By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was overcast, dark and dreary with a temperature of 67 (F) 19 (C)

Click on the links to see the full version

I was out last night and didn’t get out to check on the Seneca Towers (ST) falcons until 8:20pm. As I stepped out on the balcony and looked up I spotted a juvie flying just before it disappeared to the north end of the building. At 8:34pm I spotted a large bird on the roof of Kodak Park but can’t say if it was a falcon due to distance and darkness as the sun was setting behind the clouds.

I began my watch this morning at 5:15am finding Beauty on one of her favorite perches, the northeast cube of the Frontier Communications tower (FCT).

Beauty was preening on and off, still working on those molting feathers and she did a lot of looking around. At 6:14am she flew off the cube and back to the FCT landing on the platform where she was eating something.

I decided to go check in with Dan on the Court St. bridge while the Beautyful one ate. He told me that he watched Dot.ca (DC) stoop off the Spectrum tower successfully taking his small package over to the 2nd I-beam of OCSR to eat and then he flew to the Powers building. I could see him on the east side railing and then he left while we weren’t paying attention.

It was time to check on my river friends. I found a Great Blue Heron hiding in the bushes on the west side of the gorge south side of the CSB-it flew over to a log below the locks in the rapidly flowing waters. Mama duck and two kiddies sticking close to her. On the north side of the bridge I found 2 adult Black-crowned Night Herons. One of them was grabbing either bugs on the surface of the water or very small minnows-couldn’t tell which but you can see it on my snippet video.

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Dan got bored and decided to leave around 6:45am so I went back over to the FCT where I thought I had Rachel on the drum eating. I found DC on a crossbeam below the southeast cube with a full crop. Turns out it was Beauty eating on the drum as she finished eating and flew off to the northeast cube.

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At the time, I still thought it was Rachel and kept saying to myself boy, that looks like Beauty and I knew I saw her fly there so I checked from every angle looking for her as I also heard whining. I’m still not convinced that Rachel wasn’t up in that tower somewhere but if she was I couldn’t find her.

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I left Beauty and DC to digest their food and was hoping to catch the ST falcons around. Well I didn’t find any juvies but I found Seth on the Hawkeye nest box ring with his back to me and Billie on a northwest corner of the roof. Bad lighting today made for mostly bad pics but got a couple half way decent ones.

Seth made his way over to the opposite corner from where he had been where there was a swarm of some kind of bugs flying near him.

I ended my watch looking at both of their backs at about 8:30am. Unfortunately, I saw no juvies on watch today but I saw all 4 resident Rochester Peregrine Falcons and that’s more than enough to make me smile! 🙂

Check out the links below to see my snippet videos

https://youtu.be/BeMrYdWj_kg

https://youtu.be/jfF7znI7waQ

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Another warm, muggy morning here in Rochester with a temperature of 68 (F) 20 (C) blue skies with a few clouds

Click on my pics to see the full version

I spotted a falcon on the northwest roof of Hawkeye last night when I checked from the west balcony of my 16th floor at Seneca Towers (ST). 10 minutes later another falcon flew in from the west and buzzed the one on the roof and then went over to land on the nest box ring. The roof bird flew off to the south out of view soon after that.

10 minutes later the remaining falcon flew off and about a half minute later I had a screaming juvie flying towards the north end of ST and that was the last I saw of any falcons as the sun set. I did spot a Great Blue Heron in a dead tree up river before calling it a watch just before 9pm.

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This morning I began my watch at 5:15am on Woodbury St. where I spotted Rachel on the south side of the roof near the southwest corner. She kept looking towards the 5 Star Bank-thinking she was looking for her mom I drove over to Broad St. and found Beauty on the east side of the bank. I decided to go to the Strong Museum of Play parking lot where I would be able to see them both but when I got there they were gone.

I went to the Court St. bridge (CSB) to see if Dan had seen them. He said that he watched Rachel fly over the library heading west with a small package, possibly a starling, and that he lost her behind the Blue Cross Arena. While we had no falcons I checked on the river wildlife. Two duck families that I’ve been monitoring on the south side of the CSB have dwindled down from 10 to 3 and the other from 8 to 2 ducklings left-most likely taken by the Great Blue Herons (GBH).

