Hello Falcon Fans! The Rfalconcam Merchandise Team has been very busy. We wanted to make sure that we had plenty of gifts ready for the holiday season!
The first item available for your consideration is our updated Quest Tour T-shirt. The original shirt was offered back in 2008 when Quest left Rochester, NY, so we never had all her travel locations included. After sadly losing Quest this year, we decided to redo her tour t-shirt so that it included all the places she visited before settling in Canada to raise a family of her own. We want to thank our friends at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation for watching over Quest and her family. The juvie Quest picture was taken by Lou Capuano and the adult Quest picture was taken by Ann Brokelman.
The Quest Tour T-shirt
We’re offering this shirt in white and multicolors. Zazzle links below.
Next is our new 2024 Rochester Falcons Calendar. This calendar includes pictures of Nova, Neander, Artemis, Jubilee and Sterling from the 2023 season. Just click on the picture to order your 2024 Rfalconcam Calendar from Zazzle.
2024 Rfalconcam Calendar
Who could resist these cute ornaments featuring our young eyases from 2023?
Many hearts were broken on August 22, 2023. The day I received a text from our friend Mark Nash from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. Quest had been found on the ground with very severe injuries by a couple of concerned folks. They remained with her until Mark arrived. He saw immediately that she was in trouble. The X-rays they took of Quest confirmed his worse fears, she wasn’t going to survive. Mark shared pictures of Quest’s injuries with us and explained that a decision was made to humanely euthanize her.
Quest began her life in a nest box on top of the Kodak Tower under the watchful eyes of her parents Mariah and Kaver. She was one of five young that hatched in 2008.
On May 30, 2008, Quest and her siblings were banded and given their chosen names. Mike Allen and Barbara Loucks, from the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation, banded each of the eyases and they all received their names. Three girls and two boys! Seneca (F), Diamante (m), Zephyr (m), Susan B (f) and Quest (f). Quest was given her name by students at the Hilton Quest Elementary School and they were there to see her banded. That was the 11th year that the Kodak Falcons had been banded. Her NYS band was Black 96 over Green V. Blue tape was placed over her silver USFW band.
Because Quest was the largest on banding day, the DEC chose her to receive a transmitter. On June 5, 2008, she received her transmitter. Because they did not have the proper glue to seal the harness that was placed on her to hold her transmitter, they used Mexican Red ladies nail polish.
Quest successfully fledged on June 21, 2008. Her Watchers were thrilled to see her take her first flight. She and her siblings flew in the Genesee River Gorge, near the High Falls, learning to chase prey and each other. Oh, and mom and dad too! So much fun! Those were the days!
She was last seen in Rochester, NY mid-August. Her transmitter readings were started on August 18, 2008. On August 22nd, we started receiving witness reports from Martha’s Vinyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. I was in touch with many of the folks there. They were thrilled to have her during that Winter and shared many pictures and stories from her adventures.
Quest’s travels were followed by her many fans all over the world!
Some of the Rochester Falcon Watchers followed her when her transmitter readings placed her in Canada, on the other side of Lake Ontario. We actually found her and her mate flying around a power plant. Yes, you heard right. She had a mate!
In 2011, she was spotted with her mate. Kendal, on a building across from Harlequin headquarters on Don Mills Rd. She was given a nest box and the rest is legend.
On December 21, 2014, Bruce Massey, a member of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, confirmed with us that Quest had finally lost her transmitter. That was such great news!
From 2011 thru 2023, she raised 42 young. She was one short of her mom Mariah’s 43. Quest and many of her siblings went on to raise young and helped to increase the population of Peregrine Falcons in the United States and Canada.
We call it the Mariah and Kaver Legacy. Of course, this included Mariah’s first mate, Cabot-Sirocco.
An Untold Fledge Watch Story, June 21, 2008
Quest’s Fledge Flight took place 15 years ago, yet it seems like it was just yesterday. Kind of. So you can imagine my memory is a little foggy. There were many Rochester Falcon Watchers on duty that day and of course, I can’t remember everyone that was there.
When Quest finally spread her wings and took her first flight, she ended up landing on the ground in a parking lot on the north side of Kodak Office. When we arrived, she was just walking around and checking out all the new stuff in her world.
The Watchers kept at a distance and kept an eye on her. It was finally decided that she was in danger of being hit by a car, so a plan was hatched. It was decided that she needed to be rescued, but she had other ideas. No way was Quest going to let us get anywhere near her.
Three of the Watchers volunteered to rescue Quest and put her into a carrier. I came in behind with a blanket and two other Watchers kept her attention from the front. Everything was going great until she turned her head around and saw me. It was like, no way! That’s when Quest took off and landed on a low building in the back of the parking lot. That’s all we wanted. She was off the ground and now under attack by a Kestrel. Quest wasn’t happy and neither was the Kestrel. In those days, we had a family of Kestrels that nested on the BeeBee Station. The Peregrines and Kestrels were always going at each other.
