By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

I was sitting in my recliner when I received a tweet from Carol that there was falcon on a west side pipe on the roof of Seneca Towers around 3pm. So I went out to the west side balcony of my 16th floor apartment and could see Billie up there. I came out without my camera (duh), so I had to go back to my apartment to get it-0y! Buffalo Billie had a full crop-I always like to see that they’ve eaten.

She did a lot of turning her head and I thought she would fly off at one point but she didn’t. I stayed just 5 minutes or so because my camera wasn’t the only thing I forgot-a jacket and gloves would have been nice! lol It was chilly out there-that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 🙂

Check out the link below to see the video of Buffalo Billie

http://youtu.be/oIVbBCkYP7I

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Gray, overcast and calm with a temperature of 28 (F) -2 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

The first place I checked this morning was the OCSR elevator shaft expecting to see Dot.ca (DC). If he was up in there I didn’t notice him from the Radisson Hotel by Main St. What I did notice was a falcon with its back to me on the top ibeam south corner of OCSR. I drove over to the hole parking lot to see that it was Beauty and she was looking in my direction.

About 10 minutes later Beauty flew to the east out of view and when she came back into view I saw her fly up into the elevator shaft. I believe this was her wake up call for DC to come out and start the day. When I arrived back at the Radisson Hotel she was way back in on the north side ledge of the elevator shaft. Beauty then came forward where I could see her much better and it was obvious to me that she was looking across at DC.

After a couple minutes the Beautyful one flew out and around to the south corner top ibeam of OCSR again around 8am. I drove to Bragdon Place where I could see the south side ledge of the elevator shaft and there he was in all his glory-DC with his back to me.

I couldn’t resist making that pic above festive! I decided to go back by Main St. where I could keep track of Beauty and the elevator shaft for when DC might come out to join us. On the way I stopped to take a pic of a window on Main St. at St. Paul St.

While I did this Beauty flew to the Mercury money bag (MMB) so I returned to the hole parking lot to watch her. Less than 5 minutes later I spotted DC flying north toward OCSR-after he checked out Beauty on Mercury he went to the top ibeam near the south corner (a very popular place in the morning lately).

I started to tape a video of DC but he flew off just as I got started to replace Beauty on the MMB as she had stooped to the east right around 8:30am.

DC stayed up there for a while stretching, scratching and keeping watch over the territory while Beauty was most likely off somewhere hunting. The last pic below was too dark so I gave it a little color. lol

I left to look for Beauty with no luck and when I returned DC was gone of course. I made a final search but couldn’t find them. I did find this pretty wreath tho.

I left downtown around 9:30am and didn’t find any falcons at Seneca Towers for the 4th day in a row. That’s ok, I’ve gone that long and longer without seeing Billie and 99. They’ll turn up eventually and make me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/E4ZgeOj_Ou0

http://youtu.be/1brsxf4IsOA

http://youtu.be/UsTtqeFxfrE

http://youtu.be/2sHjwHuJMaE

http://youtu.be/ckSMVbu9Kbw

http://youtu.be/-YDX0D1YguY

http://youtu.be/kP2omBPxB40

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Overcast, dark, dreary, cold, breezy with a few snow flakes in the air and a temperature of 25 (F) -4 (C)-perfect weather for a falcon watch! lol

As always, click on my pics to see the full version

Initially, as I did my check downtown I found no falcons, but when I came back through from checking the east side I spotted a falcon on the top ibeam south corner of OCSR from the Court St. bridge.  I went over to Aqueduct St. in the hole and thought I was looking at the back of Dot.ca (DC).

I then drove over to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. for a better look and was able to positively identify Beauty as the falcon on the south corner and I also found DC on the north ledge of the elevator shaft. He was tucked up tight in there and barely showing.

Suddenly, just before the 8 o’clock hour DC started chirping and Beauty had flown off the south corner  and landed further down on the top ibeam closer to the elevator shaft. She quickly left there and flew up and tried to land by DC but he came forward and blocked her, so she flew back out from the elevator shaft as he started chirping again.