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I saw one GBH and an adult Black-crowned Night Heron hunting on the north side of the Broad St. bridge and also a mink was diving for food between the Court and Broad St. bridges.

I walked up to where I could see the Frontier Communications tower (FCT) and Widows Walk from next to the Dinosaur BBQ grill. I could see a falcon on the 2nd arm of FCT whom I thought was Dot.ca (DC) and Beauty on the Powers cam. After checking the archives I found that Beauty and DC had been in the Powers nest box bowing just a few minutes prior to that. Beauty left Powers while I was watching the mink down in the river.

Dan left at 6:30am so I took a ride around downtown and from the Andrews St. bridge I spotted a falcon under the northeast cube of FCT. When I got over to the City Hall parking lot on Fitzhugh St. that bird was gone but I found the Beautyful one under the southeast corner of the platform facing me.

A few minutes later I heard the sound of a whining juvie. Rachel was on the east side in the lower red section of the tower with her back to me. And then Beauty moved to show me her back as well.

Rachel was very alert to all the bird activity below her, twisting and turning her head every which way to look at them. She turned to face me for a bit and then around again to show me her back before flying off to the south. I looked up to see that Beauty was no longer where she had been.

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I caught up with Rachel who had gone to the jail tower. I took a couple pics of her from Troup St. and then I had to get going.

I ended my watch at 7:40am happy to have seen Rachel but wondering if Ontario had left the area for good as he hasn’t been seen in a couple days. It’s sad to see them go but it sure does keep you smiling while they’re here! 🙂

Click on the links below to see videos from my watches

https://youtu.be/LnjfUmbhG1I

https://youtu.be/G2InYvNS784

https://youtu.be/sXFz1vQAE9g

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was partly sunny and a muggy 68 (F) 20 (C) degrees

Click on the pics to see the full version

I went out to check for the Seneca Towers (ST) falcons at 8:10pm last night and was happy to see the brothers flying around Hawkeye (HE). They kept coming in and out of view as they would drift off behind the plant to the south side. A couple times one landed on different northwest corners of the roof briefly then off again.

At some point Joyce observed the boys playing on the south side roof in between my sightings from the north. I caught one of the juvies landing not so good on a roof which you’ll be able to see in my snippet video. It happens!

Around 8:30am I heard the familiar cries of a juvie and was able to make out 2 very fast flying falcons down in the gorge on the west side across from me. I could not get any pics until just before they flew under the bridge to the north and they were a blur!

The sun was setting as they came back through where I could see them again. This time they were on my side of the river just above the tree tops for one more round and then gone under the bridge again and that would be the last I saw of them. It was another gorgeous sun set. I watched a couple Great Blue Herons fly in and land on separate logs down in the river.

Around 8:50pm Joyce reported seeing Seth on an east side roof of HE and I was able to spot it from my vantage point on the 16th floor west side balcony and that would be all she wrote for last nights watch.

I began this mornings watch in the dark with the Beautyful one who was on the southeast corner of the 5 Star Bank. I started from Broad St. then drove over to Chestnut St. so I could see the front of her. She flew over to the RGE antenna and landed but took off while I was driving over to be closer to her so I went to the Court St. bridge (CSB) to join Dan.

Dan gave me his report that he had seen Rachel under the northeast wing of Times Square before she flew over to the Powers building and that Beauty had flew in to join her briefly. I checked the archives and found pics of them.

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I saw a falcon on Widows Walk (WW) about 25 minutes later. I think it may have been Rachel.

There were 2 adult Black-crowned Night Herons and a Great Blue Heron in the river between Court St. and Broad St. Sadly I haven’t seen any ducklings in two days.

Beauty was chased by Rachel over to the jail tower where they landed and left immediately heading northwest out of view behind the jail.

Around 6:50am Dan spotted somebody flying over the jail with a package. It looked large so probably a pigeon and we think it was probably Rachel as she was losing altitude and disappeared somewhere over the jail. Dan left after that sighting and I went in search of. After a trip around downtown I came upon Beauty on the north side railing of WW from Fitzhugh St. She had her back to me and at first sight she was pulling white down feathers from her left side. Molting is itchy and painful for them.

