affordwatches

!!! One fledgling off the platform !!!

June 12, 2016 - Kitchener - CTV-Bell Media Tower

Lisa Reh Reports:

At the start of Fledge watch at 6:45 today, all birds were on the nest box ledge. One was doing a lot of vocalizations. Today’s cooler temperatures were a welcome relief with a nice breeze. At 7:00 one of the babies is doing a lot of flapping and at 7:15 a lot of vocalizations were coming from one of the juveniles. More vocalizations at 8:00, and a few minutes later Hope (S43) jumped onto the red metal decking vocalizing loudly to the others! A second one wanted to follow and was wing flapping for about 10 minutes but didn’t leave the ledge of the nest box. At 8:20 the wind started to pick up. The juvenile on the platform hopped along the edge. Ziegler (S42) decided to go for it and jumped down to the metal deck to join Hope! Tenor (S49) flapped it’s wings like crazy and after about 5 minutes he too jumped down to join the others on the metal deck of the tower! Casper (S41) tried to go down to the deck at the same time but she didn’t make it at that time.

Just before 9:00 a.m., one of the kids is eating some leftovers in the nest box. One is on the red platform just sitting on the edge and one is at the front of the nest box. No sign of Caster and Mystery. At 1:15, 3 of the kids were once again on the metal platform and one was on the ledge. Tenor was right at the northwest face getting blown around. At 4:45 there was another food drop with 3 of them digging in and one (probably Tenor) on the ledge waiting it’s turn.

At 9:00 p.m. there were only 3 babies seen on or about the nest box. One hopped back and forth from the platform to the balcony on the nest box. Two others were on the nest box ledge. One of the adults came in at 9:25 with a small food drop. The fourth juvenile had managed to get below the platform that the nest box is on, perched on some scaffolding beside the microwave on the east side of the tower. Hoping he will stay put until the morning.

Photos courtesy of Janice Newton & Michael Hilborn