By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

A heatwave has started in Rochester, NY and I wanted to go out for early morning watches Saturday & Sunday.  Today is going to go up to 98 degrees with a heat index of 105!

Both mornings, I met Dan on the Court St Bridge around 6:30 am.  Larry O joined us Saturday morning.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

There wasn’t much to see Saturday morning for the first part of my watch.  After Dan left, Larry O and I decided to check the High Falls Gorge.  The only raptors we saw were three Red-tailed Hawks, an adult and two juvies.  Other than that, it was very quiet.  Larry and I said our goodbyes and I headed downtown for another look.  I wasn’t disappointed.  I soon heard that wonderful sound that juvie Peregrine Falcons make when they’re flying with each other and talon tagging.  I could see three at a time flying high above Xerox and B&L.  Yes, I know these buildings have new names, but I’ll continue to call them by the names I remember.  lol

During my Saturday morning watch, I saw all five downtown Rochester Falcons.  Here are some pictures that I took during this watch.

*Be sure to click on all the pictures to see the full image.*

Sunday, July 1, 2018

Sunday Morning Watch started with an outstanding stoop by Beauty!  When I arrived on the Court St. Bridge Dan pointed out that Beauty was soaring high above the Xerox Tower.  As we watched, Beauty started her stoop.  Her wings folded back and swoosh!  At what seemed supersonic speeds, Beauty fell from the sky, hurtling towards the river on the south side of the bridge.  We lost sight of her as the pigeons took panicked flight in all different directions.  When I next saw her, she was carrying a pigeon back towards the Times Square Bldg.  I moved back to get a better look and saw that she brought it to the Widows Walk and she was surrounded by at least two juvies.

Dan had to leave, so I headed over to the Widows Walk.  I spent an hour with Letchworth, Sundara, Mike and Beauty before it got too warm and they were hunkered down in the shade after all getting a share of the meal this morning.

All three juvies are flying high and doing great!  Enjoy this 4th of July week and keep cool!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Morning Afternoon Watchers: Kathy O, Dana, Ron and Carol P.

Weather: For the first day of Summer, it was a chilly day!  Brrrr!

Early this morning, I found newly fledged Sundara on the Powers Bldg.  The same building she had fledged to yesterday.  She looked bright eyed and ready to join her siblings.  She was doing a lot of wing stretches and flapping strongly.

<— The Powers Bldg.

I found Letchworth on the SW corner of the lower roof on the Cross Rds Bldg.

Beauty came in with food and brought it to the north end of the Cross Rds Bldg to prep it.  When she flew in, Dot.ca followed, along with Mike.  Sundara took off and landed next to her sister Letchworth on the Cross Rds Bldg.  Mike ended up on the top IBeam of OCSR.  He made an awesome landing there!  Dot.ca flew over to the Powers Bldg.

<— Dot.ca on Powers Bldg.

<— Mike on OCSR Top Ibeam.

After prepping the food, Beauty brought it to Mike on OCSR and beak fed him.

<— Beauty feeding Mike.

After feeding Mike, she took the prey over to Letchworth and Sundara on Cross Rds.  They were very aggressive, and she ended up leaving it on the ledge for them to feed themselves.

<— Beauty brings food to Letchworth and Sundara.

Beauty flew back over to OCSR.

<— Beauty to OCSR.

After the girls finished their meal, Beauty returned to the corner of Cross Rds, where she was joined by Mike.  He wanted just a bit more.  He is very good at following the food.  lol

<— Beauty and Mike on Cross Rds Bldg.

A little later on, we witnessed Beauty successfully hunt a pigeon over Main St.  She flew over us with her catch, heading south.  She landed on a couple different buildings with it before heading over the river to the library, where I believe she cached it.

<— Beauty with prey.

My watch ended at just before 3:00 pm.  After being there for 8 hours, it was time to head home.  All was quiet.

Before heading home, I stopped on the Andrew St. Bridge, where I found all three juvies on the NW corner of the Cross Rds Bldg.  They were all huddled together under the watchful eye of Beauty, who was on the Powers Bldg.

<— Mike, Letchworth and Sundara on Cross Rds Bldg.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Success!!!  As of late this afternoon, all three eyases have fledged from the Times Square Bldg.  Mike, Letchworth and Sundara have graduated from eyases to juvies (or fledglings).  Sundara was the last to fledge this afternoon.  She took her first flight to the Powers Bldg, landing on the top ledge.  The fledge watchers will continue to keep a close eye on them while they hone their flying skills.  Beauty and Dot.ca will continue to feed them and teach them how to be Peregrine Falcons.

We also have received information that Billie and Seth have been seen flying with three young ones near Seneca Towers.  This is wonderful news!

Here are a few pictures from today.  Enjoy!

*Be sure to click on each picture to see the full image.*

<— Sundara spreads her wings under the watchful eye of Beauty.  This is before she fledged.

<— Mike taking off from the Times Square Bldg Wall after visiting with Sundara.

<— Sundara and Mike at the nest box.

<— Letchworth on Times Square Bldg, on the ledge above the nest box.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Today’s Fledge Watchers:

Morning/Afternoon - Larry, Kathy O, June and Carol P. (6:00 am - 4:00 pm)

Evening - Pat, Brian, Carrie, Lisa, Ryan and Larry O. (5:30 - 8:30 pm)

Weather:  Very warm, with temps in the mid 80’s, not much wind and lots and lots of sun.

