!!! Things get a little Cuckoo at Yellow Pages
July 03, 2014 - Scarborough - Yellow Pages
Marion Nash Reports:
When and I arrived this morning Tormey way low on the 2nd floor canopy over the front of the Yellow Pages building on the north side so I set up on the grass across the street to watch her. Dave came shortly after and set out to look for her brother and sister.
Dave found both a few minutes later and both were high and safe so we settled in to keep an eye on Tormey while she walked back and forth on the overhang flapping and looking like she was not too happy to be there.
In the afternoon Petra decided to take flight and she flew out and hooked back to the building but missed the landing and fluttered down the front of the windows and landed on the opposite 2nd floor overhand to the one her sister was on.
Tormey walked around to see her and the 2 looked across at each other while people came in and out of the front door oblivious to the drama the fledglings were feeling above Oh my how do we get back up there to Mom and Dad???
Dave moved to the North west to watch Petra and I stayed with Tormey and there we sat all afternoon.
At about 1:30 Mom and Dad took off and flew to the south parking area to escort 2 Turkey vultures out of their territory otherwise it was a quiet all afternoon.
Just after 5 PM a new volunteer watcher came to help and I gave Michael a crash corse falcon rescue 101 and set him up on the south west side just in case Petra flew off in that direction and that way Dave and he could watch her and Loran while I keep an eye on the ledge wandering Tormey who could not seem to decide if she preferred the north side of the overhang or the south.
While she was at the south end of the overhang a cuckoo landed just feet from her and scolded her and flew off only to return and do it again twice more, I see why being called cuckoo is not a compliment to ones intelligence.
I was just after 6:00 PM when I heard Michael say that one of the adults flew off to the west after something and asked Dave if he saw what it was. It had a long neck said Dave I think it was a swan.
I began to get quite cold and Dave decided to head home so Michael and I positioned ourselves in the best place we could to keep watch over the 2 girls and not more than 20 minutes after Dave left Tormey took flight from the south end of the lower ledge heading west to the Investors Group building and almost made it but was just a few feet short of the top. She grabbed hold to the top window frame and did the bat manoeuver holding on until mom flew over and batted her off and got her to fly. She hooked back to the Yellow Pages building and kept her altitude landing safely on the 12 floor ledge on the west side that a girl Tormey I thought now stay the heck up there whilst I deal with your sister.
I walked over to her sister Petra who looked down at me standing below her and I said ok kid fly and as if in response she flapped her wings and her feet left the ledge a fer inches and she settled bank sown so again I said good girl fly and she repeated the process. Michael who was watching this came on the radio and said I think she is teasing you so to which I replied I think your right so this time I shouted FLY and I am still laughing because she did. She took off and hooked around the building to the south with both me and Michael in hot pursuit around to the back parking.
Michael said I think I found her and I looked up to whare he pointed and there was a falcon with her back to up high at nest ledge level. Great we had her and «I was happy but after a better ;look that was mom so I backed up a little and had a closer look at the east side and found her walking along the ground on the east side of the building heading north towards the street.
I asked Michael to get circle around to the right of her and get in front of her while a sneak up behind her so he could approach from the front and me from the back so that she would not be flushed into the street. This worked out perfect and within minutes I had her wrapped in a towel and In the rescue carrier.
I called Mark and we decided to hold her over in security and will release her on the roof tomorrow when there is more light.
I will try to get some pictures of her and the release and post them for you tomorrow!
Marion