affordwatches

Friday Spot Check at Islington and Bloor

June 27, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

After downgrading the full time watch to spot checks, it’s still important to pop in every once in a while and check up on the progress of the young ones and count heads.  Yesterday I planned to do just that and it was great to see all the birds in the air!  At first when I arrived O’Connor was on the west condo roof at Kingsway on the Park and she was really upset.  Alarm calls, fly arounds and just a general posture of discomfort was very clear to both Rob and I.  Her focus of disturbance was the roof of the west tower of the condo where we found Ferris on the very top of the elevator shaft screaming for food.  She would hush him with alarm calls and when she settled, he would start singing once again.  We looked around for the source of her discomfort but were unable to pinpoint the source.  It could have been the recent window washing activity on the east tower that set her off, we aren’t sure.  We will be keeping an eye on this though as the young are still working out landings and flights and we want to make sure that all are safe.

I was determined to identify all four by tape colour today as the boys are jack rabbiting around like crazy and figuring out who is who, well that’s the challenge.  Two boys were up playing tag in the air after O’Connor had settled down and we were able to photograph Ferris and Mel ripping it up!  Great job boys.  By the flights you could see that they are still working out their in air coordination but they are well on their way.  A quick walkabout revealed a juvenile sleeping with an enormous crop on the Aberfoyle side of the nest building who later was ID’ed as Ninja.  Back out front we went and watched Mel and Ferris still going at the aerial games when out of nowhere a third juvenile joined the scrum.   We had all three playing games of tag, learning to twist and turn in the air.  The third youngster was Glider and boy he’s catching up quick as the last to fledge.  By 2:30pm, food was now coming in and Mel tried to meet O’Connor out in the air as she brought it into the nest ledge.  She bypassed him and flew straight to the ledge which infuriated our little flyer as Glider, who was napping in the nest tray, got it all!  Sorry Mel, maybe the next one!

I ended my spot check with food going in to Mel and Glider, Ferris on the ledge next door to the nest ledge sleeping and Ninja working on digesting his massive crop.  Great job boys!!