorial defense in my mind proves the theory.
Where Sante is we do not know. He was a much heralded male for his single handed raising of broods over the past two years while at the same time dealing with warring females. Over his years at MEC he has been paired with at least 5 different females as they changed so frequently at this site. Because this is such an ideal location, changes here happen frequently and Sante has been the one constant here for the past 6 or more years. He was incredible.
I have so many pictures to share and they will be coming as I process them.
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