So sorry that I haven’t been posting any reports lately.  Mariah and Kaver have not been seen for the past month.  Kaver usually leaves around that time and returns in the Spring.  Mariah is usually seen during the Winter, but sometimes she leaves.  An example would be in 2006, when she was injured.

This Winter the Watchers have a new pair to Watch.  An unbanded male and a banded female (green/black).  We have been working really hard at getting a positive ID on the female, but it’s hard.  She rarely comes low enough for us to get a good look at her bands.  We’ll keep trying.

The Watchers will continue to keep an eye on things and I’ll report if there are any changes.

This new pair is definitely a bonded pair.  They hang out on many of the same buildings that M&K did, including the Kodak Tower.  They’ve also been seen on the Powers Building and the Times Square Building, where nest boxes are now located.

The Watchers will keep Watching!  Happy Holidays everyone!

Carol P.

Just a quick update.  There have been daily sightings of Mariah around the city, but not as many of Kaver.

Mariah has been spending alot of her afternoons enjoying the mild Fall days on the gorge wall near the High Falls.  She is quite beautiful in that natural setting.

The Watchers will be keeping a close eye on the new nest box location at the Powers Building.  We’re all hoping to see her checking it out.

Carol P.

Lots and lots of Watchers out this week:  Carol P, Jeanne, Lisa McK, Dana, Larry O, Kathy O, Jill C, Susan C, Kelly, Sue(Bess), Jim P and Dan S.  Thanks everyone!

Mariah and Kaver continue to be spotted together on all of the downtown buildings in Rochester, NY, including the Kodak Tower.  We also had a couple reports of a 3rd Falcon!  We’re not sure if this is an adult or possibly one of the juvies returning to the city.  If it is a juvie, Mariah and Kaver would probably chase him/her away.

So whether it’s a juvie or a migrating Falcon just passing through, the Watchers will keep watching.

Carol P.

Watchers this week included:

Carol P, Larry O, Lisa McK, Jeanne, Jill C, Kathy O,  Joyce, Carla P, Dawn and Dan S.

Daily sightings of Mariah and Kaver are being reported by the Watchers in all the regular places, including a sighting by Lisa McK of either Mariah or Kaver on the playpen railing in front of where the nest box used to be on the Kodak Tower.  On Thursday, 9/17, we spotted Mariah and Kaver sitting side by side (no more than a couple of feet apart) on the lower building of Midtown Plaza.

We also had the first report of Pair-Bonding behavior by Larry O on Saturday, 9/20/08:

“Well, what I saw next was – to me – definite courting, pair-bonding.
Kaver put on a show for Mariah who was still on the Xerox sloping
cornice. Kaver would fly over the Xerox roof from east to west. This
put him out of sight of Mariah on the west-side of Xerox. From there
and when over Clinton, he began stoops with beautiful right-turns and
bank as he cleared the west face and became visible to Mariah above.
He would start a climb and execute another sharp, right-bank when he
cleared the north face, climbing back towards the roof.

Over and over he put on a show for Mariah. Seeking a better sight,
Curro and I moved, and during this, Mariah also took to the air for
talon tag with Kaver.

When Kaver disappeared behind B&L, we moved to the B&L plaza to find
him, but did not. We returned to HQ to find Mariah still on Xerox. One
more look at the OCS elevator shaft, but no sight of Kaver.

I’d say this is a good sign for 2009!”

This is very good news indeed!  Thanks Larry!

Carol P.

Watch reports for this week were received from:  Carol P, Jeanne, Lisa McK, Kathy O, Joyce, Larry O, Dana, Jill, Dawn, Marcia L, Dan S & Shaky.  Thanks to all of you for sending me your reports.

It was business as usual for Mariah and Kaver this week.  They were seen on all their regular spots including the First Federal Building, Midtown Plaza, Xerox, Baush and Lomb, HSBC and Kaver even made a quick visit to the Kodak Tower and the High Falls Smoke Stack.

The most exciting report of the week came in from fellow Falcon Watcher Jill C. on 9/8/08 as follows:

“(2:20 pm) Just saw M & K flying over the HSBC building. They were playing a little tag and then one kept soaring higher and off to the East where I could no longer see them out my office window with my binocs.

Well, I take that back….I just saw (4PM) 3 falcons flying over/around HSBC and XEROX so I believe we had some territorial tag, not playing tag. One of the falcons was going after one of the others while the third was also flying nearby. One took off towards the East (out of downtown), the other towards the West (Kodak Tower direction) and the last is still sitting on top of the South side of the HSBC.”

So, it looks like we either had a migrant Peregrine Falcon passing through downtown Rochester, or possibly one of the juveniles returned and M&K escorted them out of the city.