I didn’t see where the Beautyful one went because I was watching to see if DC would fly out from his man cave. He turned around and tucked himself back in tight again for a few minutes. At 8:04am DC walked out, spread his wings and flew out and over to the south side of the elevator shaft on the small, top ibeam. I believe he was looking for cached food.

After rummaging around on that cross ibeam DC flew off to the other end of the top ibeam and landed near the south corner. Beauty flew in and landed right next to him a split second later.

They both did some preening and after a while Beauty walked over to the corner and back. DC had a poop for himself and they settled down for a bit.

At 8:40am Beauty watched as DC spread his wings and turned around in a circle. Once again they settled down to have a look around the area.

A couple minutes passed, then DC flew off to the northeast as Beauty watched him go.

Beauty went right after DC and that was the last I saw of them.

I drove around looking but to no avail so I took some more pics of decorations around the city. A music shop on East Ave.-the Bausch & Lomb main entrance-a shop on Mt. Hope Blvd. called TheArtful Gardener and a window on Main St. I ended my watch at 9:30am.

I was happy to have spent some time with our downtown pair of Rochester Peregrine Falcons bringing a smile to my face! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/kcwPietGM5w

http://youtu.be/Mds0DuAVDiE

http://youtu.be/kAt6yCYx0sw

http://youtu.be/1afkQRbUYbM

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was another dark, overcast morning in Rochester with light snow falling at times and a temperature 0f 32 (F) 0 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

This morning I was late in finding our beloved falcons again as they have been scarce first thing when I arrive downtown, so I start with pics of a place on Elm St. behind the Hotel Cadillac and the Liberty Pole.

It wasn’t until after 8am that I spotted both Beauty and Dot.ca from the Broad St. Bridge, as they were perched on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR.  I drove down to the hole to watch but they had their backs to me from there.

This just wouldn’t do, so I went over to my spot by the Radisson Hotel by Main St. for a better angle of them. They were both preening and looking around. It looked to me like Beauty had some food in her crop.

<Click it

<Beauty   DC>

Beauty and DC didn’t seem like they were much in the hunting mood seeing how they had there backs to the world and all. I was grateful to have found them before I had to leave early to be somewhere.

They both did some stretching and DC flew off heading toward the elevator shaft. I thought for sure he was going up in it, then he veered off back to the top ibeam and landed much closer to the Beautyful one than he was previously.

<Click it

This is how I left our 2 love birds right around 9am,which of course, put a big ole smile on my face! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos

http://youtu.be/9QK99baGO3Y

http://youtu.be/lbyyrh_ddp0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Dark and dank this morning with a fine misty rain at times but a warm 43 (F) 6 (C) degrees

Click on my pics to see the full version

It took me some time to find a falcon again this morning but not as long as yesterday. While on the east side I found these 2 treasures all lit up on South Ave. Note the top middle window in the first pic-it’s the major award from the movie “A Christmas Story”-the infamous Leg Lamp!

I spotted Dot.ca (DC) on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR from the intersection of Broad St. and South Ave. around 8:15am. I quickly went down to Graves St. by Main St. and Aqueduct Park for an up close and personal look at him. It looked to me like he had some food in his crop.

I started taping DC when he flew off heading northeast. I left to look for him and as I pulled over on the Court St. bridge around 8:30am I spotted Beauty nearly in the same spot DC had just vacated. Again I whipped over to Graves St.

There’s only room for 2 cars to park on this small one way street and when I got there a truck was parked in the front spot so I couldn’t see the south corner of OCSR because the building there was blocking my view. While I was taping the Beautyful one she watched something fly by below her-at the time, I thought perhaps it was DC. The guy came and left in his truck and when I pulled forward I could see that DC had indeed joined our little gathering.

<Click it

<DC         Beauty>

I stayed a few minutes then went over to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. for a different angle. I got distracted by a phone call and missed both of them as they left the building.