Third day of fledge watch, and no fledges yet.  Although Mike is getting closer.  He’s been running and flapping on the wall like a champ, jumping up onto the top of the nest box and finally making it to the top of camera 4.  All steps toward his first flight.

Kathy O and I covered the fledge watch from 8 am to 4 pm.  Most of the time it was very quiet, but there were times when the eyases and adults were very active.  Beauty and Dot.ca are flying high above and around the Times Square Bldg. giving their young ones flying lessons.  They seem to be getting less food at this time.  This is normal.  They need to slim down a bit before they fly.

The evening watchers reported continued activity by the falcon family.  They ended their evening watch at 8:30 pm.

Here are some pictures from my morning/afternoon fledge watch.

*Be sure to click on the pictures to see the full image.*

In case you’ve ever wondered, here is our view from Aqueduct St, aka “the hole”.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

6/10 Fledge Watchers: Kathy O, Linda and Carol P. (9 am - 4 pm); Carrie (evening)

6/11 Fledge Watchers: Kathy O, Dana and Carol P. (8 am - 4 pm); Pat, Carrie, Herbie and Joyce (evening)

We’ll be very busy with the Fledge Watch over the next week or so.  Mike is very close to taking his first flight.  Letchworth and Sundara will take a little longer.  Both Beauty and Dot.ca are very busy watching over their young, and keeping the airspace above and around the Times Square Bldg clear of everything.  We’ve seen them chase off gulls, hawks and turkey vultures.  Anything that gets too close.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the first two days of our fledge watch.  So you can see what we do from the ground.  Enjoy!

*Be sure to click on the pictures to see the full image!*

June 10, 2018

June 11, 2018

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Another overcast, dismal and dark morning with a temperature of 67 (F) 19 (C)

Remember to click on my pics to see the full version

Yesterday afternoon around 2pm I checked the Hawkeye plant from my apartment and saw a falcon below the nest box. While I was eating my supper last night around 6:30pm I witnessed a juvie flying past my window heading north. I went out on the west balcony but he never came back. My last check of the night from the balcony around 8:10pm had me watching some ducks down in the river and the sun going down. Not much of a sunset as it was mostly cloudy.

As I did my scan of the area I spotted one of the Seneca Towers juvies eating a snack over on the south side ledge of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge. When he was done he flew off straight down to the tree tops on the east side (my side) of the gorge and disappeared into the trees. I have seen a juvie do this once before one night when KathyO came over to watch with me. So we know at least one of them roosts in a tree at night. That would be it as darkness fell.

I started my watch this morning at 5:20am with Beauty on the northwest corner of the 5 Star Bank-she flew off immediately and headed east. This was not her usual spot on the bank but a few minutes later I would find out why she was there. I thought she had gone to the RGE antenna and when I was checking it out I spotted Dot.ca (DC) flying over to the bank only to land on the the northeast corner then fly off. He was dogging her!

There’s a round about (traffic circle) at Broad St. and Broadway and I was literally going around in circles looking for our downtown pair! As I was coming down Chestnut St. I spotted DC on the northeast corner of the Columbus building (at the corner of Chestnut and Lawn St.) and he was whining! I knew the Beautyful one had to be near with food and when I drove to the back of the Broadway Inn parking lot I found him begging his bride to share the food she had.

Beauty handed over the goods and flew off after feaking a bit. DC started plucking feathers to beat the band-white fluff filled the air!

I hung out with him for a bit and then I left to look around for juvies! I didn’t find any so I stopped on the Court St. bridge to check on my river friends. No Dan this morning as he told me yesterday he wouldn’t be out. He likes action and there hasn’t been enough for him lately. lol Anyway, I found my 2 duck families and spotted a Black-crowned Night Heron jumping around on a log below the Broad St. bridge.

<Click

I left there and ended up on the Andrews St. bridge (ASB) where I saw a falcon on the Frontier Communications tower (FCT). I drove to the Hochstein School of Music parking lot to catch Beauty just before she flew off to the Powers building. I watched her go straight into the nest box out of view and then I heard DC chirping. I quick drove back to the ASB where you can see them if they’re towards the front of the nest box.

Next, I watched DC come out of nowhere and fly to the drum on FCT. I thought there was a bonding session going on in the nest box but when I checked the archives it showed only Beauty. If he was up there he wasn’t where I could see him or the cameras.

<Click

I could see her near the front of the nest box when suddenly she flew out and over to the drum. She landed and DC flew off to the south. You can see the sequence of events on my downtown snippet video at the end of this report.

Beauty stayed on the drum for a minute or so then flew south as well-she was dogging him now!

I flew south as well and located DC on the top I-beam north corner of OCSR. From the hole I could clearly see his full crop. Soon after I got there he walked to the right and then flew west.

I was going to leave the hole when I noticed movement under the northeast wing of Times Square. It was Beauty at the back of the ledge eating. She picked up her pigeon wing and walked forward only to turn around and go to the back of the ledge to cache what was left of it. She did some feaking then flew off heading north.

I ended my watch at that point (7am) to go walk Bella before it started raining. On my way home afterwards I came upon Billie on at Hawkeye on the nest box ring. I stayed long enough to identify her as she was preening.

I didn’t see any juvies again today but Beauty and DC kept me smiling with their falcon games!

Click on the links below to check out today’s videos

https://youtu.be/u7ON-ruzlQY

https://youtu.be/G5H1LalSWos

https://youtu.be/l43W-TxOZVY

https://youtu.be/irZQQshGnI4

https://youtu.be/he-vwNUYbQo