She turned around, fanning her tail nicely showing the gap where a feather was pulled out of it. Our Beautyful one is looking a bit raggedy these days while she molts!

I shared space with her for half hour or so and then she stretched and took off to the southwest.

I drove around downtown twice and didn’t find any falcons until I spotted Beauty on the jail tower from Troup St.

I ended my watch at 8am after beginning and ending my watch with my favorite falcon who never fails to make me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to check out snippet videos from last night and this mornings watches

https://youtu.be/O15LXDE9iXo

https://youtu.be/7pHFEJahD3I

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was 62 (F) 17 (C) with calm, sunny conditions

Click on the pics to see the full version

From my apartment at Seneca Towers (ST) I checked the Hawkeye (HE) plant a little after 8pm and could see the brothers playing talon tag over the river so I grabbed my camera and went out to the west side balcony on my 16th floor. They had stopped flying and were perched side by side on the north end of the roof over there. Joyce had reported seeing an unknown adult over at HE earlier in the evening and she also saw Billie on the south side window ledge of ST.

At one point while I was watching the boys Seth came flying in from the south past me and up towards the northwest end of ST. I just barely got a shot of him before he disappeared. I watched the sun set in the western sky. If you check out my snippet video you’ll see it go down in stages. Below are the first and last pics of it.

I started my morning watch on the Andrews St. bridge where I spotted 2 falcons on the Frontier Communications tower (FCT)at 5:19am. One was on the 2nd arm and the other on the platform railing south side. I drove over to Fitzhugh St. for a closer view as it was still dark out and by the time I got there the railing bird was gone. I believe it was Dot.ca (DC) on the arm and probably Beauty on the railing as the archives show them both at the Powers nestbox just a few minutes before I arrived downtown.

DC stooped like a bullet near the church and I next found him over on the Kodak tower perched on the northwest corner of the netting. He flew south soon after.

I drove over to the Court St. bridge (CSB)and joined Dan who reported having 2 falcons on the jail tower at 5:20am so between the two of us we had seen all four falcons this morning. I had the adults and he had the juvies. The only thing I saw while there was an adult Black-crowned Night Heron. A little after 6am Dan decided to go to the High Falls. I met him over there after I had the Beautyful one on the northeast corner of Kodak below the netting from State St.. She flew off while I was tweeting.

When I got to the pedestrian bridge Dan was leaving as he had seen a falcon flying above Xerox so I followed him back to the CSB. Of course when we got there the show was over but Dan spotted somebody on the Spectrum tower. I wanted to know if it was a juvie so I drove over there and found it was Beauty. She was preening when I sent out a tweet and when I looked up she was gone so back to the CSB I went. She sure was a busy bird today!

Beauty managed to get past Dan when she flew off Spectrum and ended up on the Mercury money bag behind us. She then took off and started flying over near Xerox and Legacy tower (LT) coming in and out of view. She then landed on the slanted part of the LT roof below the spire. Pics pf her flying show that whe has pulled out feathers from both wings and her tail as she is in the midst of a molt.

She stayed up there for a few minutes looking around and then she flew southeast into the sun where we lost her from being blinded by the sun.

We ended our watch at about 7:30am. Boy, it was fun chasing Beauty all over downtown and you know I was smiling the whole time! 🙂

Click on the links below to see snippet videos from Seneca Towers and downtown

https://youtu.be/GPoU01yqBeI

https://youtu.be/MaPtaJvWkeU

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

The temperature at the start was 62 (F) 17 (C) with calm conditions. A cool breeze developed after the sun came up

Click on the pics to see the full version

Last night I saw 2 Seneca Towers falcons after 8 pm as the sun was setting. There was one on the nest box railing at the Hawkeye plant that stayed there until just before dark when it dove straight down and never resurfaced. The other one flew in and landed on the roof below the nest box structure for a moment then it flew off when I wasn’t looking. No way of telling if they were adults and/or juvies.

The sun had clouds above and below it as it made its descent towards the horizon.

