Morning watch 5-28-11
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
When I got up this morning I looked out my window to see what the weather was like…FOG! So I decided I would stay home until the fog burned off a bit and then head out. As usual I got online and checked the cams. Beauty was on the eggs looking peaceful and content. The picture advanced and I saw the last of the eggs out on the deck. I immediately went to livestream to see Beauty check out her egg and then fly off. Someone on the chat said the egg had stuck to her when she stretched and then ended up out of the nestbox. It looked like it had collapsed like the last egg and appeared folded over. Next Archer flew in, examined the egg and got in the scrape scootched down in it as if incubating. My eyes were raining down tears of great sadness for our fabulous falcons. He went back out to the egg and pushed it under the rail and out of the cameras view. That’s when I figure it must have fallen and floated down to the sidewalk below.I started texting Donna and asked if she thought I should go downtown and she said yes. So I whipped outta the house. As I was approaching Times Square coming up Exchange St. from Main I looked to the sidewalk and I could see the egg. My heart sank! I pulled over right in front of the Times Square building put on my emergency flashers and walked over to it crying my eyes out. I called Donna and gave her the news and then I got out my camera and took pics of the egg. First, of how I found it laying there and then I turned it over to see what the inside looked like.
I looked over at the Wilder building through my tears and I saw Archer up on the green strip. He had his back to me but he kept looking over in my direction. It seemed like he was watching me.
I then wrapped the egg up in a kleenex to save in case the DEC or GVAS wanted it for any reason. I then collected myself somewhat and drove across the street to park down on Aqueduct St. where I had a good view of Archer. As I got out of the truck I heard kakking but it wasn’t Archer. I quickly walked to a spot where I could see Mercury and there was Beauty on the railing below the base calling out to Archer.
I barely had a chance to click off a shot of her when Archer flew in landing on top of her and they copulated. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
I started tearing up again and realized that they were just carrying on with their falcon lives as if everything was fine. It was not fine with this sniveling human! Archer then flew back to the Wilder building landing on top of the fire escape ladder and as Donna reported to me, Beauty was in the scrape seemingly incubating.
These were about the saddest chain of events I could ever imagine. Archer left vanishing into the fog and Beauty flew out of the nestbox over to the top ibeam west corner of OCSR.
I sat there with the Beautyful one for about 20 minutes when she flew off behind OCSR heading east into the thick fog. After watching and waiting for her to return with no luck I decided to take a ride around the city. With no success in finding either Beauty or Archer I ended my watch and went home. In usual fashion I will end my report with a smiley face BUT this does not reflect how I truly feel this morning! Good day to all of Beauty and Archers’ faithful fans around the world. We’ve now been through the good and bad times together! 🙂
May 28th, 2011 at 11:54 AM
MAK, thanks for letting us all know what happened. I have been following rfalconcam for years and I must say this is so very sad. I can not stop crying. I thank you and all who have made these precious falcons so available to us. You are appreciated more than you will ever know. Like you, I burst into tears when I saw an empty nest this morning. This year will be one we will never forget. I will continue to watch from Charlotte, N. C. as so many people will all over the world.
May 28th, 2011 at 12:09 PM
Thank you, MAK 🙂
May 28th, 2011 at 12:40 PM
Thank you, MAK. I feel so bad for you, the document-er off all things Beauty and Archer this past year. And now you document the end of this episode. In a way, it is appropriate that you were the one to find the egg.
And how appropriate that you witness the start of perhaps a new episode in their falcon lives!
It is the circle of life, and their lives are going on.
What did you write the other day? Someone else reposted? “They steal our hearts, they break our hearts…?
Take care of YOU today!
May 28th, 2011 at 12:48 PM
Thank you MAK. Know we love you and are with you in spirit.
May 28th, 2011 at 1:00 PM
Hugs to you MAK…how sad to find the egg-I’m crying right with you-but I’m glad too that you found it before it was crushed. They’ve both been to the nest box in the past little while, scraping in the gravel. I’m too sad today to hope it means anything more than bonding, but you never know. Thanks for keeping watch.
May 28th, 2011 at 1:17 PM
Such a sad day, MAK, a tearful day.
May 28th, 2011 at 2:06 PM
MAK, if you ever decide to give up on the ROC Falcons… which you never would!… or to extend your interest, you would be a fabulous wildlife writer! You observe, you respond, you tell it like it is. And we are all grateful to you for everything you have done during this breeding season! At first,I was devastated that you found the egg. Then I thought – who better? A gift from Archer and Beauty to YOU!
May 28th, 2011 at 2:21 PM
Thank you so much, MAK, for the detailed report.
May 28th, 2011 at 3:30 PM
Bobbie said it well here and on the forum! MAK, you brought A and B into our homes and into our hearts.
May 28th, 2011 at 8:15 PM
thanks for your report. My eyes were full of tears reading it.
May 28th, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Bravo MAK. Thanks for the diligence in reporting and keeping all the “watchers” at home and abroad in touch and captivated. Be well and strong. May you get a re-clutch to report on.
May 29th, 2011 at 2:25 PM
MAK – no words just s hearts 2 you