Beautiful sunshine after the rain brought me to my first fledge watch yesterday.  I met Carol P, Dawn and Carrie at 4pm who pointed out where Beauty and Archer were.  Beauty was under the SE wing on what I call “the pedestal”, and Archer was over on  the OCSR I beam.      C and J were resting as they had just been fed a short time before and all was quiet.  Quiet until a turkey vulture flew by.  Archer streaked off the OCSR in an impressive show of defending his family, with Beauty right behind him.  Archer was fast!  Both returned to where they had been stationed.   Beauty appeared to be stationed like a sentry in front of the nest box while  C and J rested.   Lots going on in the city; people streaming past us for a high school graduation, free concert in the park; many asking us what we were looking at.  By that time we were joined by Jeanne, Carla, Joyce and later Carrie and Shaky.  A new “watcher” came by – hooked by the camera as I was.  More excitement as Jemison and Callidora went out exploring along the well wall and went out of sight for a short time around the north side of the building.   Beauty took off from her post — maybe to “wrangle”  her daredevil offspring.  It worked.  Both returned to the porch area. 
Ralph went to check Mercury and found a feather from dinner “prep”.  Sure enough, Beauty returned with dinner for the  girls  (or maybe girl and boy). Archer and Beauty did some good flying and stoops and are clearly trying to teach their young’uns.   I left around 9 pm with Joyce, Shaky and Carrie still on watch.  Callidora and Jemison were in the next box.  It’s just a matter of days and they will be joining their parents in the sky.  My first impression of watchin?  Nice people, awesome birds…a great reality show!

Rochester Falcon Watcher: Carrie

As I arrived Downtown at 12:45, Larry O. and Jim P. let me know where to find “everyone.”  Both juveniles were on the north side of the well-wall.  Archer was on the southeast side of Times Square, above the nest box.  Beauty was nowhere to be seen.  Once Beauty returned to Times Square, around 1:00, she flew and landed near the juveniles repeatedly.  The juveniles, in the meantime, were sitting, walking and flapping along the well-wall and the main camera.

At 3:15, Beauty flew in very slowly with prey.  She dropped this off and the juveniles ate on their own.  From below, it looked like Beauty eventually joined in.  She then took the remainder to the green (copper) line of the Wilder Building at 3:45, where she stashed it.  Shortly after the prey was stashed, Beauty began flying in front of the juveniles, and landing on and off the ledge – teaching and/or enticing.

Other watchers during this fledge watch were Dan, Carla P., Kris G. and her husband, with Carol P., Dawn, and Margaret showing up for Margaret’s watch.

– Carrie

Rochester Falcon Watcher: Marcia L.

Really late, but here are a few pics from last Sunday, 20 June.

From Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK:

I watched from about 8:15 – 10:30 this morning. Archer was on OCSR napping on his favorite ledge, the kids were flapping and hopping around. No sighting of Beauty at first when she appeared first directly above the nestbox under a wing on the TS building. Stayed there awhile then flew to the ledge below the SE wing for a bit. She then flew down and landed on top of the nestbox for a minute while Jemison and Callidora stood there watching her. Archer left while this was happening and then Beauty went in the nestbox , I couldn’t see what she was doing. Girls seem to be liking the right side of the nest box today and the ledge around the area the ramp is on. When I left I couldn’t find either adult and the girls were in the shade on the rt. side of nest box.

by Lou

This is a little late, but I wanted to share a few pictures from our watch on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. I am liking the new locale more and more with each outing! Click on the pic to see some pics.

Lou

2 separate watches: lunchtime and evening.
Lunchtime: Met Jim P. Highlight was a chase by Archer over the river. At first it seemed confusing because the little bird seemed to be attacking Archer. Could have been my angle of view. The second half was definite tho’. Archer was chasing the little black bird around the sky with loops, turns and dives. He did not get the plucky little guy tho’.
During the evening, Archer brought in a meal which Beauty took away. The young ones were on the platform. Archer was on TS. Beauty was on Mercury. All was quiet in falcon land.
Larry O’Heron

Rochester Falcon Watcher: Carol P.

No fledges yet.

I arrived downtown a little before 4 pm.  I spotted Brian H on top of the South Ave garage and Beauty at the base of the Mercury statue, prepping dinner for her two eyases.  Archer was on the top I-Beam of the old Changing Scenes Restaurant.

At 4:30, Beauty took the prey up to the nest box and fed Callidora and Jemison for what seemed like a very long time.  Good.   They would have nice full crops tonite.

Brian, MAK and Deborah joined me.  It was very sunny and warm, so we ended up in the shade on the north side of the War Memorial.  When Deborah left, we moved to the north side of Broad St to again follow the shade.

Archer took off while we weren’t looking.  Beauty flew up to the SE wing at the top of the Times Square  bldg, above the nest box.  We could see wings flapping now and then from the nest box and one eyas stood at the end of the platform under the main camera.

By 6 pm, we were joined by Jeanne, Carla P, Dana and Lou.  Everything was quiet when I left at 7 pm.

I think more and more Watchers will start to keep an eye on our soon-to-be fledglings.

Larry, Brian and I were on hand for some flying and wing flapping from the falcons.  Pictures and a writeup are here:

http://birdblog.marchlords.com/2010/06/pre-fledge-flapping-and-owl-spotting.html

Jim

Rochester Falcon Watcher: Marcia L.

I spent hours from 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM today at the corner of Exchange Blvd. and Broad St., watching Beauty, Archer and their daughters, Jemison and Callidora.

Archer and Beauty displayed their awesome flying skills, while the eyases practiced future skills, i.e., flapped like crazy. Pictures will follow.

Hi Watchers,
We will be meeting on Saturday morning at 9:00 AM at the Central Library on South Ave.  When you enter the main door on the South Ave. side of the new building, which is on the SE corner of Broad and South Ave., go straight back to the Kay Gleason Auditorium which is across from Simply Crepes.

I will have coffee for all somewhere near the corner of Exchange and Broad St. at 8:00 AM, if you want to hang out and watch the falcons.  Be a good conservationist and bring your travel mug.

June