This morning after checking the east side first I found Beauty on the northeast corner of the Powers building. From Aqueduct St. and Main St. I took a couple pics before heading over to the Court St. bridge (CSB) to join Dan. I love getting out of my car to see his great big smile to greet me!

It stayed that way for about an hour so I turned my attention to the river on the south side of the CSB. There was a juvie Great Blue Heron, mama duck with 3 babies, and a juvie Black-crowned Night Heron (BSNH). I also checked the north side of the CSB and found an adult BCNH right below the railing of the bridge.

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The 3 ducklings stuck together and near to their mom as the juvie GBH and BCNH were on either side of the area. The larger duck family never came out of hiding while I was watching. A Fedex plane came through behind Powers and I spotted a Great Egret perched on a log above one of the locks south of the CSB.

Around 6:30am Beauty seemed to change her stance as if somebody else was there or flying in so I checked the cams and sure enough Dot.ca (DC) had snuck in and gone into the nest box. The Beautyful one then went in for a quick bow with her mate and then out again and up to land on the cam.

A few minutes later DC snuck back out of the nest box without Dan and I seeing and around this time Rachel came crashing in to knock mom off the cam and take her place. Beauty flew out and returned to land on the northeast corner once again.

Soon after, Beauty flew over to the Mercury money bag where she remained for the rest of my watch. Rachel also stayed on the Powers cam until Dan left for home.

I drove over to Aqueduct St. real quick to share space with the girls before ending my watch at 7:20am.

I certainly was happy to see Rachel as I left downtown smiling! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

https://youtu.be/xD_vUiYhed8

https://youtu.be/dTMgGrskf3k

https://youtu.be/FQXoU4OwJS0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher  MAK

Thunderstorms followed by partly sunny skies with a temperature of 68 (F) 20 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full view

Last night around 6:30pm when I went out to the west balcony on my 16th floor at Seneca Towers I spotted 3 falcons flying over the nest box area at the Hawkeye (HE) plant half mile away.  At the same time a juvie appeared above me and flew to the south end of the building and headed east out of view. I only saw it because it whined at first and drew my attention to it. It’s nearly impossible to get a camera up and get the falcons in focus when they suddenly appear out of nowhere as they are too close and fast. So at this point I had 4 at the same time-the whole family! Only 3 stuck around taking turns flying on and off the nest box railing at HE and talon tagging.

Sometime in between all of that the boys came over to visit me. I looked up and there they were flying right at me at eye level then they flew to the north end of the building playing talon tag and whining before disappearing. Back to HE to observe some more flying in, landing and flying off again. I caught a jet skier zipping by down in the river at one point during my watch. Activity on the river is at a minimum due to the raised levels of Lake Ontario and all water ways linked to it.

The brothers were hanging out next to each other on the HE railing when they flew off and next I had them chasing Seth in front of me whining very loudly and then all 3 disappeared past the south end of ST. Seth came through soon after all by himself-seemingly he had given his rowdy boys the slip. I spotted 2 Great Blue Herons up river in a tree.  After a bit, I noticed not one but two falcons on the south ledge of the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge eating. For sure the one closer to me was a juvie-the one that was at the west end of the bridge may also have been a juvie-distance and poor lighting makes it hard to say for sure. Seth flew by me twice during this time. Both bridge birds flew off at different times and both times I missed their departure but one of the juvies flew past me and went north. The tour boat called Harbor Town Belle made a u-turn in the river below me as darkness fell and headed back to the north.

It was wet when I left ST this morning but when I got downtown it started pouring as a couple thunderstorms rolled through. It was quite a while before I found a falcon after checking the Court St. bridge (CSB)for the second time. I saw that Dan had arrived and was sitting in his car waiting for the storm to pass. I drove over to the Radisson Hotel to check the north side ledge of the OCSR elevator shaft. Nothing there but when I went up to Bragdon Place where I could see the south ledge I found Dot.ca (DC). It was dark at first and still raining some but after a while I was able to get a half way decent pic of him and his white chest.

