Simcoe Fledges and Has a Big Day Out!!
June 16, 2012 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton
Tracy Simpson Reports:
I was late arriving this morning, at 9:35. Marion came in five minutes later so we do not know whether the eyases were fed before that or not. Apart from the odd bit of flapping and running along edges there was not much happening. There were still two peregrines on the level one down from the nest and one on the nest level. Haven was sitting with her back to the world on the balcony railing below them. The youngster left on the nest ledge was winding up his wings and then, exhausted he would rest for hours! We did not see Stormin until after 1:00pm. His visit was short-lived! Haven flew in and out but did not make any real effort to coax a youngster off the ledge. Haven visited her larder on the balcony floor below the level where the babies were and hopping back to the top of that balcony wall and ate. A bit of the activity in the afternoon was created by Haven flying from here to there and also checking on the youngsters. Lance and Charmane had visited and Caroline joined us for the watch. There still was not much activity. The heat of the day had affected us all I think. Marion had picked up a coffee and I had taken a break, still nothing. When Caroline said she was going to pick up something cool I thought nothing of it.
At precisely 5:12 pm we had lift-off!! What an epic first flight this was! The fledgling flew from his level towards the black building but changed his mind and direction and flew up Duplex Avenue, across Eglinton Avenue and towards the Rio-Can building where he had seen his mom and dad perch and the window uprights all these weeks and though he would do the same! He did not quite make it and touched a window, fluttered a bit and then Haven steered him away from Rio-Can towards the Canada Square building! He had maintained altitude all the way until he brushed the window! So whilst directing his flight Haven also nudged him upwards to the height of Canada Square’s roof!! He MADE it!!!! Haven is a wonderful mother!! She flew the whole circuit at his side, in front or below him the whole way. She was just amazing. He had good strong flight and did very well. He had left Canada Square half a level below the nest level, flown a complete and very wide circle and ended up HIGHER by two floors and a bit than when he had lift-off!!! No mean feat for a first flight. The very sad part about this was that Caroline Lance and Maggie missed this first voyage. However, we did not know it but there was much more to come! I sort of thought that he had made such a long trip that he would stay put for the rest of the afternoon and sleep up there. Hmmmmm!!
Stormin put in another appearance, lengthier than before. He ate his food parcel. Haven flew in with a food parcel, onto the north edge of Canada Square, right under the fledgling’s nose! He protested she ignored him, had something to eat and then flew onto the nest ledge and dropped of the remains for Solar! Brisk protested and was ignored! Maggie arrived and then Lance and Charmane. Then Tracy arrived and we repeated the story of this epic flight to everyone who would listen. I managed to get a picture of the band tape on this valiant little bird’s leg and also of the one left on the ledge. Simcoe, the eldest, was first to fly at, I believe, forty days old!!! I took a picture of the band tape on the bird left on the ledge – it was red indicating that Brisk was still in place.
At 7:27pm Simcoe took flight again and Haven was with him. He did a semi-circle from the roof of Canada Square, over the old TTC bus bays and he and Haven turned but Haven turned more than he did and was headed back towards Canada Square whereas Simcoe was headed across Eglinton again. He maintained altitude all the way to the 22nd floor balcony wall of the apartment building behind the *gold* building. He brushed the wall, tumbled one, two, three floors down, RECOVERED and flew over the gold building and back over Eglinton where Haven met him. He flew towards Canada Square west wall and lost a bit of height but Haven was right there and coaxed him into landing on the *black building*. He appeared at the very northwest corner and had a think! Then he moved from there along the zig-zag roof top to the third *zig* in from the corner. He disappeared and re-appeared and sat again.
It was 7:46 pm and time to fly again and he did!! He flew from the black building roof towards Canada Square north end of the building. He had lost some altitude after contact with the *glass* wall but Haven launched off the RC and helped him regain enough height to the black building again where he had a bit of a clumsy and hard landing! He was fine though!
7:55 pm Simcoe flew again, right across the old TTC bus bays across Eglinton (again) and onto the north west corner of the gold building at the corner of Duplex and Eglinton. There he looked around and began walking south along the edge of the roof on Eglinton, paused long enough for me to MISS a photo-op, disappeared from the edge and next thing I knew he was airborne again and flew towards the black building via the concrete wall on Canada Square. There he hung onto a grid, briefly,
With Haven’s wonderful guidance and assistance he flew to a black structure on top of the black building where he caught his breath and we caught ours.
I have no idea what time he next flew as I was barely keeping up now with camera, binoculars, notebook, pen (which I temporarily lost) and traffic lights but he flew again from the top of the structure on the black building to Canada Square and managed to get as far as the venting on the concrete wall, low down where he hung on for a few minutes.
Again with Haven’s help he flew once more and she guided him to the black building and attempted to help him with altitude but he was a tired little falcon but this time and settled on a narrow ledge where the black building meets bare concrete! Haven joined him and sat with him for a while before flying off. I think he really wanted to get back to the nest ledge but just did not make it today!
After all that excitement Haven finally *chuk-chuked* and had a serious talk to her first hatched and told him to stay put!! This he finally did.
There was a bit more flying – all Stormin and Havens! Haven flew onto the nest ledge, Stormin flew onto the nest ledge. When Stormin flew off he flew between the two condos and landed on some tiny ledge-cum-decoration on a building beyond them. He stayed put.
Haven finally put in a last appearance on the nest ledge and perched as I had seen her do so many times; back to the world and eye on her young. It was 9:36 and pitch dark when we left. At last look Simcoe was still on his last perch and the two eyases were on their levels on Canada Square.
What an exhausting day for the fledge watchers and of course Simcoe and Haven. Thanks to everyone who pitched in and kept an eye on where Simcoe flew to and from; Marion, Caroline, Maggie, Lance and Tracy. Thanks too, to the many who took the time to stop and find out what we were doing. It is *open house* every day at the corner until the eyases have all fledged and have become strong flyers so do drop in!
I have a strong feeling I missed reporting on one of Simcoe’s flights – I have no note of it but I feel something is missing.
I have no doubt Tracy will add her impressions of the evening so watch for her report and photo’s
