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And the rest of the rescue net story from Sunday...
By 7pm, it was quite evident that little Stormy was simply not motivated to take flight and both Quest and Sky were not giving her any incentive to get back to a safe altitude. Given the deadness of the traffic and the available fledge watch volunteers on hand, the decision was made to capture Stormy up while we had opportunity. Knowing that the automobile traffic will be back to the usually road-rally race status tomorrow morning as everyone rushes into work Monday morning, and the huge volume of people that will be coming into this building, this was an ideal safe time to capture her-up and get her back to a safe elevation on top of the nest building roof. Bob went home to get a step ladder and an incredible long extendable painters pole, and Tracy went to her vehicle to get one of the rescue nets. With the net attached to the painters pole and the fledge watch team positioned on both sides of the street to the east and west of the front entrance in anticipation that we may not be able to get her in the net and she if she came to the ground, we were all ready.
With the ladder in position only feet below her, and the super-doper net in hand, I took the first step onto the ladder, and before I cold even look up, she took flight. We watcher fly low around the west site of 255, into the back parking lot of 225 where she was able to get enough air and altitude to make a landing on the top elevation of the above ground parking lot at the rear of 225 Duncan Mill road lot. Yaaah!! At least now she has some elevation and away from traffic!
Less than 30 minutes later, and with Quest and Sky (her parents) in flight offering some motivation, Stormy flew again, this time catching some moving air and gained enough altitude to eventually land on the upper rooftop of 240 Duncan Mill road where she joined her siblings! A very good long flight indeed!!!
You could have probably heard the cheering from all of us several blocks away!
By 8:30 pm, the falcon follies were in full swing with both resident adults flying around teasing the fledglings with food and it was chaos in the streets again trying to keep track of the four, no, six peregrines bolting and flying all over the place from rooftop to rooftop, with fledglings chasing the adults, the adults teasing with food, it was incredible.
By 9:10pm all had settled, several fledglings had been fed and darkness was closing in and pretty much everyone settled down for the evening and everything got really quiet. Most of the fledge watch team departed for home after a very long day in the streets. By 9:20pm, with Sally, Don, Sue and myself saying our good-byes, there was one last flight.
Suddenly, the quiet silence was disrupted with a loud thump and our attention and eyes were each drawn overhead to the 7th floor window of 225 directly above our heads. A spread-eagle like peregrine falcon juvenile floated spiraling down thumping on the concrete literally three feet from where we all sitting. At this very same time, Sue yelled out, oh my god, it just hit the window!
It was non-other than Cosmo, the little super-star flyer! I had only to stand up, grab my towel and walk less than four feet to pick him up. Cosmo was completely unconscious, dead looking, wings spread out, legs stiff, eyes completely closed and no movement at all. I gently wrapped him in my towel, and immediately started to massage his chest with my thumbs while I held him in my lap. What seemed to be an eternity, Cosmo finally started to breath and eventually there was movement! Minutes later, there was hissing fighting ball of fire in my hands!!!
Cosmo was later examined for other injuries and other than a small minor laceration that he sustained as a result of biting his tong as a result of his impact with the window, he checked out ok. To be safer than sorry, Cosmo spent the night in the rescue carrier, in a quiet cool environment so he cold be observed and monitored more closely. He will be released tomorrow in the daylight once he has had a final examination and cleared to be released.
A huge thank you to everyone who spent a good portion of their day out in the streets on the watch,,, (when I’m sure that most everyone would have rather been with friends and family BBQ’ing somewhere enjoying this fantastic sunny day)!!!!!! What a great team!!
By 10:00pm, I must admit, I was spent, and finally departed the Duncan Mills nest site and proceeded to the Canada Square at Yonge and Eglinton nest site to pick Marion up from her watch.
Stay tuned………..
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