The other chick:It’s a tale of love...

The other chick:

It’s a tale of love and betrayal on the 33rd floor of a downtown high-rise.

Two peregrine falcons lived and mated on a ledge of the Union Bank of California building at 445 S. Figueroa St. in apparent bliss.

When the bank decided to install new outdoor signs, the birds’ nest was moved to the other side of the building. It was during this operation, bank spokesman Andrew Porterfield says, that “we heard reports from avid bird-watchers in the area of an apparent rift in the birds’ relationship.”

The female has laid no eggs this year. And the male has not been seen for weeks. Not that his absence is a total surprise.

“The male is apparently younger than the female,” said Ellen Bunda, who uses a telescope to keep track of the falcons from her office on the 50th floor of the nearby Arco Towers.

The pair produced some offspring last year. But, Bunda noted, the male “was not there when she was tending to her eggs.”

And why not?

“We heard,” Bunda said, “that he has another female on the Department of Water & Power building.”

YOU CAN’T TELL THE TREES WITHOUT A SCORECARD: The Dodgers’ April 1 opener is approaching, so we went over to City Hall to genuflect before the famous Painted-Number Trees on the south lawn.

You may recall that 32 of the ficus and palm trees there were assigned numerals several years ago after a World Series celebration honoring the Dodgers. Several overzealous fans fell from branches, causing confusion for paramedics because of the overflowing crowd.

With the numbering system, a city worker explained, “when somebody falls out and breaks an arm or a leg, the spotters will be able to say, ‘Go to tree so-and-so and rescue someone.’ ”

Alas, the once-glorious white numerals have grown faint. We hope that this isn’t a sign that the city has given up on the Dodgers, who haven’t won a World Series since 1988. C’mon--a fresh coat of paint might be just the inspiration the players need!

MAE’S DRIVE-THRU DEPARTMENT STORE: Some tidbits from Margaret Leslie Davis’ “Bullocks Wilshire,” the story of the 69-year-old Art Deco masterpiece with the “green-tinged tower,” as Raymond Chandler described it in “The Big Sleep”:

* When actress Mae West visited the store, she would shop “from the privacy of her car. Salesclerks would carry the merchandise outside of the store to her automobile parked near the motor court, where she would make her selections.”

* Salesclerk Anna Frazzini recalled “a time when Greta Garbo came in wearing a trench coat and asked Frazzini to help her select a swimsuit. When the pair entered the fitting room, the actress removed her coat. ‘It turns out that’s all she was wearing,’ says Frazzini.”

* John Wayne was a visitor to the Bullock’s Tea Room. Was the Duke showing his sensitive side? Not exactly. Bullock’s model Ivana Kislinger Mooney overheard Wayne growl on the elevator one day, “Where the hell is the Tea Room and all of those models?”

miscelLAny:

At the World Way Postal Center near LAX the other day, Jay Berman of Manhattan Beach noticed a “holidays” banner on one wall. The post office obviously isn’t going to be late for Christmas this year.