!!! Don Mills and Eglinton Nest - Mac fledged
June 13, 2014 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Ann Brokelman Reports:
Mac successfully fledged but with some great adventures. He should sleep well tonight.
What a day at Don Mills and Eglinton. When I arrived Lucie and Richard - watchers had Mac (red tape) on the building to the south of nesting ledge. Mac had 3 short flights while on the south building - a hop step and a jump all before 3:30pm The other two on nest ledge and were flapping like crazy and look like they too are ready to fly and both adults on the letter N.
Suddenly Mac at 4:00pm is in the air and safely back to the nest building on the window ledge around the corner of the nest. Both adults were flying by and landing just above him. So this was his 4th flight and a really nice smooth flight and landing. Thinking that was it for the day we were all cheering him on. Suddenly again Mac was off and he is heading directly across the Don Valley Parkway with both Jenna and Chester behind him. He again flew strong but all the building were very high on the other side. We saw him try to hang like a bat but looked like he was getting lower and lower and then out of site. So somewhere over the DVP and around the 3 big private apartment building was Mac. Lucie and Richard took off to see if they could find him on the ground around the buildings. I called Mark and Tracy. Mark and Bruce were on the way.
The search by Lucie and Richard took a few hours but no luck. Both adults were going back and forth between nest ledge and the apartment building. Both adults would then come back to the nest building and to our amazement mated. OK. Lucie , Richard and Bruce went back to the last known site of Mac. Lucie got permission to check the top of the building and reported no sign of Mac but both adults were flying close by. To the right I saw one adult coming across DVP, then the second adult and there below them was young Mac following his parents. He did a hard landing on the roof of the nest building but was home safe and sound. wow.
What a great flight young Mac did. This was flight number 6 for the day and two very long and dangerous flights. Thinking we were done for the day I start to put my stuff in car when I see a peregrine in the air. Yup it was Mac going to the ICCI building. Finally an adult came to him at the ICCI with a huge pigeon. Within 10 min there come Mac back to the nest building and landed on another window ledge. Last I saw he was laying down sleeping on the ledge. Both adults were on the letter N and the 2 were still in the nest ledge.
Young Mac took 8 flights in one day. Scared many of the watchers . But it was a successful story for Mac.
I must admit I was so amazed by Jenna and Chester and the way they flew together and helped young Mac from each location. Loving and dedicated parents are the falcons.
Photos to come. Ann