Morning watch 2-7-14
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
Cold today with a brisk wind making the 10 degrees (F) -12 (C) feel like -6 (F) Mostly cloudy when my watch started, the clouds started breaking up and by the time my watch was over sunshine and blue skies prevailed
I searched downtown for over an hour this morning for a falcon with no success, so I went to Brighton to try my luck there. Arriving at 8:15am I found Pigott on a top floor east facing window ledge on the southeast extension with her back to me.
Miss Pigott was her usual alert self turning her head to keep an eye on her surroundings. She stretched a little but that’s about all the action out of her today in the hour I was with her.
When I pulled over on Exchange Blvd. near Plymouth Ave. to take a look at downtown from the south I spotted a falcon on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR. I drove to the hole to see who it was and identified it as Beauty.
She had her back to me so I went to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. to get a better view of her. When I got there she was gone but I recognized the distinct chirp of Dot.Ca (DC) echoing from the elevator shaft. I looked up and saw the Beautyful one on the south side ledge and she seemed to be bowing, but I was at the wrong angle to see the north ledge.
While I was taping a video of Beauty I saw a tail moving on the north ledge so when I finished I drove further down the hotel driveway to find that DC was indeed on that ledge.
<Click on pics to see full version>
DC wasn’t showing himself too well but I did get one halfway decent pic of him.
They were most likely going to stay there to keep warm so I ended my watch at 9:3oam.
Carol had tweeted an hour earlier that the mystery falcon was at Kodak Park (KP) on the east stack. I have been wondering if DC has been the one hanging out at KP since no reports of him being seen anywhere else at the same time as when the mystery bird has been seen there. Since DC was with Beauty I decided to take a ride over to KP to see if the falcon Carol saw was still there-it was not. This certainly doesn’t prove that DC is the KP falcon but it does make it look a little more possible. Remember, Unity came from KP and I’m sure she brought DC there when he first came to town and they were a pair, so it would make sense for him to go there. I hope we can soon ID the KP falcon and solve this mystery.
I have to house and animal sit for my nephew down in Nunda (paradise 2) over the weekend so I won’t be on watch until Monday in case anyone is wondering why I’m not out tomorrow and Sunday morning. I saw all 3 resident Rochester Peregrine Falcons so I can leave town with a smile, knowing that they are safe and sound! 🙂
Click on the links below to view my videos from todays watch
February 7th, 2014 at 12:33 PM
Glad you got to see all 3 today…have a great weekend! Thanks for your report!
February 7th, 2014 at 1:24 PM
You’re welcome Kris-thanks for commenting! 🙂
February 8th, 2014 at 9:03 AM
Hope you’re having a great morning!
February 8th, 2014 at 11:54 AM
I thought the KP falcon was female size?
February 8th, 2014 at 11:58 AM
Nora, I’m having a quiet morning here with doggies,cats and horses! Oh, I forgot the goldfish! lol 🙂
February 8th, 2014 at 11:59 AM
DC is a large male BC, soooo…. 🙂
February 8th, 2014 at 3:41 PM
A few weeks ago I saw two there at KP. A male and a female. The falcon I have been seeing recently is a tiercel I believe.
February 9th, 2014 at 8:16 AM
Which size is the mystery Falcon, male or female? Or is it hard to tell?
Hope you’re enjoying P2 MAK! Never heard of Nunda.
February 9th, 2014 at 9:30 AM
It is sometimes hard to tell Nora. The viewing of the KP falcon is at quite a distance. I believe that the falcon that I have been seeing there is a smaller male. But I’ve been wrong before! lol.
February 9th, 2014 at 10:57 AM
Nora, Nunda is about an hour south of Rochester past Mt. Morris. My nephew Brian owns 9 acres and has 2 dogs,3 cats,2 horses and a goldfish. It’s funny, my sister instilled the love for animals in her son and daughter Lorri-Arkansas) and they both have more pets than her!
As far as the size difference in the falcons-sometimes you can tell when they’re by themselves, but it’s much easier to distinguish the difference when you have a male and female present. 🙂
February 10th, 2014 at 6:32 AM
Makes sense it would be easier when you have another to compare to.
That is so wonderful to have instilled a love for animals!