!!! Not quite an empty nest !!!
June 13, 2015 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower
Lisa Reh Reports:
Rudy arrived to a scream fest at 6:00 Saturday morning. Both adults were on the antennas and left at 7:00 to hunt. Janice took up the watch from the hospital parking garage a little after 7:00. All six birds were vocalizing. Mystery was on top of the tower and Caster on the same level as the nest box. All 4 kids were on the balcony of the nest box. At 7:10, Caster flew to the nest box with a package but didn’t give it to the kids. He did a couple of loops over the CTV building trying to entice them out. All four were vocalizing very loudly but nobody tried to follow Dad. Caster gave up and dropped the package in the nest box. Breakfast was over shortly after and even though they have full crops, they were still screaming for more. Many pedestrians near the hospital were looking up to see what the heck was going on. Caster and Mystery were both vocalizing loudly from the tower and the four juveniles ignored them, just like kids do. At 7:30 the fabulous four figure out that no more food is coming and they go back into the nest box to chill out. Every now and then one or two would come out to the ledge to take a look around. At 7:40, Mystery is on top of the tower and Caster flew in with another food package. He sat on the railing at the same level as the nest box but on the other side of the tower. Both parent vocalized loudly at the kids. All four came out of the nest box again, but they just sit there. For 15 minutes Caster called to them but they didn’t move. Eventually, Dad gave up and dropped off another small package to the group. Three out of four ate a second breakfast. At 7:50, Caster took off and Mystery started vocalizing to the kids again, but they still ignored her. At 8:00 all four were out of the nest box, one vocalizing more than the others. At 8:20, Mystery moved down to the railing on the same level as the nest box. Mystery has a missing patch of feathers on her belly called a “brood patch” that she either pulled out or they loosened and fell out in order to incubate the eggs. This is one way we can identify her from the Caster if we can’t see a band.
Karen and Kim joined the watch a little after 8:00. Just after 9:00, while Mystery kept watch on the railing to the left of the box, little Reggie jumped down out of the box to the platform!! The sisters all screamed loudly at their little brother who was the first to leave the nest box!!! Reggie stayed out on the tower platform and was rewarded by Caster who brought him a food package. There was lots of wing flapping during the morning and at one point, Ginnie almost fell off the ledge in her excitement. Reggie managed to get back to the nest box himself by 12:15. Just after noon, Redbud jumped out onto the platform under the nest box. Chroma also ventured out of the nest box to the media platform to visit Caster and stayed out for about 20 minutes!! Mystery delivered a food package to Redbud, and you could see her pulling off the feathers as she ate. Ginnie wanted some food too but would not jump off the nest box to the metal platform. Redbud disappeared from sight on the platform while her siblings were all back in the nest box resting at 1:45.
Marg and Sarah took up the watch from 4:45-6:00. Ginnie was on the front of balcony of the nest box for most of their watch. 1 or 2 of the others were back on the orange grate of the platform. They were all pretty calm except for a few screaming sessions. There were some exuberant wing flapping sessions and one took a run and jump towards the middle of the platform. Ginnie did some heavy wing flapping from the nest box balcony. She rolled forward and fell forward. She also made a little run and jump on the balcony. Just before Marg and Sarah left, Ginnie was on the balcony, two came into the box and the fourth was just beside the box. Karen was back on the watch at 6:45 p.m. Mystery came in and fed the three young ones that were all out on the platform around 8:00 and all were accounted for. Rudy was back on the watch to tuck the youngsters in from 8:30-9:00 p.m. Mystery came in with a kill at 9:00 and the kids squawked for a bit but while she was plucking her prize. They all went back into the box and went quiet. She then flew off towards the hospital with the food. A tiring but rewarding day had by all!
Photos courtesy of Karen von Knobloch & Margaret Paré
