Sunday Night Update

Everything is beginning to blur together. Solo has been picked up from the ground at least twice more today. I arrived about 7:45 this morning. Solo was perched on the very top of the West wing of JSMB. Mom was flying by over and over, probably to get him to try a flight. Shortly after that, he did, flying south and then east headed to land on some of the windows on the Zion's Bank bldg. Of course there is no place to land there, so he careened east above S. Temple and tried for the Admin Bldg. He touched the top edge and then drifted downward, not able to grab the ledge. He ended in the gar...den by the sidewalk. He was put back on the Beehive, where Mom encouraged him to move over to the North side and he eventually came down on a ledge and she delivered a pigeon. He ate and then rested there from about 11:00 and was still there when I left at 2:00. I called Bob later and he said Solo had attempted a flight again, landing over by the oval near the tall Church Office building. He again was put on the Beehive and was still there at 8:00 when I talked to Bob. Word on Dad/male adult is that there is no fractures to the wing but he will stay at rehab until he is completely well and not favoring that wing. For now, it appears he will not be around much to help out with Solo.

Mom flying over Solo urging him to fly.

 

This is Solo's flight about 8:30. I just barely caught him.

Here he is flying over to Admin after failing to land at Zion's.

Picked up out of the garden by Admin Bldg.

He still has some white fluff.

Eating pigeon about 11:00

Solo on ledge, Mom below on scroll, know as Charlie's Cafe.

Geography of Falcon Grounds



I received a request today for a map of the area, as a lot of my references on Twitter and the blog talk about Beehive, JSMB, Temple, South Temple Street, Zion's Bank, etc.

So below are some photos I edited with labels. You can also go to maps.google and put in the coordinates. The main area we cover is bounded by:

• North Temple Street (on the North)
• South Temple Street (on the South)
• State Street (on the East)
• Main Street and West Temple Street (on the SW and West)

Feel free to ask questions. I will indicate which way you are facing under each photo. More photos from today's adventure will be posted later tonight.

You can click on the pictures to view them larger.

Looking East from just above the nest box.

Looking NE from just right of the nest box.

Looking NNW from Nestbox corner

Looking southwest from Tall Church Office Building top floor.

Sorry for the blurriness, NE view of Admin Bldg and Nestbox area from State St. and S. Temple St.

 This picture was from last year, when Primo was injured flying into Zion's Bank Bldg.

From one block south, looking through 'The Gap' between JSMP and Admin Bldg. Bob's tree is just under that arrow.

End of the Day Update

First of all, I am adding a mess load of pictures so if you missed the fledge video, scroll ALL the way down past these pictures. Second, because there are so many, I am leaving them small but you can click on any of them and it will take you to the full size photo.

Solo has been very busy today! Since I left at 2pm, he has been 'toweled' twice more, landing once on Main Street and once near the ice cream store on South Temple. Too near traffic, that's for sure. Bob said he has settled down on the east face of JSMB for the night, with Mom keeping watch from the Eagle Gate Tower across the street.

Here are more photos. Basically, Solo left the nest, spent a couple hours dinking around on the ledge he landed on, bothered Mom at one point (she didn't see happy), she flew back and forth as he waddled after her on the ledge. She fed him some of the pigeon she brought over from the nest, then he proceeded to just walk himself, rather swiftly, north, then east on the Admin Bldg. He stopped on the NE corner, caught a breeze, flapped and took off over the top of the Lion House. Everyone panicked as it looked like he was headed to traffic on S. Temple. We searched, some running over to State Street and then lo and behold, we found him sitting just above the entrance to the Pantry in the gutter! He had tried a landing on their roof but its made of metal, so he couldn't get a grip. Our new volunteer (I believe her name was Heidi), climbed the scaffolding to get closer, threw a towel up in the air a couple times and Solo finally soared to the ground, all of 10 feet. We had a few folks corral him with their towels and he was in Bob's arms and off for banding. Later, when he was released on the Beehive, he didn't pop up, so I took a trip up to the top of the Church Office Building and looked from above to see if we could spot him. Nothing. But the photos give you an idea of where he is released.