Again, we settled in to keep watch over Quest. After a while, she was annoyed enough to take off again, this time heading east, towards the Genesee River. One of our new watchers took off, sprinting. He was able to follow her and see where she landed. When we all caught up, we saw that she was on a much higher building. From that point on, Quest joined her family and continued her journey.
On Thursday, September 14th, Rochester Falcon Watcher Lisa Mckeown received a phone call from Chuck the maintenance person at the First Federal Building in downtown Rochester. He told Lisa that there was a dead, banded bird on the roof which he believed to be a Peregrine Falcon and that it appeared to have been there a while. Lisa asked if he could send a picture of the bands on the falcon, which she received Friday afternoon. The bands, black 36 over green BW, identified the deceased falcon as Artemis. Lisa contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, so they can retrieve Artemis.
Artemis was from Nova and Neander’s brood this year. She hatched at the beginning of May and was banded on May 30, 2023. Everyone commented on what a big girl she was. By mid-June, she and her siblings, Sterling and Jubilee, had fledged. On July 15th Artemis was spotted perched and later flying in the Genesee River gorge near High Falls. This is a place that long-time watchers are very familiar with, as it was here that we met each other and enjoyed numerous watches during the Mariah and Kaver era.
Thank you, Artemis, for visiting a place that holds many precious memories for many of us. We are honored to include you in those memories. May you fly free, our big beautiful girl!
Artemis, Sterling & Jubilee After BandingGrowing UpArtemis On Banding Day Named by Rochester Falcon Watcher Linda King Artemis Flying Free in the Genesee River Gorge Near High Falls Picture by Carol PhillipsYou Will be Missed Artemis
It is with great sorrow that we have to report the loss of Quest from 2008.
The Canadian Peregrine Foundation reported on their Facebook page that Quest was found on the ground with a very badly injured wing. Our good friend Mark Nash from the CPF arrived and took Quest immediately to the vet. X-Rays were taken and it was determined that she was too badly injured to ever fly again and that she was in a great deal of pain. The decision was made to euthanize her.
We would like to thank Mark Nash, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and all of those involved with helping Quest get the care she needed.
Fly Free Beautiful Quest. ♥️
Quest (center) in the nest box on the Kodak Tower with her 4 siblings
At approximately 2:30 pm, first Jubilee then Artemis fledged very close together. Jubilee landed safely on the Wilder Bldg and Artemis landed on the Telesca Bldg.
Later in the day, Sterling flew up to the ledge above the nest box. He has now returned to the nest box platform.
We believe both Jubilee and Artemis are currently on other parts of the TSB.
Our eyases are now considered fledglings or juvies.
It was banding day for Nova and Neander’s three young eyases this morning. While our friends from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) arrived at the Times Square Bldg, the Rochester Falcon Watchers gathered in front of the Blue Cross Arena, aka Rochester War Memorial.
2023 is the Rochester Falcons 25th Anniversary. There have been Peregrine Falcons nesting in Rochester, NY from 1998 thru 2023!
To celebrate, the current Rochester Falcon Watchers were asked to submit one name each. These names were then voted on by the current watchers. Our favorite three names were chosen. We would like to introduce the Class of 2023!
Sterling (Male)
Sterling (Male) – Band # 97 Over W, Black Over Green; no tape over silver USFW band
Sterling – Is a type of silver. Silver is representative of 25th Anniversaries. Submittedby Rochester Falcon Watcher Sue Deacon.
Artemis (Female)
Artemis (Female) – Band # 36 Over BW, Black Over Green; Blue Tape over silver USFW band
Artemis – Silver is the balance between black and white, the colors which represent the Peregrine Falcon. It is the color of the Greek goddess Artemis. She was the goddess of the hunt and she carried a silver bow and arrows. She was given them from her father Zeus on her 3rd birthday after which she became known as a fierce huntress. Submitted by Rochester Falcon Watcher Linda King.
Jubilee (Female)
Jubilee (Female) – Band # 86 Over Z, Black Over Green; Red Tape Over silver USFW band
Jubilee – For the Silver Jubilee, 25th Anniversary for our amazing Rochester Falcons. Jubilee is a special anniversary, a celebration! Submitted by Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol Phillips
You’re probably wondering why we didn’t choose Silver as a name for one of the eyases. Well, Silver was a name given to one of Mariah and Kaver’s first eyases in 1998!
Here are some pictures from today’s banding day. Enjoy!
SterlingArtemisJubileeSterling, Artemis and JubileeSterlingArtemisShaky Holding Jubilee For Her BandingSterlingGrouchy Bucket Babies!
Many thanks to the folks at the Department of Environmental Conservation for coming to Rochester to band our eyases! Thank you!
Great news, everyone! The eyases will receive their bands and names this morning!
Our friends from the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) will be coming to Rochester this morning to band Nova and Neander’s three eyases. Banding should happen at approximately 10:00 am. When they are banded, they will be given names related to this year’s 25th anniversary of falcons nesting in downtown Rochester!