<Click it

I made one more sweep of downtown before leaving for home-I didn’t find them, nor did I find any falcons at Seneca Towers when I arrived home to end my watch at 9:30am. I didn’t get to share space with our downtown pair for very long this morning  but I was still smiling for having seen them at all! 🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/irRbPBqz_xU

http://youtu.be/O-9RKcskeic

http://youtu.be/85kn6XXeYyw

http://youtu.be/V3c5oBn_BWU

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was mostly cloudy with a few bits of blue sky early then it became totally overcast with a temperature of 35 (F) 2 (C)

Click on the few pics I have today to see the full version

My watch started out on a high note as I found 99 right off the bat on the northwest corner railing at Seneca Towers from my spot on Seth Green Dr. 99 started out with his back to us, but while I was taping, he turned around for us to see the front of him.

99 stayed up there looking around for a nice meal to appear for 10 minutes and then he slipped off the back (north) end of the building out of sight and didn’t return.

I left for downtown around 7:45am and things went down hill. I searched high and low for Beauty and Dot.ca (DC)-even checking new places until around 9am. In my travels I stopped on Fitzhugh St. by City Hall to snap a couple pics of the banners that the city has put up around downtown.

I decided out of lack of knowing where else to look I would take a drive over to the Brighton Site where Pigott and DC used hang out. Maybe DC and Beauty went there-when Beauty first came to Rochester she was seen at this site so it was worth a shot. No such luck, however I found a lot of whitewash (poop) on the east side on both sides of a corner where Pigott liked to roost at night on window ledges. Perhaps it’s from something other than a falcon but I’m guessing a falcon. I also found feathers from a prey bird scattered all over the snow last week after the storm which means somebody is eating on that east side as well. Stay tuned!

So I left to try my luck downtown again,my last resort (about my 3rd check of the morning) was the OCSR elevator shaft. I couldn’t park in my usual spot just before the driveway starts at the Radisson Hotel by Main St. because a cab driver was there so I had to park under their carport. Even though I know one of the security guys there, I try not to get in the way of their shuttle vans and customer parking. Anyway, I looked up at the north ledge first-nothing, but when I looked at the south side I spotted a falcon tucked way in deep on the ledge.

I was able to ID it as DC when he turned his head to show the heart shape of his auricular patch-plus, what I could see of the front of this PEFA was too white to be the Beautyful one. So at nearly 10am I found my first and only downtown bird! I left DC to hang out in his man cave and left for home after a quick check for Beauty. When I arrived at Seneca Towers there were no falcons around. It was a bit frustrating this morning but the fact that the boys showed their faces made me smile all the same! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/UeIUiL8FFAU

http://youtu.be/KpgSC0VT_5k

http://youtu.be/dL4PZlSVfSA

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Another gloomy, overcast morning with a little fog early and a temperature of 35 (F) 2 (C) ending with a fine misty rain

Click on my pics to see the full version

It wasn’t until about 7:45am that I found a falcon this morning as I made my way over to the east side. Both Beauty and Dot.ca (DC) were on the south side of Xerox-she was on her favorite column, the 5th and he was next to her on the 4th from the southeast corner.

I parked on Chestnut St. by Martin Luther King Jr. Park to share space with our beloved downtown pair where I could face them. They were in hunt mode, watching their surroundings from the tallest building in Rochester.

At about 8:15am DC took off to the south followed immediately by Beauty who went into stoop formation and quickly left my field of vision. When they didn’t return I went looking and in my travels spotted the nice decorations at The Inn on Broadway.

I ended up on Basin St. in the hole next to the Wilder building where I found Beauty on the east side railing of Widows Walk (WW) and a holiday banner with Times Square in the background.

The Beautyful one started out doing some preening then the head bobbing started. I thought she was fixing to hunt on a prey bird but when she flew off to the north side of Times Square I found out what she had been watching.

DC snuck in at some point with food and had it on one of the columns on the lower back half of Times Square without me noticing. He flew off with a little of his food and finished it on the north side railing of WW, while Beauty took his spot on the column and ate a small portion DC left behind.

They both made quick work of the small portions they had then Beauty flew over to the lower roof of WW below DC  who had a full crop, for a short time. As I was tweeting out my findings they both took off unbeknownst to me until I looked back over there right around the 9 o’clock hour.