No further reports of a 3rd Falcon were received after Jill’s report on the 9th.  All has been quiet.

Carol P.

Watchers for this week included: Kathy O, Lisa McK, Joyce, Jeanne, Larry O, Dana, Lou and Carol P.

Lots of Watchers out and about on this beautiful week.  The weather was more summerlike than it’s been during August.

Mariah and Kaver did not disappoint their team of Watchers.  They were seen all over the city of Rochester, including their favorite spots, the First Federal Plaza and Midtown Plaza.  Other reported sightings on the Bausch and Lomb Bldg, the communication tower (south of the Kodak Tower) and only one sighting on the Kodak Tower itself (Kaver on the 19th floor – north side).

No juvie sightings reported.  It was great to hear that Quest has been seen again on Cape Cod and that there were more pictures.  Wonderful news!

Carol P.

The Watchers that have reported during this time period are Carol P, Kathy O, Dana, Lou, Jeanne, Joyce, Larry O, & Brian H.

Still no reports of any juveniles, except for the wonderful news of Quest, but lots of Mariah and Kaver sightings.

The majority of the sightings have been on the First Federal Plaza (aka old Changing Scenes Restaurant) & Midtown Plaza.  Some other places M&K have been seen; Crossroads Building, Xerox and the Kodak Tower.  This week was the first time both Mariah and Kaver have been spotted on the Kodak Tower, on the railing in front of the ledge where their nest box used to sit.

Highlight:  When Mariah went after a Red-tail Hawk (RTH) over the Rochester Public Library.  I found the RTH sitting on a lower ledge of the library, trying to hide.  Just goes to show you that eventhough her young have more than likely left the area, she’s still very protective of her territory.

Carol P. 

Now that there are no more sightings of our young Falcons, the Watchers will start keeping a close eye on the comings and goings of Mariah and Kaver.  I will attempt to post a summary of Watch Reports weekly.

The Watchers that have reported during this time period are Carol P, Kathy O, Dana, Lou, Jeanne, Joyce, Suzanne, Don, Shaky, Carrie, Larry O, Brian H, Lisa McK, Susan C, Sue (Bess), Pat and Dan S.

Both Mariah and Kaver have been seen frequently around the city and the gorge.  The majority of the sightings have been of both M&K on the First Federal Plaza, (with the old Changing Scenes revolving restaurant on top).  Other spots:  the gorge wall; Midtown Plaza; Frontier Communications tower; HSBC; Xerox and Bausch & Lomb buildings.  Interestingly, no sightings on the Kodak Tower during this time.

Dan and I had some excitement during our Watch on 8/19/08 around 1:20 pm.  We were on the pedestrian bridge, when we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk flying over the gorge.  A Falcon flew into the gorge and attacked the hawk.  It was Mariah and she drove the hawk into the trees along the east side of the gorge wall.  Mariah settled for a few moments on one of the High Falls Brewery buildings near the east end of the pedestrian bridge (Skye’s Bldg).  After a few moments, the hawk decided to make his escape and flew out of the trees.  Mariah spotted the hawk and chased him off to the east.  She returned to the First Federal Bldg soon after.

Another interesting behavior witnessed by Dana and me was watching Mariah hunt from the top of the elevator shaft on the First Federal Bldg.  Twice we saw her stoop out of the shaft, coming within a few feet of the river below.  Talk about an ambush!  Not quite sure was she was going after, but there are alot of pigeons and ducks in that area.  Interesting.

Carol P.

Just  a quick update on the Falcon Watch.  We’ve been seeing a juvie daily, spending time in the gorge.  We’ve positively ID’d Susan B and Seneca over the past week.  It’s been over a week since we’ve positively ID’d the others.

Today both Mariah and Kaver were on the Kodak Tower, Kaver on the northside and Mariah on the southside sitting on top of the nest box.  I did not see any juvies (as of noon).  There was alot rain today in Rochester, NY.

Carol P.

First, here is a video (taken on 7/29/08) of three of the juvies flying around the Xerox Tower in Downtown Rochester.  The three were playing talon tag high above me.  The only one I was able to positively ID was Quest.  She was definitely one of the three.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=171aim5l.56tda1vp&x=0&y=-3e2gcn&localeid=en_US

or tinyurl:

http://tinyurl.com/5muxv2

They’re still hanging out around the city, gorge and Kodak Tower, but
sightings are fewer now.

I did find a young Falcon eating on the north west corner of Midtown
Plaza (Downtown) this morning (7/30). She finally showed me her band.
Yes Amy, it was Seneca!  Nice meeting you today.

Enjoy the day everyone.

Carol P.