Fledge Watch/3 juvies seen 7-15-17
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
Overcast skies with light misty rain on and off and a damp temperature of 65 (F) 18 (C)
Click on the pics to see the full version
Last call to check for falcons at Seneca towers last night bagged me 3 of them half a mile to the south on the Hawkeye (HE) plant. They all looked to be the same size so I believe it was Seth and his boys. He was on the top railing with one of the boys below the railing and the other male under the nest site structure. The lower one flew up to the railing briefly then off and out of site.
About half a minute after the juvie flew from HE there was a whining juvie flying north bound above my head. I only looked up to see it for a split second because I heard it. Back to HE-the other juvie flew up to the railing a few minutes later and that’s how I ended my watch when it started to pour of wind blown rain and darkness-Seth and one of his boys.
Now this morning I found Beauty on the 5 Star Bank east side after missing her yesterday. She flew down to the southeast corner and I left her at 5:40am to join Dan on the Court Street bridge and tell him that Carol had seen a juvie at High Falls yesterday afternoon.
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While I was in transit Beauty flew over to the Powers cam and then rendezvoused with Dot.ca (DC) as shown when I checked the archives.
<Click to see Beauty on left side of frame
Beauty flew north and so did Dan, right to the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge at High Falls. I checked around and then joined him. He found Beauty on the southeast corner of the Kodak launchpad. Larry and Zeke joined us soon after. The falls were roaring from recent rains making the water quite muddy looking. I spotted a couple deer in the grass where the RG&E Beebee station used to stand.
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We were on the east end of the bridge so I took a walk to the west end to get a closer look at the Beautyful one but she flew off before I got there. Dan and Larry saw her play talon tag with a juvie near the Radisson Hotel. A juvie Red-tail Hawk was flying around the east side of the gorge and landed on a light pole at the Genesee Brewery right behind us.
Dan and Larry left at 7am and I went downtown to have a look see. I found Ontario on the east side of the 5 Star Bank. He pooped then flew off to the north and went into a stoop just before I lost him behind buildings near East Ave.
Around 7:30am I spotted DC on the Kodak tower-northeast corner of the netting below the launchpad. I parked at State and Brown St. to observe him. He stooped off like a rocket down State St. only about 6 feet above the road and I just held my breath hoping that he wouldn’t get hit. Here’s what I tweeted at the time-MAKfalcon (MAK): Holy speeding falcon! DC just stooped down State St. only about 6 feet above the road. Be still my heart!!!
DC flew back to the netting to try his luck from the northwest corner this time. He quickly scratched his chin and was off again flying around the K-tower a few times only to land on the southeast corner of the netting. He was definitely checking all his options.
DC wasn’t letting any moss grow under him as he flew south a minute later and I ended my watch at that point just before 8am.
I certainly had lots to smile about on this mornings fledge watch! 🙂
Click on the links to see snippet videos from Seneca Towers last night and today’s downtown watch