I left Basin St. for Bank Place on the other side of the hole where it meets Aqueduct St. because Beauty had flown to the Mercury money bag (MMB) and that was a better spot to view her. She did a lot of preening while I watched her there.

I was thinking since DC had eaten that he might have gone to his man cave up in the OCSR elevator shaft to rest and digest his meal, so I left Beauty to look for him. From the Radisson Hotel driveway I found DC on the south side ledge (his favorite side of the shaft).

I left downtown for home about 9:20am and as I pulled over on St. Paul St. to check Seneca Towers before I got to Seth Green Drive, I spotted Billie on the south end of the building perched on a pipe near the southeast corner. I continued on to park in the Northridge Church parking lot where I noticed 99 up on the northwest corner railing. Just as I got my camera up Buffalo Billie came flying in and landed on a pipe near 99.

Apparently, she had caught a small prey bird on her way over for she started plucking feathers as I was taping a video. They both had their back to me so I left for my spot on Seth Green Dr. at the other end of Seneca Towers. 99 was gone when I got there but Billie was looking big and beautiful as she ate her breakfast.

Billie stopped eating for a minute or so as she was looking at something, then this big girl flew off to the south with the prey in her talons at 9:47am.

I waited to see if she would come back and when she didn’t I ended my watch at 10am. For the 2nd day in a row I got to see all 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons which as you know makes me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/WIUVDB_-zlM

http://youtu.be/CSJ3xF9WoF0

http://youtu.be/KamqePeT9DU

http://youtu.be/CW8jhRGLPYE

http://youtu.be/UTEiG9DRKjc

http://youtu.be/wEZbTJexjkw

http://youtu.be/wxHF56ZqhNQ

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

My watch time is very limited right now, so I was happy to find the time to get out today.  It was overcast and lightly raining the whole time I was out and the temp was hovering between 36 and 37 degrees (F).  At least it wasn’t the freezing cold we usually get this time of year.

JUST A REMINDER TO CLICK ON A PICTURE TO SEE THE LARGER VERSION

Since I was only able to get out once this week, I wanted to check all the falcon locations, starting with the west end of Kodak Park.  I did find a falcon there, but it wasn’t a Peregrine.  The smallest of the falcons in this area, a Kestrel, was hunting from the tall silver still.  Both Unity and Archer used to hunt from these same stills.

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I saw no falcons at the BS location, where Pigott used to hang out.  All was very quiet there.

Downtown, I found Dot.ca on the south side of the OCSR on the top IBeam.

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I left DC to look for Beauty and when I returned Dot.ca was gone.  I went on the hunt again, looking for a falcon.  Just as I arrived at the Frontier Communication Tower (FCT), a falcon came in fast, landing on the southeast box below the platform.  It was Beauty.  She began to preen, periodically shaking the water from her feathers.

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Beauty stretched out her wings and took off.  She flew over me heading south.  I expected to see her continue towards the Times Square Bldg, but she turned around.  She flew directly over me and then landed on the north end of the City Place Bldg, which is directly south of the Frontier Comm Twr.

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Beauty ducked out of view for a long time.  This is where we’ve seen her take baths on warm summer days.  Finally, she popped up onto the edge of the building.

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After a few minutes, she took off and headed back towards the FCT, again landing on the southeast box.

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I left Beauty to go look for Dot.ca.  From the Broad St Bridge, I could see DC on the southeast corner of the Times Square Bldg. below the nest box level.

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Dot.ca took off while I was driving down to Aqueduct St, so I didn’t see which direction he headed.  Beauty was still on the Frontier Communication Tower when I ended my downtown watch.  I was not able to find Dot.ca.  Both had full crops, so both had eaten well today.

A quick stop at Seneca Towers and Russell Station on my way home.  No falcons found at either location.

It was a nice to see both Beauty and Dot.ca during my watch.

I’ll leave you with some pictures I took during my travels.  Enjoy!

