FalconWatchEyes to the Skies |
From Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.
It was a beautiful evening for a Falcon Watch. Both downtown, visiting with Beauty and at Kodak Park visiting with Unity. and Archer? He was up to his old tricks traveling back and forth between his ladies. Here’s an album from tonite’s Watch. No sign on needed.
Enjoy!
Carol P.
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
This morning I first found Beauty on the FCT under the platform with her back to me of course.
She seemed fine but kinda antsy looking around much more than usual. Again she was looking north alot. She flew off in the direction of Times Square so I went right over and found her under the northeast wing.
Beauty was again looking north mostly but clearly not her usual content self. Her head was constantly looking all around her surroundings. In my opinion, she is really feeling the effects of Archer spending all his time over at Kodak Park with Unity since they lost the last egg. After awhile she flew down to the deck area next to the main camera and then went into the nestbox. After some time in there she flew out and headed back to the FCT and landed on the middle arm. This is where I left her ending my watch. 🙂
Beauty looking to KP for Archer
For more pics of the Beautyful one go here:
From Falcon Watcher Carol P.
Many Rochester Falcon Watchers were out and about this weekend. After the failed nest at Times Square, we are keeping a close eye on the behaviour of our three Rochester Falcons, Archer, Beauty & Unity. This is all uncharted water for us, and we don’t have any answers of what our future holds, but we are certainly learning a lot of new things about our Peregrines.
Here’s an album of pictures from today’s Watch. Enjoy!
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
My friend Sue said she’d go on a watch with me and of course she had to twist my arm to comply! So we headed out to Kodak Park on this bright,breezy and sunny Memorial Day. As we were driving up to lot #73 we spotted 2 falcons fly to the PPH. Before we could get out the truck they both flew out. Each going to a still. One of them flew off almost immediately and went over to the ORB and started whining so I knew that one was Unity. Archer was on the west still top catwalk on the north side. CarolP had driven up to join us at this time.
For the most part Unity whined to Archer and he ignored her while preening himself. He would however end up flying over to the ORB where they copulated. Archer then flew over to the short still next to the tall still and Unity went to the west still and started whining again. KathyO joined us and we had another copulation on the tall still if I remember correctly. Archer and Unity went in the PPH for a few minutes with Archer coming out and flying high above us for a few minutes before heading south and out of view. While the 4 of us watched him we lost track of Unity and then we had no falcons. I sat there wondering and worrying that she had followed him downtown so after a few minutes I decided we were going downtown. CarolP left to go home and KathyO went up to lot#77 to join Dan who was up there watching. We searched and searched without finding any falcons but we did spot 4 men up on top of Times Square in the middle of the wings. I have no idea what they were doing.
Sue and I waited until they got down in case Beauty or Archer came by to dive bomb them. We took one more trip around the city and finally to my relief I spotted Beauty on the top arm of the FCT.
I received a tweet from KathyO that they had 2 falcons at KP. Phew, I could go home knowing that all was quiet and no battles had taken place. 🙂
For more pics go here:
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
Happy Memorial Day!
Just in case I checked the cams this morning before leaving and what do I see but the Beautyful one in the nestbox looking around,scooching down in the scrape and picking at pebbles. I watched her for 5-6 minutes on the live stream until she left and so did I. I didn’t go down the Broad St. bridge first as I usually do but checked Kodak Office and the Frontier Communications Tower without a sighting. I proceeded to the east side checking Xerox and HSBC with no luck. As I came back through on my way to Times Square I noticed the white car of Dans on the Broad St. bridge. It made me happy to see him again. He hadn’t come down with me in the morning for almost 2 weeks since that day we had talked about the eggs at both sites possibly not being viable. I pulled up and he put on that big smile of his for me. He told me a falcon had flown out of the nestbox at 5:35am and I told him that it was Beauty and caught him up on all the latest news. We decided to go to the pedestrian bridge at High Falls thinking that Beauty might go to Kodak Office where she’s been hanging out lately. We can see pretty much everything from there at a distance.Finally around 6:55am I spotted Beauty on the FCT platform rail southeast corner. She was facing us and looking in the general direction of Kodak Park.
