affordwatches

Brampton Peregrines Still Active

May 22, 2012 - Brampton - Courthouse

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Bruce Massey and I attended the Brampton Courthouse this afternoon and then finished our observations in downtown Brampton in an effort to sort out who is where and doing what with whom!! 

Many excellent reports have been coming in from our Brampton watchers Toivo, Winston and Grace.  Thanks so much everyone for all of your efforts in trying to sort out the pairs and places!!  At the courthouse, Bruce arrived first and had the unbanded subadult female on the courthouse calling quite racously.  A male flew in, much too quickly to identify, and was gone as fast as he arrived.  He flew northwest toward the police station and disappeared, soon to be followed by the female.  Bruce and I then met up and headed downtown where many daily observations have been made of peregrines in the George St area.

When we arrived, we found an adult male on the George St building preening away.  It took a while but I was able to get a look and a picture of the black over green band of Milton, the resident male from the courthouse.  After about 10 minutes, the subadult female flies in with food and joins Milton on the George St building.  They both disappear into the back of the ledge and the female pigs out on the food package without sharing much.  We moved to another location that allowed us a view into the ledge and I could clearly see that the subadult female was quite full and now was sleeping it off.  Milton was 10 feet to her left and was snoozing as well. 

It is clear that the pair are not nesting right now at either the courthouse or the George St building.  They are not incubating any eggs currently and seem to be spending time pair bonding rather than family rearing.  There is still time for nesting to occur so we will continue to watch the pair closely for a change in behaviour.