Saturday June 14. Frantic Flapping But All Still Home
June 15, 2014 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Yesterday I arrived shortly after 730 in the morning and found Baylie keeping watch over at Eagle Road and Bloor. The four young ones had been flapping and active up until this point but not as much as they were the evening before. Right around 8 AM Jack arrived with a small tiny package of food that he took into the ledge and left for the chicks to consume on their own. After dropping off the food Jack flew out over Bloor Street then swooped up and landed on the slanted glass windows just below the nest ledge. There Jack remained for about 20 minutes and then he was off to the north and off-site. This was to be Jack’s only appearance that he made yesterday. After Jack left O’Connor decided to go out on a hunt but didn’t return with anything in the morning. With just a tiny snack in their crops, the chicks became very active and vocal throughout the bulk of the morning until just after noon when O’Connor arrived with a rather large pigeon. Skyla and Sunni attempted to take off with the food down the ledge but O’Connor would have none of that. She retrieved the food and made sure that every chick was beak fed in turn. The feeding took a good half an hour after which the chicks spent the rest of the afternoon flapping, preening and sleeping. I was joined by Kathy in the afternoon and we sat anticipating the first flight for Islington and Bloor. We were joined later in the afternoon by Rob and Angie and the four of us sat and waited… …and waited. A lot of flapping, a lot of screaming and a lot of running of the ledge but still no flight. At one point O’Connor, who is now sitting on top of the web camera, started to alarm call. This brought all four chicks to their feet watching as mommy took off out to south and attempted to dispatch two turkey vultures flying high through the area. The airspace was cleared and all was safe.