!!! Both Paul and Albus have fledged and flying toooo good!!
June 23, 2012 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
CPF Postmaster Reports:
June 23rd - 2012
For the most parts of the early day it was a very boring day on the watch with very little activity as all three of the hatchlings were very quiet and not active, and both adult parents we’re only visible a couple to times for the better part of the morning and afternoon. Only one feeding at 10:30am!
By late afternoon, there was a little activity until both resident adults finally arrived back on the scene and that’s when little Paul made his first two flights! After working his way down closer to the street level from one elevation to another, he finally ended up on the lowest elevation on the west side of the building just above ground level, but at no time did he actually take flight to get there. He simply fluttered straight down to each level from the one above like a snowflake!
He spent most of the day running back and forth across this elevation, flapping in spirts from one end to the other with lots of rest stops in between. Finally he ran flapping into the head winds and got lift off, flying to the south, then around the building and reappearing on the north side of the building, eventually ending up on coming around to the same west elevation and after a face plant into the windows, he drifted down and landed on the very same elevation on the west side where he had earlier taken off from. He did this twice! Two complete revolutions around the building, (with no real increase in altitude), but good strong flights around the entire building never the less. There is stayed until later in the evening when things got really busy.
Little Eagan ended up pulling off a similar “snowflaking” manoeuver by leaving the nest ledge and fluttering down to a lover elevation on the west side of the building,, as he repeated his brothers more and never actually flew into the air. He simply just fluttered down to the next level down like a snowflake falling from the sky. Ok, this is really getting his is bazaar!!
I’m not sure this is really a fledge as we have come to know it! Little Albus (who was rescued and retrieved from the ground level by Kathy and released back to the upper most roof level yesterday, has now got himself back to the actual nest ledge. Sadly, I missed this event at some point throughout the day while I was focussed on the other two siblings activities, but at no point was he observed in any kind of flight to pull this manoeuver off!! This is beginning to look like a game of Tetris!!
As the later evening unfolded, two of the hatchlings (Paul and Albus) exploded into the air with some incredible flights, both gaining altitude - (with little Paul suddenly performing like SUPERMAN). On two occasions he flew up to the highest peak of the Yellow Pages building as he chased his mother for food, eventually taking it from her and eating it on the highest elevation at the peak of the Yellow Pages building!! Both he and Albus made several very good flights to with altitude as they on chased their parents around for food.
On one occasion little Paul flew over to the building that has been nic-named the “Kitchen”, where the adults are often seen prepping the daily catch before they bring it over the Yellow Pages building to feed the hatchlings. This is also a regular hang out and roosting spot of the resident adult male.
Oh my goodness, what a show when Linn the resident adult female, Paul and Albus the fledglings and the resident adult Reuben all entered into the mix!! By the end of the days fledge watch, both of the young peregrines, Paul and Albus had made several great flights, gained altitude exceeding the height of the Yellow Pages building itself and were nothing short of amazing given that they seemed unable to even take a decent flight all day long! All three of the young peregrines were back in the nest building by darkness safe and sound.
Hmmmm, a little hungry are we??
PS: There were LOTS of photos taken by all during the evening part of the fledge watch throughout this frenzy of flights, but its going to take me a while get them , then to downsize them and get and be able to get them posted.
Stay tuned for more to come…..