After it stopped raining and DC flew off I headed over to to the CSB to join Dan. We watched DC stoop on something around 6:30am over the Cornhill then fly over to land on his favorite hunting spot on the Spectrum tower. He wasn’t there for long when he flew off to the southeast until we couldn’t see him anymore. I then switched my attention to the river on the south side of the CSB where the ducklings reside. An adult Black-crowned Heron was hunting and a juvie Great Blue Heron was also down there. They had a stand off in the end when the BCNH made his way back to where the GBH was hanging out. Dan and I were marveling over how the sun was lighting up the clouds top edged from behind.

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I spotted Beauty on the top I-beam west corner of OCSR just before 7am and soon after Dan called it a watch so I drove over to the hole to be closer to the Beautyful one. She flew southeast at 7:25am.

I went in search of the rest of the family but was unsuccessful. I spotted Beauty on the northeast corner of the Powers building. She wasn’t there long and I next found her back on OCSR west corner top I-beam.

For the next 45 minutes I looked for more PEFA’s but never did find any so I ended my watch just before 9am. It’s that time of year when we’ll be seeing the juvies sporadically as they get ready to leave the area to start their life’s journey. Until then, I’m sure they’ll keep me smiling! 🙂

Click on the links below to see snippet videos of last nights ST falcon watch and today’s downtown watch

https://youtu.be/5xb6hbLHMOI

https://youtu.be/VwoLmJ25pyo

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was partly cloudy with a temperature of 62 (F) 17 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

Starting with last nights sighting of Seneca Towers juvies. As is the usual case I saw the boys fly by as I was doing PT at my living room window. I went out to the west side balcony but they were gone. I resumed and finished my exercises then I went back out to the balcony to find a falcon on the Hawkeye (HE) nest box railing. Soon after another falcon flew in and the railing bird joined him in some talon tag over the river and HE and then they were gone.

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This morning I started my watch at 5:15am with Beauty on the southeast corner of the 5 Star Bank. She flew off to the west 5 minutes later so I drove over to the Court St. bridge (CSB) to join Dan.

Dan said it was Rachel on the jail tower (JCT) who had been there since he started his watch at 5:10am. 5 minutes later she flew south out of view.

I had walked over to check the river for the herons who usually hunt between the Court St. and Broad St. bridges. The river has flooded from recent rains and the water was running too fast for them so I didn’t see any. As I was returning to the south side of the CSB to join Dan I spotted Ontario flying after a gull near the locks. He thumped it 3 or 4 times before turning back to fly over by the Rundell library. I kept yelling to Dan about it and then I saw that he was watching Rachel stooping down into the river between the bridges. Then both juvies were taking turns diving down and back up north of the Broad St. bridge several times before they disappeared from sight. It was fantastic to see! Lil O ended up on the JCT briefly then he flew west.

Ontario was next seen flying north of Legacy Tower. He flew out from the east side of it and landed momentarily on the west side roof near Archer’s corner.

That would be the last I saw of the kids today. Dan was ready to leave at 6:30am so I went in search of our beloved falcons. 20 minutes later I spotted the Beautyful one from the Andrews St. bridge (ASB)-she was on the platform railing east side of the Frontier Communications tower (FCT). She had her back to me from there so I drove over to City Hall on Fitzhugh St. to share space with her.

She was mostly preening during the time she was there. She started looking intently to the south towards the Powers building and then she flew that way. I caught up to her as she was on the front ledge of the Powers nest box as seen from the ASB.

I went looking for the rest of the family but had no luck, when I returned Beauty was now on the Powers cam.

I ended my watch at 7:30am smiling because not only did I see the juvies but saw them in action! 🙂

Click on the links below to see snippet videos of  last night and this mornings watch

https://youtu.be/sMRM5zhibB4

https://youtu.be/sWqWc_mhr8Q

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

https://youtu.be/olpemnBHhYE

https://youtu.be/wz0dLaMd4UU

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

2:00 – 3:30 pm

I had an hour and a half to watch falcons yesterday afternoon.  That’s not a long time, but I wanted to make the most of my free time.  🙂

Juvie sightings have been getting less and less.  It’s time for them to start wandering.   Since I found no falcons downtown, I headed over to the Kodak Tower.  There I found Dot.ca on the east side arch ledge.

<— Dot.ca on Kodak Tower.

