affordwatches

May 11/22 the release

June 11, 2022 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Marion Nash Reports:

Mark and I picked up both Neven and Sasha , Little Neven was in a small pet carrier and Sasha in a cardboard box that could have held an eagle. Mark and I had a laugh over that :)

We arrived at the nest site at about 3:00 PM and made our plan to to safe release the two chicks. I went down to my usual watch spot sitting on Duplex Ave in front of the police station while Mark took them out on the balcony on the 15 floor one floor below the nest just in case one bolted or took flight in a panic and came down again and also so that I could scan the building with my binoculars to see where the other 2 chicks are to insure they were not in any spot where we might scare them off the ledge when he went out. I could only see 1 chick Jamie still on the nest who had not yet taken his first flight and who would not be able to see the activity below him.

Their mom Haven is very aggressive to anyone who gets near her nest and will make full contact hits if she catches you on the roof or at altitude near the nest. I always put rescued chicks out a night in the dark at this site so I can avoid her wrath but since both chicks had not had any food for so long and I had Mark to help and I wanted both chicks to be seen by Haven early enough that she would have ample time to catch a bird and feed them before it got dark.

Since Mark had no way to sneak out onto the balcony with the giant box in one hand a carrier in the other he put both chicks in the giant box. Well fortune was with us, while he was transferring Neven into the box I saw Haven fly off the roof and land on the back side of the RioCan building so I called Mark and told him Ok quick go out now Haven is on the back side of the Riocan building and wont see you.

Mark came out and quickly released both chicks together and ran back into the office and closed the door success! About 5 minutes after release Sasha jumped up on the rail of the balcony and Mark came down and joined me on Duplex and the watch resumed. Neven joined her 20 minutes later and it was not long before Haven took another flight and caught sight of both chicks. Haven swooped down above the chicks and they called out to her and she veered off havening recognized the voices as her own chicks again Success!

Haven did go out on a hunt about an hour after the release and brought a large pigeon in and fed both Sasha and Neven then dropped off a small leftover to Jamie on the nest.

We had up to this point not seen the 4th chick Oli and I went out searching all the usual places while Mark kept an eye on the other 3 chicks no luck Oli was nowhere in site. I know from many years watching at this site that a missing chick often shows up hours or even a couple days later having spent some time on someone’s balcony.

We had to leave them at about 8:00 PM and head out to the Bloor Islington Place nest to release Bip another rescued chick and all 3 at Canada Square looked like they were in for the night and ready for bed. Will have to take another look for Oli tomorrow.