The last few days I have been out to the Etobicoke Sun Life nest site trying to determine who the new resident female is.  From the photos taken by Mark Nash, it was clear that a banded bird with a Black over Green recovery band was the new resident female.  Now we needed to get to the task of identifying her.  Two previous tries at an identification from Eagle Road and Bloor Street through the scope and she wouldn’t even flinch.  But today I was treated to the most memorable experience I have had in a very long time.

The bird that presented itself on the nest tray was sleeping when I arrived at 3:00pm.  Each and every opportunity I had to see her, she was fast asleep on the edge of the tray next to her 4 healthy and happy hatchlings.  She consistently roosted on her left leg, the one that I wanted to see and possibly photograph.  She sat for half an hour not moving, only sleeping.  This had me a little concerned and confused as this female was so docile with gulls, crows and other activity all around her.  Earlier I had the opportunity to briefly see her fly and she did that well with good landings and excellent control and she roosted in the strong winds with good balance.  She just seemed really tired.  When I thought about it, this is a new female at a new site, with a new male, new chicks and a new territory.  I’m tired just thinking about it.  From all that I have observed, she seems to have everything under control and looks to be flying and feeding well.

At around 3:30pm this afternoon, Jack flew in with a food package for the young ones and she greeted him on the ledge, took the food and then proceeded to feed the kids.  I snapped away with my camera in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her band and recording what my eyes could not see.  My little digital camera has an awesome lens until I go into the digital range and I hoped for a clear photograph in the blustery winds.  After feeding the chicks, she took off of the nest ledge and flew over to a corner perch.  She sat there on the edge of her chosen ledge and watched the world around her quietly, only occasionally calling to Jack with a few chups.   I again set to snapping photographs as fast as my little camera could take them and I struck it lucky with a crystal clear shot.  After blowing the photo up, I was able to clearly and without doubt read her band number and it is Black M over Green 87.  I was speechless and unable to stop a tear from coming to my eye.  It’s O’Connor. 

I don’t know whether I’m happy, sad, confused or all of them mixed together but I drove away from the site blasting the music and singing like a silly thing at the top of my lungs.  Between smiles and tears I thought of all of the adventures I have shared with this bird over the past three years watching her and am so excited to see what the season will bring.  I stopped for gas on the way to the barn and at the counter when I was asked if I wanted anything else I said, “Better give me a lottery ticket ‘cause today I feel soooooo lucky!” 

More observations and pictures to come!!!

Everyone from the Sun Life family of staff and watchers is excited to hear that DotCa has made it and is starting a family! We will be sure to follow he and Beauty and keep everyone informed as to their progress.

Eileen

Thanks
Jesse Mighton

I had a lovely two hours today watching the peregrines.

When I arrived there was no-one about but twenty minutes later Haven popped onto the south side of Rio-Can, Three minutes later she flew west and then returned over 53 Division and onto the nest ledge on Canada Square. Several minutes after that she flew off the nest over Canada Square, over RC, over the gold building at the corner of Eglinton and Duplex, to the west side of Canada Square where she hovered at a window three floors down from the nest ledge. She surprised the heck out of the chappie at the window!!! I wonder if she saw him as a *human near her nest* and *warned* him off? She did not actually touch the glass and her flight to the window, although swift, was not perilously so. That done she flew out (away from the side of the building) then up and back to the nest ledge. Two minutes later she walked to the edge and then disappeared again to the scrape.

Then, finally, Stormin flew in and Haven came to greet him (chuk chuk) and they both disappeared before Stormin flew out and onto the last *upright/wall* on Canada Square. Fifteen minutes later Haven left the nest and flew to the east side of Canada Square and did a turnabout over the top of the building, down the west side and through the gap to the condos across Yonge. A minute after that Stormin left his perch and headed south over the black building above the TTC garage, did a quick turn and flew to the north end of Canada Square and then to the condos.

Haven came back again, flying up Duplex, north of the apartment building into the gap over the YE Centre back down Duplex, circled Canada Square and then over 53 Div. She reappeared and flew to the railing on the balcony below the nest where she did a balancing act as she turned to face outwards. She then flew out over the black building, around 2180 Yonge, over Canada Square and landed on the south face of RC.

Six minutes later she flew to the top of the black building where I saw her join Stormin, who was eating. She said thanks for the meal and promptly took the food from him. He stood there looking at her for a minute then walked a few steps away and cleaned his beak on the side of the building. Four minutes later Stormin flew to the nest ledge.

When Haven had finished eating some eight minutes after Stormin left she flew east, turned and went straight to the nest. Shortly thereafter she left the nest ledge, flew over Canada Square, over Eglinton and over RC three or four times before returning to the nest ledge and disappearing. Two minutes later Haven was off the nest ledge again, flew south and then back over Canada Square with Stormin. The two of them then flew to one another, with one another and away from one another for the next eight minutes. They were all over Canada Square, RC, the apartment building on Duplex before Haven flew back to the nest ledge and Stormin flew onto the roof. After a while Stormin flew to the RC building and sat for three minutes then flew to the Bell building across Yonge where he settled on the southwest corner and tucked into something. He flew east after that, then turned and came back to the nest ledge with a food parcel. Haven met him at the edge and flew off with the food parcel. She landed on top of the mast above the Hydro building at the corner of Duplex and Eglinton. When she had finished eating she flew to the nest ledge and Stormin flew to his roost on top if the fifth *upright/wall*. Then I left.

There was a tremendous amount of flying today and I am not too sure what it was all about but it was very good to see the two of them *play together* for a few minutes.

Lyn

Eileen

The 3 little ones at Quest & Kendal’s are finally big enough to see very clearly!

Eileen