Dot.ca was mostly looking towards the east, the gorge, so that’s where I headed next.  I walked out onto the east end of the pedestrian bridge.  Oh, such a beautiful view!  I miss those days of watching falcons flying over the gorge.

Due to all the rain we’ve had lately, there was a lot of water moving over the falls to the river below.  Most of the island was covered in water.

I am happy to report that, what we call the falcon sucking tree, is still there on the east side gorge wall.  Most of our falcons, over the years, have landed here.  🙂

<— Falcon Sucking Tree!!  🙂

I could hear a juvie Red-tail Hawk vocalizing somewhere on the north side of the pedestrian bridge, but I couldn’t see it.  But, I did spot momma Red-tail Hawk on the Smith St smoke stack, keeping watch over her young one.

<— Momma Red-tail Hawk on the Smith St smoke stack.

A 2nd falcon flew up to the Kodak Tower, circling it and landing on the south side arch ledge.  This is directly above the netting that still covers the spot where Mariah and Kaver’s nest box was located for so many years.  Another falcon took off and landed on the launch pad on the east side.  It walked around to the south side.

I walked down to the west end of the pedestrian bridge for a closer look.

<— Adult falcon on Kodak Tower south side arch ledge.

<— View of Kodak Tower from the west end of the pedestrian bridge.

<— Brown’s Race has fountains now!

<— Where the BeeBee Station (RG&E) and its’ 3 smoke stacks were located.  (Remember Bricks for Chicks?)

I could not see the falcon that had gone up to the launch pad.

Because I was running out of time, I headed back to the pedestrian bridge.  That’s when a juvie falcon flew in from the north, over the bridge and along the east side gorge wall towards the falls.  This all happened at the east end, of course I was at the west end of the bridge.  lol

By the time I got to the middle of the pedestrian bridge, I had lost sight of the juvie.  But, there was an adult now flying over.  Too far for me to tell if it was Beauty or Dot.ca.  The other adult was still on the Kodak Tower.  So I had two adults and a juvie during my watch.

<— Adult Peregrine Falcon flying over the gorge.

I scanned the area for the juvie, but I could not find it.  The adult continued soaring high above.

It’s very frustrating when you have to end a falcon watch when you’re ready to leave.  lol  It was time to go.

When I was getting into my car, I looked back towards the gorge to see a falcon dive bombing a Red-tail Hawk almost directly over the pedestrian bridge.  You know I’ll be back there soon.  🙂

Enjoy the day everyone!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Another cloudy damp morning with a little fog and a temperature of 65 (F) 18 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

It’s been a couple days since I last saw the Seneca Towers juvies.

I started my watch this morning on the east side as I have the past week, but this morning Beauty wasn’t on the bank so I joined Dan on the Court St. bridge (CSB). I immediately spotted a falcon on the northeast corner of the Powers building and then it went into the nest box. I checked the archive at 5:20am and it showed Dot.ca (DC) there. When I checked again a few minutes later he was on the cam and then he was gone into the darkness.

That would be the one and only Peregrine Falcon I would see today. I was entertained by the shorebirds on either side of the CSB. A juvie and adult Great Blue Heron (GBH) on the south side where the ducklings reside and the Black-crowned Night Herons on the north side of the bridge.

Thankfully the herons didn’t capture any of the ducklings while I was on watch. Recent rain had the river flowing very strong and the north side of the CSB was flooded giving the herons to hunt close to the library where the flow of the water was much slower. The cloud formations above were quite interesting this morning.

The juvie GBH was standing in some still water that was reflecting his image beautifully even though there was no sunshine this morning.

Two families of ducks were staying clear of the herons which I was grateful for. The BCNH’s were hunting amongst the logs on the north side of the bridge.

At 6:45am Dan and Larry left to start their day and I went in search of falcons but was unsuccessful. It’s that time of year when juvie sightings are sparse as they are venturing further away from their birthplace. Hopefully tomorrow will bring at the very least, a glimpse of our downtown Rochester Peregrine Falcons which would definitely make me smile! 🙂

If you like the river residents then you will want to click on the link below to view my snippet video

https://youtu.be/L9ZRPz9utPs