!!! Success all 3 now flying high
June 28, 2014 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Marion Nash Reports:
It was another hot day and I think the heat had got to Haven as much as it was getting to us on the ground. Haven flew from behind one of the condo’s and landed on the south ledge of Canada Square. She had food and was busy eating when one of the babies hopped up from the *porch* below and began sneaking food. Haven was not in a sharing mood and grabbed the food and flew to the *porch* below the nest where she continued eating. The baby, of course, squawked his protest.
Haven was not happy with her brood this morning and managed to get one layabout motivated and flying. The two of them flew around Rio-Can and the baby bumped a window, recovered almost instantly and then flew to the balcony railing of the apartment building, four floors from the top. Haven then rousted a second layabout who flew a short flight. Haven flew onto the ledge three south of the concrete wall and the baby followed! So Haven flew but the baby stayed.
Following this Malik got in on the act and flew a few short sorties with the two youngsters before they flew to the Canada Square roof and sat! One of the juvies flew a long flight along Eglinton east and back over Canada Square and down to 2180 Yonge where he perched on that
antenna.
Haven in the meantime had perched on Rio-Can but not for long. She spotted a pigeon on 2190 Yonge, dropped of her perch and went after it. The pigeon panicked and flew out to Yonge Str. at the same time that Malik launched his attack and chased both Haven and the pigeon around the corner. The pigeon escaped!
Marion did a walkabout in the midday heat, covering everything at Canada Square, the bus bays, the parking lot, the buildings far and wide as seen from the parking lot and came up empty handed. No juvie number three, Chinook!
During this period, two juvies ganged up on Malik and flew around the condos. One juvie tired and landed for a rest. Malik and the other *disappeared*. The youngster on the antenna flew down to Haven who squawked crossly at him and eventually Haven flew off. She was just getting no peace from her juvies today and she was a bit short with them.
Whilst I was in the mall cooling off a bit and fetching something to eat Marion spotted a flock of birds way down south of us. Then she saw something interesting. There was a separate little dot gaining on them! Eventually the *dot* turned around and returned and to Marion’s surprise it was one of the juvies!! He may have been hunting one of the birds or attempting to join them to play. At only 46 days old this was a surprise move. This was probably Linden.
Later on we heard an alarm call and spotted a beautiful turkey vulture flying high above Canada Square, southwards. Malik I think, realised there was no danger from this bird so left it alone but warned a few more times.
Still later one of the juvies flew to the north end of 2180 Yonge and was joined by a brother. One of them was squawking madly. It appeared that there was a *chat* between the two and then the one flew. It was joined by another juvenile, in the air, and they talon touched and flew around the condos, over Canada Square, around Rio-Can and *squawky* was still on the north end of 2180 Yonge. Now wait a minute – two juvies flying and one sitting that makes three!
You should have seen the incredulity on Marion’s face when she said something like *those two are juvies and we have a juvie on 2180, that makes three?????* Marion looked and counted again, yep three! I was not prepared for this and so had a look, asked a question or two, saw the flying juvies and saw the sitting juvie!! We had three juveniles for sure. We had no need to check the tape colour to find out who was there because all three were there.
After several days of searching, on Marion’s part, several nights of concern, wondering where this little chappie might be he just popped up again! My theory about a black hole or devil’s triangle in the city is beginning to look better and better. Marion is more down to earth and has suggested that this was two and a half days of *bait and switch* where we have consistently seen two juveniles but have not been able to identify them because we could not see the colour their bands. So there could easily have been the same two flying but when we saw two babies on the roof it may have been one of the flyers plus the third baby.
We were both so relieved to find all three babies! Now, I have to admit that Chinook is beginning to look like a really lazy little bird!! He has not done much flying that we have seen. He does have a loud and persistent voice, though! We are thankful for small mercies as he is up high and flew from the top of one building to the top of another close by and maintained his height! How he managed to get up so high we don’t know. There is much speculation about it including my black hole theory where little peregrines are *swallowed whole* and kicked out a few days later!
The two older juveniles fly well and are learning the talon touching technique. In spite of their progress they are still no match yet for the adults who simply fly rings around them. When one of the adults wants to get away they simply change into second gear and streak off leaving the juvenile flying *in their dust*. Of the two we think that Linden is the advanced little flyer. He has been from the first time he flew.
I shall be out checking on the juvies but not spending the amount of time we both have spent daily for the last nine days. Three have fledged and three are maintaining their height, albeit two better than the third.
Marion headed off to the Yellow Pages watch to help Mark today after identifying three flyers here and will continue to help there. Thanks Marion for all your help and all your walking, especially in the heat!
Lyn
A note thanks from Marion
A big thank you to the Police at Eglinton and Duplex station for allowing us to come in and use the station as a cooling center and use the rest room and to the officer who always ask about the birds and offer what ever help they can as they come in or at the end of their shift see you nest year 
Also A very big thank you to Lyn for always being there for the birds and for me. Lyn has become as familiar or perhaps more so to the locals as the falcons and she always takes the time to talk to anyone who asks about the birds, hands over her binoculars to them to have a look and fills them in on how the birds are doing. I could not have done this site alone over the years .
Thanks Lyn!
We could use some help next year so if anyone has an interest in helping out and spending some time on the watch with us please fill out a volunteer form on the web site and I will contact you next year before we start the watch.
Marion
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