A Day Full of Surprises!
June 24, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
A day full of surprises!
My eyes did not want to open but I eventually managed to get going in the morning.
Caroline’s report was that Solar had flown, and not just that, had flown well!! I checked the area and found Haven on Rio-Can, Stormin on the black building, one fledgling on the top of the stairwell shaft at 411 Duplex and one fledgling on antenna at 2180 Yonge. Surprise!!!
There was a flurry of activity from the two fledglings and one returned to the antenna on Canada Square and the other to the antenna at 2180 to roost.
Later on another bout of flying around was initiated by Simcoe when he went east with Haven then south on Yonge in front of the two condo`s, around the mast on 2180 Yonge, back over Canada Square to RC roof where he landed. When Haven flew he tried to catch her but he is just not fast enough yet! Solar saw all this activity and joined the fun. She however was a bit slow starting and in trying to *catch up* she flew around the antenna at 2180 Yonge and then directly to the RC roof where she *crashed* and disappeared from sight. She reappeared a few minutes later and called. She had made a long flight, made a turn and had increased her altitude whilst flying back and was high enough to land on the roof. No mean feat. Her flight was a tad fluttery but she had the stamina to climb and do the distance. T say I was astounded is to understate the case!!! I was very impressed. There was more flying to come when Haven landed on the black building. Stormin and Solar also flew to the black building which was a change in altitude for Solar.
She again did an about turn at the height of the black building roof and flew to RC with Stormin at her side. She gained some height while Stormin veered her away from RC. He landed and Solar continued flying, making a long turn around the east side of Canada Square and reappearing on the south end! With this flight she come full circle and just a bit lower than when she set off.
There was another flight between Canada Square and Rio-Can when the fledgling circled the intersection twice, gaining height and made a fluttery landing on RC roof. Stormin then flew to the nest ledge, flew off and was gone!
Haven flew high over RC and over 411 Duplex with Simcoe (Marion determined it was him by his flight pattern) in hot pursuit. For the next two hours there was much flying, first by Haven and then by Stormin. Any time that one of the adults appeared near the Rio-Can building Solar squawked. I think this was just a lesson for the fledglings to get out and fly. Haven flew some more and this time was *chased* by Simcoe. Haven landed and when Simcoe arrived she flew.
At 1:43 pm we had two fledglings on the ledge at the roof on RC. About two hours later the fun began again when an adult flew and Simcoe chased that adult. Solar had had enough and was staying perched. The rain came so Caroline and I dashed into the YE mall for a half hour until it was over. When we returned the fledglings were still on the roof ledge. Both Haven and Stormin were not to be seen.
Stormin dropped off a food parcel and I really think that Solar took it! The peregrine left *looking on, longingly* appeared small and I therefore assumed it was Simcoe. Once Solar had eaten, and was sitting in the corner with a bulging crop, Simcoe went over to the remains and picked at them.
Haven reappeared on the scene at Canada Square with a pigeon. She landed on the nest level but southern end where she proceeded to pluck feathers. Once this was done she began to eat. Simcoe, in the meantime, had been squawking for food whenever he saw an adult move! He even flew to the opposite end of the RC roof ledge so that if anyone did fly in to him with food he WOULD get it before Solar had managed to come all the way across. However this arrangement did not last long. He flew back close to Solar, waited and eventually was really ticked at not having any food that he flew and disappeared around the side of Heart and Stroke. After he had flown, Haven flew to the roof with a food parcel and was quite astonished to see that after all his squawking he was not there. Solar of course dived in and grabbed the food. We looked for Simcoe around the city block bounded by Yonge, Orchardview, Duplex and Eglinton to no avail.
I left at 9:30 pm and I could only see Haven and Solar. Simcoe and Stormin were not visible to me.
It was good to see Stormin fulfilling his parental duties for longer periods of time.
Lyn