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Falcon watch 2-20-12

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

KathyO picked me up just before 9:00 am for a falcon watch. When we arrived on the Broad St. bridge she spotted a falcon on the top ibeam southwest side of the OCSR building. We went to the parking lot by Aqueduct street for a closer look. Soon there after it flew off heading straight toward Mercury

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Soon there after it flew off heading straight toward Mercury behind the Thompson Reuters building where we couldn’t see if it landed there or not. I told Kathy I just know it’s on that statue and sure enough when we got back up on the bridge I saw it on the money bag hand !!! This was the Beautyful ones’ spot and needless to say I was not happy to see this. After spitting and sputtering about it I took some pics and was able to see the purple band on the right leg telling me that it was Unity.

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It seemed like she looked right straight at me to say this is my territory now. And I looked back at her and said a few things myself. I like Unity,I think she’s a gorgeous pefa but Mercury is Beautys’ spot and this has all happened a little too fast for me. I accept what nature has to offer but it doesn’t mean I like it. Life in the natural world and in ours can be so cruel sometimes but we must all move forward and so a lesson is learned from our feathered friends. A hard one!

So onward we go to about 20 minutes later Unity flew off Mercury heading west behind buildings and out of sight. We left to go find her and ran across Brian near the Library. He told us to go look and he would stay on the bridge waiting for a falcon to show up. Having no luck we returned to the bridge where Dana had joined Brian. Half hour later a falcon flew over and landed on the southwest corner of the Hyatt Hotel.

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Brian was 99% sure this was the male and it appeared to have a full crop! Dan joined us just before noon and 15 minutes later the tiercel flew off to the west and landed on the east side of the jail roof briefly and left. It would be an hour and a half before we saw another falcon and that falcon would be Unity under the northeast wing. Joyce joined the watch at this point. Unity was walking and bowing and chupping when Kathy spotted the tiercel on the ring of the southwest wing of the Times Square building.

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Dana rejoined us as Unity flew over to Widows Walk and the male turned to look at her there. Kathy and I next saw Unity fly up to the ledge between the northeast and southeast wings one level above the nest box as shown on the next pic.

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She flew off soon after going north and the tiercel went right after her. Kathy and I went searching as did Joyce while Dana left to go home. We found Unity on the Xerox roof southwest corner and the male was also on the roof directly above the 5th column south side where, you guessed it, Beauty liked to roost!

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After only a few minutes they both flew back toward the river and Times Square. When we returned to the Broad St. bridge Unity was on the main cam and Donna reported the male was on camera 4 after she went into the nest box. Kathy and I saw Unity fly from there over to the southwest corner of the Hyatt hotel. They both ended up flying northwest out of view and we were unable to find them again before calling it a watch. It was quite a long day for my knee and it was ready for some ice and elevation. Below is the link for a Kodak album for more pics of the day. I bid you a good nite and keep smiling! 🙂

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8 Responses to “Falcon watch 2-20-12”

  1. Kathy Says:

    Wonderful photos, reporting and “commentary”. We are all feeling the pain MAK. We all felt it when Beauty took down our wonderful Maria, but you are so right when you say this is nature. We “do” humanize them don’t we. All they know is survival, eat and reproduce. I know we are all hoping for a healthy nest this year. For Unity…I hope that her eggs do better than last year. Both Unity and Beauty deserve their own mate. We will wait to see who Unity chooses.

    Keep your eyes to those Rochester skies. We love your reporting and those of us not in Rochester anymore are ever so thankful. You absolutely do make us feel as if we are there with you. (we are in spirit!)

  2. margaret Says:

    It is a tough thing to see U on Beauty’s spots, and yes, it is too soon.
    We all hope for eggs and hatches this spring, and maybe it is Unity’s time to do that.

    It is odd that she is hitting all of Beauty’s places — including the Xerox tower where Beauty liked to roost.

    Only a few more weeks until Archer’s return date. Any chance that this unbanded tiercel flying around with Unity is Mr. T? In that one picture from this weekend, it certainly looked like the little cutie .
    Without bands, I guess we will never know.

  3. MAK Says:

    Thank you for your kind words Kathy!
    Margaret I am quite sure it is NOT Mr. T. This guy is bigger and his mustache isn’t right.

    I too hope for falcon families this year in Rochester but I’m not thinking that far ahead. Archer will most likely be home soon and who knows when Beauty will be back(and she will be back if she is released). If they return there will be battles I’m afraid and nobody wants that. We can only hope and pray for the best. 🙂

  4. Ginny Says:

    I love your pics MAK and yes it is too soon to accept all this but it is nature.
    I too am afraid of a bad fight between Archer and the new tiercel and if Beauty is released soon another fight between her & U. I just can’t believe how Unity is acting just like Beauty…like she is copying her every former move.
    Let’s just hope and pray this will all work out in a peaceful way 🙂

  5. luzie Says:

    Seems Unity had been spying on her Aunt and now copying her every move. In some of the pics from the nest box it almost looks as though she too has a few salmon colored feathers on her chest. I wonder if Dorothy does.
    I saw two Peregrins around 3:30 p.m. on 104. Looked like a male near Culver and a female near St. Paul and a Hawk somewhere in the middle.

  6. Braveheart2665 Says:

    Thanks for the report MAK & great pics. Sure didn’t see this coming on Superbowl Sunday when Beauty was at the nest box defending the territory. I was so happy just to see her I didn’t even take a screen shot, now wish I had. I remember Ei telling me the story of how Beauty & Archer had ousted Mariah & nearly killed her & I guess now we are getting a taste of what it must have felt like to those who so loved her to see Beauty take over Mariah’s territory. It’s nature but it’s hard. I put the picture of Unity on my desktop yesterday & just stared at it . She is a big & absolutely gorgeous pefa no doubt about it. Hard not to like her but it may take awhile for our hearts to come around. But once you start watching these birds there’s no turning back. I’m just praying for no more serious battles & some gorgeous eyases.

  7. MAK Says:

    I love them all Linda and I too felt horrible about Mariah, shedding many tears over that. I spent so much time with the Beautyful one that it just is so much harder on me having her gone. I was devastated when my roommate moved out and I lost access to a vehicle to go watch every morning. I do know how it feels for everyone at home who can’t get out to see falcons, that’s part of the reason I was so determined to go everyday and share my watches with everybody. After all we all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I do find myself having trouble getting out of bed these days but I think of all of you, my friends, and I keep on keepin’ on. Thank you all! 🙂

  8. pdlnow.com Says:

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