Beauty flew to the Times Square building after about 10 minutes and landed under the northeast wing. Again facing the north and looking in the direction of KP.
Apparently since the eggs in the nestbox are no longer Archer is compelled to stay at KP with Unity and those eggs that we are sure are no good. Such is the life of an instinct driven falcon. Dan had to go so I left High Falls, lovely place that it is, and drove to Aqueduct St. to be up close and personal with the Beautyful one.
We sat and visited for half hour and then she flew off. I tweeted it out so Dana, who was at Kodak Park at the time could be on the lookout in case Beauty had decided to go over there. I’m so worried about her and Unity duking it out again. I drove around the city without locating her and then went home thus ending my watch. As promised I put together an album from yesterdays watch at KP. Here’s the link and enjoy! 🙂
And this mornings album:
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
Joyce picked me up for an afternoon watch.KathyO called to see if I knew Unity and Beautys’ band colors. I told her and so she and CarolP knew they had Beauty over at Kodak Park with Archer. No Unity at that time. Joyce and I left and when we got to KP CarolP and KathyO were gone. We went down to lot #73 the special ID’ing parking lot. We saw 2 falcons copulating on the north side of the tall still as we were driving up the road. Archer then flew to the black strip of the blue building. And the female falcon to the PPH(pigeon poop hole).
It’s dark in that PPH and so I thought it was Beauty because the chest looked dark and Unity is very white.I tweeted that it was Beauty mistakenly which I apologize for because it caused such confusion. Now on the west still lower catwalk Joyce and I were able to confirm that it was in fact Unity.
She was whining ALOT for a big portion of our watch. Many times they flew back and forth between the stills and the scrape. At one point they were both in the scrape bowing and bonding quite heavily. I will put together an album for this watch later but for tonight I’m done. Very tired. Good nite! 🙂
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
As many of you have stated, it gave you an empty feeling to look at the nestbox this morning and see nothing. It was the same for me and as I drove around downtown my first 30 minutes without finding any falcons I started getting a sinking feeling that Beauty and Archer had left the area. I sure am glad I was wrong for when I drove down State St. on my way to Kodak Park to see if anyone was there I spotted Beauty on the 19th floor southeast corner of Kodak Office.
After I took a couple pics to document it I got my binocs out and spotted Archer on the southeast corner of the launchpad.
15 minutes later Beauty flew out and up to the the northeast corner of the launchpad making bookends with Archer.
They stayed this way for a little over half hour, both preening and Archer occasionally bowing to Beauty. Archer flew off circled once high above and landed on the east side of the cupola bowing to Beauty from there.
Archer then walked over a little bit and bowed again.
Beauty seemed to be ignoring him. He then turned around and looked over his shoulder to the north toward Kodak Park.
Archer then turned around and scooted the rest of the way to the northeast corner of the cupola directly above Beauty. He cleaned himself up a bit before flying off to the west.
I didn’t see him again and wondered if he had gone to Kodak Park after being snubbed by Beauty. I also wondered if she watched him fly that way. Soon after my suspicions were confirmed when Dana tweeted that Archer and Unity were copulating over at Kodak Park. Here we go again. I drove around to the north side of KO for a better view of Beauty parking on Frankfort St.
I spent the next hour with the Beautyful one who was facing north, watching her look in the direction of Kodak Park. I silently prayed that she would not go over there and do battle with Unity. She flew off circled above the Kodak Office tower and headed south toward downtown and the Times Square building. I searched for her to no avail and ended my watch to go home and get some breakfast.
