And now Eleven-kids are moving to the condos!!
June 13, 2020 - Toronto - Don Mills and Eglinton - Amexon
Cathy Kerr Reports:
FLEDGE WATCH: TORONTO/DON MILLS/AMEXON:
Saturday June 13,2020: This morning started off with nobody in view.
Not surprisingly, Rey was not where we left her the night before. She’s moved on from her overnighter on the solar power panel scaffolding. We scanned rooftops for the parents as they often reveal a lot of information…
I met up with Cathy, and while my partner Don kept an eye on the nest ledge, we drove out to get a better view of the surrounding buildings. Cathy found two birds on the condo buildings across the DVP!!!. She soon confirmed a parent and a juvie. Fantastic, but who were we watching?
While focusing on the condo buildings, Cathy saw an adult fly overhead and heard the familiar affectionate e-chupping. Hmmm was there a juvie nearby? I walked back to Cathy and we made plans to walk around the area. I spotted two birds on the low garage roof wall. OK. Two juvies now accounted for. Mum was eating in front of Eleven, who didn’t seem too motivated to hassle Mum for food so she’d clearly had a good breakfast before we had arrived. This also meant that we were probably looking at Rey way over on the condo buildings. What a flight. As Cathy said “the force really is with Rey!”.
Most of our day was spent waiting for Eleven to fly off from the parking structure, and not doze off in the sunshine.
We also kept an eye on the nest ledge, seeing food being brought in and parents coming and going, wondering if Hopper would pop up but no such luck.
And then there came Rey back home!! Way to go Rey! But she didn’t stay long, she headed back to the condo building-better digs?
Finally, Eleven flew, off to the east where she’d seen her sister fly to, but missed the condos. Damn. Don Valley Parkway highway, lots of apartment buildings, trees, Eglinton Avenue and part of the Don Valley…where did Eleven end up? Uh oh. So much visual clutter! We waited a while, then after not being able to even spot a parent, curiosity got the better of us and we drove over to the area we thought she was in. No luck. Drove back to the nest building, and waited. Fledge watch teaches you to watch and wait. Eventually we saw peregrine silhouettes flying their way to the condo buildings again. Sure enough we ended our day watching Eleven and Rey having a wonderful reunion on an upper curved roof. Lots of beaking and catching up.
As we lost decent sunlight, we closed the watch with the two female juvies over on the condo roof, and the parents over by the nest building.
Hopefully tomorrow we will get to see some lovely flying, and we continue to hope to see Hopper up on the nest ledge, eager to finally fledge.
Cathy & Sally
