Sunday Evening Falcon Watch – Dot.ca and the Crows – 6/1/14
By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P. (6:30 to 8:30 pm)
The gorgeous evenings continue. It was 77 degrees (F) with wispy clouds. The water level on the river has gone down quite a bit and many of the logs that had been caught by the Main St Bridge were gone.
It was my day to check out the BS location, where we used to watch Pigott and Dot.ca. It was very quiet. Only small birds were active here. No falcons seen or heard.
When I arrived downtown, I found fellow falcon watcher Dan S. He was sitting in his chair on the north side of the bridge. This was the shady side for awhile. Here was our view.
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Just before I arrived, Dan had seen Beauty fly out of the nest box and out to the jail communication tower, south of the Times Square Bldg.
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Beauty remained there for quite awhile, before taking off and flying back towards the Times Square Bldg (TSB). She landed on Camera #1 aka Pan Cam.
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At 7:30 pm, Dot.ca flew in with food. He went directly to the nest box and Beauty followed. She took the food and carried it out to the base of the Mercury statue. She landed on the north side, where we could not see her. Dot.ca followed and landed on the northeast side of the base of the Mercury statue.
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A few moments later, Beauty took off and returned to the nest box to feed the eyases. Many thanks to Rfalconcam Watcher Ei for verifying that Beauty was in the nest box. Dot.ca remained where he was.
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Since the shade had reached the south side of the bridge, it was time to move. This is where Dan likes to watch from. Here is our view from the south side of the Broad St Bridge.
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We could see Beauty on the nest box perch. She had finished feeding the eyases. Dot.ca remained, very alert, on the base of the Mercury Statue.
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All was quiet, until the Crows flew over. Two of them landed on the Lincoln First Bldg, but they were not what got Dot.ca’s attention. It was a low flying Crow that he went after, catching up with it on the left side of the B&L bldg. Dot.ca hit it hard, feathers flying and caught it in his talons for just a second or two before releasing it. That was one very lucky Crow. We saw it fly off very low to the south. Dot.ca returned to the Times Square Bldg and landed on the northeast wing ledge, above the nest box. Here are the two Crows that landed on the Lincoln First Tower.
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For the rest of our watch, Beauty remained on Camera #1 and Dot.ca went into hunt mode.
Dan and I called it a watch a little after 8:00 pm.
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After Dan left, I pulled up closer to the Times Square Bldg for a quick look before heading home. I was checking out Beauty on Camera #1, when Lisa McK pulled up behind me. While I was chatting with Lisa, Dot.ca took off from the Times Square Bldg and headed south. He was either on Crow Patrol or on a hunt. I said my goodbyes to Lisa and ended my watch (for real! 🙂 at 8:30 pm. Goodnight everyone!