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By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was raining lightly and overcast throughout my watch today with a temperature of 36 (F) 2 (C)

Click on my pics to see the full version

After a quick look around Kodak Office I went to Bragdon Place  next to the Radisson Hotel to check the south side ledge of the OCSR elevator shaft. To my delight Dot.ca (DC) was up there.

Soon after arriving DC spread his wings and flew out crossing over the river before flying back to land on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR.

I couldn’t see him from my location because he had landed close to the elevator shaft so I drove around to the other side of the Radisson Hotel by Main St. to find not only DC but Beauty as well. She was at the other end of the ibeam near the south corner.

<Beauty>

<DC>

At 7:46am DC flew over to the Times Square building (TSB) and came to rest on the northeast wing ring. Beauty stayed put so I drove over to the parking lot next to the TSB to watch DC as he likes to hunt from way up there. When I pulled in a couple sparrows and starlings were flitting around but DC didn’t seem to notice them.

DC watched the area and almost took off 3 times before finally spreading his wings and flying off in a hurry to the northeast at 8:03am.

I drove to where I could see OCSR to find that Beauty was gone from the top ibeam.  So I set out to find them-making my way back to where I started at Times Square. While stopped at the traffic light at Exchange and Broad St.,  I took a pic of the tree and wreath in the Times Square lobby.

I turned the corner onto Broad St. and noticed Beauty up on the Mercury money bag (MMB) around 8:15am, so I pulled over by the Blue Cross Arena to share space with her.

She was checking out below, above and behind her down toward the river. The Beautyful one flew off a minute later heading northeast-the same direction that DC had gone.

I went in search of our beloved downtown pair but was unable to locate them so I left for home. When I arrived at Seneca Towers, 99 was on the south end of the building on an antenna so i went to the south end of my parking lot to observe him.

At 9:03am 99 flew north out of view momentarily, then returned to land on a pipe apparatus near the southeast corner of the building.

99 flew off at 9:16am to the south and a split second later Billie was right behind him. They flew around the building a couple times then came down to the south end where Buffalo Billie landed on a different pipe apparatus at the south end of the building.

<99 <Billie

99 landed on the southwest corner for a second then flew off around the building and came back to land on the same spot I first found him-on the short side of south end antenna.

I proceeded to tweet out what I had seen and when I looked back up they were both gone. I waited a minute or two before ending my watch at 9:30am. What a fun watch this morning as I saw all 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons making me smile from ear to ear! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/3iM1tTKT7f0

http://youtu.be/eNAG7V5t7Y4

http://youtu.be/a3RKkfpcGVc

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was snowing when I left Seneca Towers for my watch with a temperature of 33 (F) 0 (C) and overcast skies. It had stopped snowing by the end and was replaced with a misty rain

Click on my pics to see the full version

Just as I was about to turn onto Andrews St. from St. Paul St. I spotted this pretty wreath on the Tapas Lounge (FYI-very good food there).

I checked Kodak Office (KO) after this but there was nobody on it. I then went to the east side and found nothing until I stopped at the Radisson Hotel by Main St. and found a falcon up in the OCSR elevator shaft on the south side ledge. I could see it with my binoculars but the snow made it impossible for my camera to focus on it.

Turns out it was Dot.ca (DC) because I left there to check KO again and found Beauty there on the south side arch just before 8am.

The snow was starting to let up at this point. The Beautyful one flew off to the west disappearing into the murky overcast sky at 8:02am.

I waited a couple minutes to see if she came back then I left to check the elevator shaft from the Radisson Hotel once more. DC was gone and  spotted Beauty, who was now on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR with her back to me.

I decided to go down to the hole parking lot for a front view of Beauty.

Beauty was busy looking around the area. I couldn’t stay long as I have a party to get to as soon as I finish this report. I didn’t find any falcons at Seneca Towers again today, however, I did see one flying over the river yesterday afternoon from my living room window. I ended my watch at 8:45am smiling for having seen Beauty and DC on a quiet morning in downtown Rochester! 🙂

Click on the pics below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/l1dPxL_9cmQ

http://youtu.be/VyWGHO7Q4EM