!!! Harper the “Teflon Falcon” takes flight!
June 09, 2015 - Toronto - Don Mills
Marion Nash Reports:
June 9th 2015
Arrived this morning to find Bob on site already and he had all three chicks in site. Kline was on the same level as yesterday but had ledge walked to the farthest east end on the building and his brothers were still on the nest ledge. Not long after Berkley having seen him get fed twice that morning with no leftovers for him or Harper decided to ledge walk himself and slowly made his way east along the ledge
to sit directly above Kline.
From pretty much the time I arrived little Harper wined and yelled at his parents demanding his due share of food but got none Quest has started weening.
Everyone else stayed put until just after 4:00 when Harper decided to take off for his first flight and wouldn’t you know it we were watching the other 2 and mom who just took off on a hunt so we missed him leave.
He flew in a circle from west around the Harlequin building we know this because he did not fly in front of us. He must have then hooked to the east across the back of the building and tried t to make one more turn to head back home because he ended up on the east side of the building on a lower window ledge just above the shipping doors. Again we had not seen him leave but noticed he was gone just about a minute later. We logged onto the web camera on our cell phones and saw no one home Yikes!! Where did he get to. Bob headed across the street to have a look on the west side of the nest building thinking he too was ledge walking, went the other way and around the corner. Just as Bob got to the other side of the street the grounds keeping contractors came up to us to say they just saw one of the Falcons bump into the building concrete walls and land on a window ledge on the east side of the Harlequin building. He must have tried to make one more turn and just ran out of altitude and gas. The contractor said he just bumped into the wall and slid down to land on that ledge.
With so many watching out the window or on the web cam people started texting me within minutes. Where is Harper? He is not on the ledge is he ok? I told everyone where he was and that he was ok but only about 15 feet from the ground and his next flight may bring him to the ground so I am on it. Well by 5:00 PM I had 2 move volunteers, 5:30 2 more and by 6:00 3 more Thank you all so much!!!
Bob and I stayed watching him while other volunteers went out front to keep an eye on the other 2 boys.
Our fear was that he would end up spending the night there and perhaps take another flight before we could get there in the morning so plans for a rescue from his new position started. The security guard warned me that the garbage truck would be arriving at 8:00 PM pulling in to load up from the shipping doors just below him . We thought this may scare him off and if he comes down we could then grab him up for the rescue. Well the truck came and went no luck he just sat and watched it just about 5 feet below him.
There were some plumbing contractors taking a break at this time and joined us to have a look at the bird so we asked them for a hand. We told them there was a ladder we could use in the shipping area but it was not tall enough to reach the bird but if he could use his measuring tape extended out he could perhaps coax him off the ledge to fly again and either gain more height of come to ground in the back parking that was now empty and quiet so we could rescue him.
Well that worked great he flew across the back parking all the way to a multi level parking garage about 1000 yards gaining about 2 floors of height. Unfortunately he went right into the 3 floor parking area so off we went to try again to catch him up. Kathy and Bob were well ahead of me and I decided to remain in the back parking at ground level in case he flew out before they got to him so I could see were he went. Kathy did get to him but he is obviously made of Teflon. She walked right up to him and had her rescue towel ready but he gave her the slip and flew out and headed back to the Harlequin building landing on an even lower window ledge then he was on in the first place grrrrrr!
So it was back to get the ladder and bring it around to his new ledge. I called Mark Nash and asked him to bring me a net I was not going to miss this time!
Mark arrived and seeing that I was a little tuckered out took the net and made the attempt, did I say attempt
Gallant try but the slippery one escaped again and flew long and strong all the way to Bayview Glen School landing on the 3rd floor.
Safe now we watched him for another half hour until it got dark and left him sleeping for the night.
Both of his brothers still on the nest building all fine and safe.
Stay tuned for chapter 3 tomorrow.
More pictures to come.
http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/w/2015/06/sightings/harper-the-teflon-falcon-takes-flight/
