June 26, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
Where do I begin? Last night when we left Haven had her eye on Chinook but he was hidden from us.
This morning Marion beat me to it and found Chinook sitting as pleased as punch on top of one of the old bus bays. He spent at least five and a half hours there during our watch. He sat up, lay down, ran along the short edge of the bus bay and then walked down the length of it out of our sight. He kept us on our toes, literally, because at times we had to stand on tip toes to see him.
Most of the morning Haven was sitting on Canada Square looking down on him and Malik was sitting at the fourth floor level watching him. Several times both Haven and Malik showed Chinook how easy it was to fly around 2190 Yonge, (black building) or onto the top of the black building. Chinook was having none of that. He stuck to his guns and either lay down or went walkabout on the bus bay roof.
Equinox was having his own problems at the time. He flew round and round the bus bay area and then attempted to land on Canada Square but he was not high enough. He knew what to do, though, and flew back out and circled three or four more times and Malik saw this and went to his aid but by that time Equinox had enough height to land back on the ledge he had left. Bravo Equinox!!
Then Linden tried coaxing Chinook off the bus bay. Linden flew down low over Chinook and up to the top of 2190 Yonge. Then he circled higher and higher over the bus bays and Duplex Ave and on to the top of Canada Square. There was still no reaction from Chinook other than following his brother’s movements with his eyes.
The other fledglings were given food and Malik even had pigeon meal right in front of Chinook but still he would not fly! There was a period when we did not see him on his walkabout or lying down and so Marion went walkabout looking for him.
She went up to the top parking level behind 2180 Yonge and looked out over the bus bays but no Chinook. He was eventually located by Marion near the cooling tower in the lot. So Marion suggested that I join her as there was a shady spot to sit and watch him. I packed all our gear and like a pack horse traipsed to the parking lot and just as I approached the cooling tower Marion told me that he had flown and she was in hot pursuit. Off she went! The little blighter eluded Marion and took off we knew not where. So we returned to our vantage spot to *regroup* as it were and see if we could locate him by either the parents actions or by sound.
There is way too much sound distortion in the area so although we could hear calling it was difficult to pinpoint the direction from which it emanated.
There was also a lot of activity from the four other peregrines.
Marion went to the apartment building to see if Chinook could be spotted on the roof of 2190 Yonge but to no avail. We did wonder, though, whether the feathers floating around behind one of the structures were indicative of his presence even though he was not actually spotted. Marion went for another walk up to the parking lot to do a search but this time there was no luck. He was not to be found. On Marion’s return I asked her to check the peregrine which had been sitting with his back to us for the longest period. We had thought this was Malik. However when he turned around he looked like a juvenile. Marion confirmed this for me. It did not clear up the number of peregrines we had seen in the last few hours but there is the possibility of all five being around and we just not able to identify them. It is relatively easy to identify Haven as she is so richly coloured and she is a larger bird than the others. In flight she has a missing primary feather and a tail feather! Malik is also relatively easy to identify as his chest is so white and he too has a missing tail feather. The problem arises when trying to identify the fledglings. I have had the greatest difficulty seeing the colour of the tape on the bands and only very occasionally have I been able to say with certainty what the colour has been.
Tomorrow we will continue our search for anyone missing.
Lyn