affordwatches

Glider Recovered After High Speed Building Strike

July 04, 2015 - Etobicoke - Sun Life Centre

Tracy Simpson Reports:

It is never an easy post to write when we experience a loss at any site. We watch them as they grow, band and name them, keep them safe during fledge (as best as any human can) and marvel at them as they learn the art of being a peregrine. Today we discovered the loss of one of our stars at Islington and Bloor, Glider had struck a building and was recovered from the west tower mezzanine.

Paragon Security contacted Bruce regarding a peregrine discovered by an office worker down on the lower mezzanine. Bruce called me and not knowing it’s condition we began to dispatch the closest members of our watch team to the site. Rob responded and like lightning was off to the towers to take a look. He met up with security and they took him up to all of the tower mezzanine levels that he systematically cleared. No bird was discovered at that time and so he thanked them for their vigilance and phone call after which he headed off to work. A second call was placed to Bruce that told him a level was missed during Rob’s tour. The security guard missed a section and that is where the bird was. Marion had arrived at Canada Square to take over the watch from me and I headed down to the site.

I checked in with security when I arrived and there was a worker from the crew renovating the west tower exterior at the desk. Before I could go up to the mezzanine he had an important story he wanted to share. He told me that two days ago the big black bird (O’Connor) was sitting on the west tower roof retaining wall looking down. He and his colleague slowly exited onto the roof, usually OC takes off at this point, and walked over to their swing stage. She didn’t stop looking down at the mezzanine area. She was transfixed. When she finally did notice their presence, she took off. The gentleman telling me this story was certain she was looking down at Glider and thought that she looked rather sad. Just the way she was standing and looking down is what made him believe this.

We headed up to the mezzanine and then down to a lower sub roof on the south side where I found Glider who had clearly hit the building at high speed. I recovered him and brought him back for processing.

It’s always great having boys at a nest site as they get going so quickly and seem to do so well right out of the gate. That in part is the problem. They do so well so fast that they get rough during play and cocky in flight. One little mistake is all it takes.

I want to thank Paragon Security and CBRE for their quick reaction, care and attention to Glider. Also thanks to Bruce and Rob for helping to be a part of this recovery effort and everyone at the watch who was a part of getting wee Glider this far. As I left both adults were on site and I did not see the other three boys. We will be back soon to check on them.