Day 12 on the watch at Don Mills
June 17, 2023 - Toronto - Rogers Centre
Marion Nash Reports:
June 17th
Mark and I took over for Cathy who had to make a trip to Ottawa. When we arrived in the morning Lightfoot was no longer on the 2nd floor ledge where Cathy had left her last night and we could see 2 chicks on the top of the roof assuming they were Paige and Gordon. Mark and I thought Lightfoot might be down and we would have to start scanning the ground.
We saw a photographer with a long lens watching the nest ledge and we stopped to talk to him. His name was Mike and he told us he saw Lightfoot take off from the 2nd floor and fly quite well over to 250 and land on the east 7th floor ledge.
We drove over to the east side of the parking lot to get a better advantage point of that side of the building and park in the only small sliver of shade available to start the morning watch.
However I could not get enough of a view of the 7th floor because the Good Life Fitness parking garage obscured half of that ledge. I walked past the garage over to the east side of 250 but cold not see her there at all. I know if they lay down flat close to the window the ledges are just deep enough to conceal a chick from the watchers on the ground so I needed to get higher. I hiked up the stairs of the garage to the 7th floor and top level of the open toped garage but no luck she was not there.
I then scanned all the roof tops of the buildings to the east I saw Mike walking the ground looking all over for her too. I decided to look at the nest building and see if she might have made it back there somewhere on one of the ledges and saw the adults and 2 chicks and what I thought might be a wing tip of a third chick. I had to wait a while to confirm it was her but she finally adjusted her wings and I could see her there having a snooze. I had both adults and 3 chicks confirmed all on the roof top phew all is ok. Now I can send an update text to Cathy who was quite worried about her Lightfoot and now I could go back down to where Mark parked who had set up our chairs to watch for the day.
Since Lightfoot had taken 2 good flights today and had gained altitude making it back to the roof of the nest building I felt she was no longer in any danger of being grounded but would like to see at least one more flight from her before we can make her a check mark.
Mike came over and talked to Mark and I and I gave him the update that all 3 chicks were on the roof. While Mark and Mike talked I saw Mom and Gordon fly together Gordon yelling at her and stooping her and begging for food. Mom put up with it for another minute before banking right and making a fast stoop and hooking around the building out of sight and Gordon landed back on th roof beside his sister Paige. Lightfoot finally got up from her snooze and all 3 spent the rest of the morning and afternoon on the roof. At about 3:00 PM Mom flew in heading for Lightfoot and she took flight to meet her mom in the air a very short but good flight together and mom again hooked right around the building and Lightfoot turned back to the building and landed on the roof a good landing for a newly fledged chick.
By early evening hunger and sunburned we called it quits for the day and will scale back the watch to spot checks daily for a few days.
I did not bring my camera today so the only photo I have of the 3 chicks is from my cell phone but you can see the 3 bumps on the roof top Lightfoot on the left laying down Paige just under the roof vent in the middle and Gordon far right.
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