The Search Continues for Ireland. Ghent Still Home
June 06, 2014 - Burlington - Lift Bridge
Tracy Simpson Reports:
Yesterday morning there was still no sign of Ireland around the Burlington Lift Bridge. The ground search continued for him throughout the day with Bill and Sue, David, Barry and Linda, and several others looking long and hard. Part of the struggle to find him is the amount of dense trees on the Burlington side of the canal as well as all the out buildings and other materials around that he could be hiding in, on or under. Meanwhile, Ghent continued to have periods of activity throughout the day but not so much as in the evening. The parents were also not as active yesterday with very few hunts being witnessed and only two small food drops to Ghent. They are clearly weaning him and trying to get him out and flying.
When I arrived I met up with Bill and Sue, Barry and Linda as well as Morag who were all watching and still looking for Ireland. Ghent was now getting up and ramping up in the nest box and flapping strongly on the landing platform. The adults were very quiet and not much activity was seen of them until around 8pm when MacKenzie went into a stoop over by the marina on the Hamilton side of the harbor. He returned empty taloned up to the cables while Cirrus sat in the tower. As dusk was getting really thick I checked to make sure I had all three in view. Cirrus was on the cables near to the nest box, Ghent was now laying down on the landing platform and MacKenzie was… …drat! He’s done this to me several times now, disappearing out of view and going who knows where. I waited a minute and sure enough caught view of him going low in towards the harbor and suddenly he swooped up to the rebar perch on the Skyway. Was he watching Ireland? Is he still near to the same tree he was last seen? Only time and watching will tell as he will be getting quite hungry now and wanting to return home for a meal. The parents won’t feed him if he is in an unsafe and unapproved of location. Instead they will withhold food until he comes home. Let’s hope that today he makes an appearance!
Thank you so much to Bill and Sue, David, Barry and Linda, Morag and all those who have come down to watch and help search. You all have been an amazing team of watchers!!