By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

11:00 am t0 2:30 pm

Very hot and humid with temps in the mid-80’s.

Kathy O and I arrived at the Medley Center at 11:00 am.  We circled the mall and ended up on the north side with no falcon sightings.  It was already well into the 80’s and very humid.  About 15 minutes after we arrived, a falcon flew over the mall and low over the north side parking lot.  The gulls that had been gathered there screamed and took off as quickly as they could. But they were no match for the Peregrine flying through them.

Down went the falcon, landing on the parking lot out of our view.  We moved closer.  The falcon was up in the air again, chasing the gulls and diving on them.  It continued to gain altitude. Higher and higher and further to the west.  We saw the falcon pass St. Ann’s and fly down into the tree line beyond it.  We waited to see if it would return.

About 5 minutes passed and we saw a falcon coming back towards us with a large bird grasped in its’ talons.  The falcon flew to the south side of the mall, so that’s where we headed.  We found the falcon with a pigeon on the corner of the brick building just west of the carousel bldg.

For over an hour (11:30 am to 12:40 pm), the falcon ate, filling its’ crop.  I was determined to proof that this was Big Frank. Finally, as the falcon finished eating and took off, I was able to see the black over black band on the left leg and no band on the right leg.  It was Big Frank (BF).

Here are some pictures that I took while BF ate on the Medley Ctr Bldg.

Kathy and I believe that Big Frank is a female, based on size and what prey Big Frank was hunting today (pigeons & gulls).   Especially after seeing her carry back a pigeon such a long distance.  Tracy from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation did warn us that we might have a Big Frankie!  🙂

I’ve seen tiercels (males) successfully hunt pigeons, Dot.ca being one of them.  But they don’t usually carry such large prey for long distances.

After leaving Kathy, I headed downtown.  I looked all over, but could not find any falcons.  So, I headed to the pedestrian bridge to check out the gorge.  It was so hot and humid.  Almost unbearable, except for a slight breeze now and then.  I spotted a falcon in the Falcon Sucking Tree facing away from me.  It was Beauty and she was wet.  Probably took a bath in the river water below.

At 1:50 pm, I heard the gulls in front of the High Falls scream.  I looked just in time to see a smaller falcon dive on the gulls and pass in front of the falls.  It turned and steadily gained altitude, flying above me.  At first I thought it might be a juvie, but after checking my flight shots, it was Dot.ca.  Beauty turned for just a moment, watching him fly off and then turned back around, facing the falls.

Dana joined me for awhile.  We watched Beauty continue to preen out her wet feathers.

At 2:18 pm, Beauty left the gorge.  It was time to end my watch.

One more thing.  Yesterday morning, I found Beauty on the gorge wall, enjoying the cooling spray from the High Falls.  It is very difficult to find a falcon there.  Here’s an example of what I saw.  Can you find the falcon in the first picture?  Enjoy!

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