affordwatches

HUGE NEWS!! NEW MALE TAKES OVER ICICI NEST SITE!!

March 10, 2013 - International, National and Local News

Tracy Simpson Reports:

Bruce Massey and I were out this weekend checking out a few nest sites and decided to stop by on Saturday at ICICI at Don Mills and Eglinton.  Both male and female were on site and were quite active.  I managed to get several pictures of both adults and when I got home and looked at them, I was able to confirm that the female was unbanded which is consistent with last year but the male appeared to be banded.  Upon closer inspection of the photos, I could see that this male had a solid black Ontario recovery band and a silver USFW band.  Unfortunately I could not clearly read the alpha numeric reference on his band that would identify him.

Today Bruce and I returned with one mission in mind; identify the male that had taken over this site.  Bruce was quick with the scope and confirmed that the new resident male was wearing a solid black band bearing the identification 95 over Y.  We both knew this band…  …IT’S CHESTER!!  Chester was hatched in 2011 at the Canada Square nest site to Haven and Irving and was seen last spring briefly courting Quest at Duncan Mill Road.  Here he was looking very adult and behaving as the master of this territory!  Shortly after identification, he flew up to the nest ledge and joined the unbanded female, disappearing into the ledge.  He flew out of the ledge a few minutes later over to the DeBeers buidling landing on the “S”.  There he stayed until his mate emerged from the ledge and flew up to the top of ICICI and perched on the northeast corner calling to him.  It didn’t take long before Chester flew over and mated with her confirming for both Bruce and I that he was in control of this nest site.

We are unsure when this change in adult males occurred but we can say for certain that Chester is now the resident male.  We look forward to the coming nesting season with much anticipation.  More pictures to follow.