Tender family moments.
June 09, 2009 - Etobicoke - William Osler
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Tonight was even better than yesterday. The new family has settled in and are loving life. For the first little while, I couldn’t see any of the chicks but was comforted by the fact that O’Connor was sitting squarely on the SE corner of the building. I walked the perimeter below the ledge and found a fresh pigeon kill picked completely clean, not a scrap left. The resident adult male (Hurricane) was on the southern side of the building on the “H” taking a break but not for long. Within minutes of my arrival, he was off like a man on a mission. Just after his take-off, three little sleepy heads popped out from behind the “H’ on the east side where the nest tray is located. After much stretching, the three juveniles preened themselves silly. One of the chicks, the larger female Margaritta, started preening with preen oil all of her new feathers that are working there way in.
Heads up… …Dad’s ee-chupping! Sounds like dinner! 8:05pm. Right on time! A pass off of food from Hurricane to O’Connor who then prepped the dinner for feeding. She flew over to join her chicks and with the utmost care and attention, beak fed each chick in turn. It was absolutely amazing to be a part of such a tender moment between mother and young. After dinner, a good romp on the ledge with much wing stretching, pouncing and flapping exercises before off to bed they went with Hurricane above them on the “H” and O’Connor back on the SE corner.