Amelia and Billy on the old CSEC building, July 5, 2015. Photo by Dominique Marshall.

Amelia and Billy at dusk, July 5, 2015. Photo by Elsa Marshall.

Amelia (Earhart) and her much younger and smaller brother Billy (Bishop) are doing exceptionally well and continue to hone their skills with every flight. They both made numerous sorties today, solo and as a team. Dominique reports that they even made a round trip together this evening to the old CBC/CSEC building across Bronson.

While accidents can still happen, these juvenile raptors are by all accounts confident and competent enough that they don’t need us to watch them so closely anymore. So, the 2015 OFNC Falcon Watch schedule but will not be extended beyond tomorrow (Monday, July 6), although you may of course continue to monitor the chicks to your heart’s content if you wish.

This year, we did not have a volunteer covering every shift, although we did manage to have someone there for the chicks’ first few flights (or, in the case of Amelia’s inaugural crack-of-dawn launch, very soon after). We encouraged anyone who was interested, including people who work at the Data Centre, to drop by unscheduled to see how the chicks were doing. This level of coverage seemed adequate for this particular building and certainly for these particular chicks, who have not played hide-and-seek nearly as much as some of their predecessors.

Likewise, we managed just fine without two-way radios or even consistent note-taking. Some people made detailed notes in the binder, others jotted down a few key points, some provided reports in person or by phone, email or text message. All these methods were sufficient to communicate the most important events. It helps that, after four Falcon Watches at the Data Centre, we now have a good idea of what to expect: much less danger than downtown, but still some great drama and entertainment as the young raptors prepare for and take their first flights.

Thank you to everyone who committed their time to monitoring the fledgling falcons, who continue to demonstrate that 875 Heron Rd. is a great building for learning to fly.

Please do continue to check in on the chicks if you’re in the neighbourhood this summer, and let us know if you see anything noteworthy.