Three Young Falcons Getting Ready For Their First Flights Off the Times Square Bldg!
Have you ever wondered what is involved in falcon watching? Join someone with over 20 years of experience watching young falcons take their first flight.
On Tuesday, June 13 and June 20, from 5:00-7:00 PM, Rochester Falcon Watcher and Genesee Valley Audubon Society member Lisa McKeown will be stationed at the corner of Exchange and Broad St to introduce anyone who is interested to the joys of falcon watching. Stop down and say hello!
2023 marks the 25th anniversary of peregrine falcons nesting in Downtown Rochester!
In 1998 a trio of enterprising Kodak employees– Kenn Martinez, Brad Carney and Matt Bernius– placed a video camera on the steeple of the company’s headquarters in Rochester, NY, aimed it at a falcon nest box, and connected it to the Internet. The stars of their new website– the Kodak Birdcam– were a pair of peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on the planet. To honor their legacy as masters of the air, the falcons were given wind-themed names by the Kodak Birdcam team. Mariah, for the female, after Kodak founder George Eastman’s mother and the 1951 Lerner and Lowe song “They Call The Wind Mariah.” Cabot-Sirocco, the male, was hatched in Toronto and named Cabot by the folks at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation (in honor of the French explorer of the same name). Kodak named him Sirocco (a dry desert wind), and his US & Canadian names were combined as “Cabot-Sirocco.”
In 2002 a new male joined Mariah when Cabot-Sirocco failed to return that spring. A high resolution digital camera, installed only weeks before, revealed that this new tiercel, or male falcon, wore no identification bands on his legs, unlike Cabot-Sirocco. The new arrival was named Kaver, after a gentle breeze that blows in the Hebrides islands near Scotland.
From its earliest days, Kodak and the Genesee Valley Audubon Society had worked together to make the Birdcam a success. Sponsored by GVAS, the annual Fledge Watch has provided a cadre of dedicated volunteers to monitor and report on the young falcons as they leave the safety of the nest box and take their first wobbly flights. Fledge Watch participants have documented the early lives of fledgling falcons on an unprecedented scale, and their diligence has paid off more than once. Over the years the GVAS Fledge Watch has rescued at least six fledglings.
GVAS also partnered with the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Migration Research Foundation to expand our knowledge of the dispersal patterns of urban-raised peregrines.
In the summer of 2006, Kodak reached out to GVAS once more. Recognizing its long commitment to the Birdcam program and its many conservation efforts, the company agreed to migrate primary responsibility for the Birdcam program to GVAS, and the program was renamed Rochester Falconcam (Rfalconcam). We at Rfalconcam were honored by Kodak’s decision and delighted to bring the adventure of Rochester’s own peregrine falcons to the rest of the world.
In 2008 after lengthy consultations with the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Kodak decided to move the nest box that had sheltered Mariah and her family for eleven years. The decision was made so that Kodak could undertake a multi-year project to repair the crumbling terra cotta facade on the Kodak tower. The nest box was installed a short distance away on the historic Powers Building in downtown Rochester. To enhance the chance of a successful transition for the falcons, GVAS installed another nest box one block away from the first, on the Times Square building at the corner of Exchange and Broad Streets. Cameras at each location allowed viewers to keep watch for Mariah to find her new home.
2009 brought many changes. Kaver failed to return from his winter travels. Mariah attracted a total of three potential mates, the last, it turned out, her own grandson! Even stranger events were to come though, as a new, younger female came into the territory. Together these two new falcons engaged Mariah in a territory battle that left her with serious injuries and ultimately drove her from her long-time territory. Rescued by GVAS Falcon Watch volunteers after the two-day battle, Mariah spent six weeks recovering from her wounds. She found her way back to Rochester only one day after being released, demonstrating her intense attachment to the area.
The new pair, Archer (hatched in 2006 to Mariah’s son Freedom) and Beauty (hatched in 2007 in Pittsburgh, PA) eventually settled at the Times Square nest box after a failed attempt to nest on the Midtown Plaza tower. Mariah kept to various perches near the High Falls gorge until mid-summer, when she moved north to Kodak Park before disappearing in October.
Archer and Beauty produced two offspring in 2010 but none in 2011. Archer was displaced by another male, Dot.ca, (hatched in 2010 in Etobicoke) in 2012. In early 2022, we lost Dot.ca and Beauty.
That summer, an unbanded pair of falcons had found their way to Rochester and raised 3 eyases at the Times Square nest box.
GVAS is committed to following the activities of our latest pair, Nova and Neander, as well as monitoring other falcons showing interest in the Rochester area. Hopes are high that a second pair will be able to establish a new nest and territory in the city.
Imagine our surprise when Nova finally got up to bring in food early this morning! There were not two, but three fuzzy white heads with mouths open, ready for breakfast!
After going back through all the pictures, it looks like the third eyas hatched last night sometime before 9:00 pm!
Now we wait to see if Nova and Neander’s 4th egg will hatch? Stay tuned!