I want to say Thank You to all the people yesterday that showed concern for me and offered kind and comforting words after we suffered the loss of the last egg. I won’t forget it. 🙂
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
When I got up this morning I looked out my window to see what the weather was like…FOG! So I decided I would stay home until the fog burned off a bit and then head out. As usual I got online and checked the cams. Beauty was on the eggs looking peaceful and content. The picture advanced and I saw the last of the eggs out on the deck. I immediately went to livestream to see Beauty check out her egg and then fly off. Someone on the chat said the egg had stuck to her when she stretched and then ended up out of the nestbox. It looked like it had collapsed like the last egg and appeared folded over. Next Archer flew in, examined the egg and got in the scrape scootched down in it as if incubating. My eyes were raining down tears of great sadness for our fabulous falcons. He went back out to the egg and pushed it under the rail and out of the cameras view. That’s when I figure it must have fallen and floated down to the sidewalk below.I started texting Donna and asked if she thought I should go downtown and she said yes. So I whipped outta the house. As I was approaching Times Square coming up Exchange St. from Main I looked to the sidewalk and I could see the egg. My heart sank! I pulled over right in front of the Times Square building put on my emergency flashers and walked over to it crying my eyes out. I called Donna and gave her the news and then I got out my camera and took pics of the egg. First, of how I found it laying there and then I turned it over to see what the inside looked like.
I looked over at the Wilder building through my tears and I saw Archer up on the green strip. He had his back to me but he kept looking over in my direction. It seemed like he was watching me.
I then wrapped the egg up in a kleenex to save in case the DEC or GVAS wanted it for any reason. I then collected myself somewhat and drove across the street to park down on Aqueduct St. where I had a good view of Archer. As I got out of the truck I heard kakking but it wasn’t Archer. I quickly walked to a spot where I could see Mercury and there was Beauty on the railing below the base calling out to Archer.
I barely had a chance to click off a shot of her when Archer flew in landing on top of her and they copulated. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
I started tearing up again and realized that they were just carrying on with their falcon lives as if everything was fine. It was not fine with this sniveling human! Archer then flew back to the Wilder building landing on top of the fire escape ladder and as Donna reported to me, Beauty was in the scrape seemingly incubating.
These were about the saddest chain of events I could ever imagine. Archer left vanishing into the fog and Beauty flew out of the nestbox over to the top ibeam west corner of OCSR.
I sat there with the Beautyful one for about 20 minutes when she flew off behind OCSR heading east into the thick fog. After watching and waiting for her to return with no luck I decided to take a ride around the city. With no success in finding either Beauty or Archer I ended my watch and went home. In usual fashion I will end my report with a smiley face BUT this does not reflect how I truly feel this morning! Good day to all of Beauty and Archers’ faithful fans around the world. We’ve now been through the good and bad times together! 🙂
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
This watch report will be more about the weather since it was a major factor in it. When I left home Beauty was on the eggs and it was raining at a good clip. As I made my way through the intersection at Broad and Exchange Streets I looked over to the Wilder building and caught a falcon flying from the nestbox area over to the top ibeam west corner of the OCSR building.
I thought Beauty cuz this is one of her favorite spots recently. After I took a pic and zoomed it I could confirm it was indeed the Beautyful one. So I drove down Aqueduct St. and watched for awhile, not sure how long. She flew off into the fog and I quickly lost sight of her. This would be my one and only look at a falcon on this morning watch.
As I drove around the city looking for her, the fog kept coming down lower and lower until it became almost impossible to see a falcon if they were on a building more than half way up. Here is a sampling of mine and Beautys’ world early this morning.
Needless to say I ended my watch early due to the fog, but I did record a video of the river if you are interested here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0qF87hlw80
And if you’d like to view more fog filled pics here’s the link for that:
Enjoy and remember all those who died for our freedom on this Memorial Day weekend! 🙂
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
Archer was on the eggs when I checked before heading out this morning so I knew I’d be looking for Beauty when I got downtown. After checking all the favorite places near Times Square I went over to Kodak Office and I found her atop the cupola northeast corner.
Beauty flew off very soon after I arrived heading in the direction of downtown. Nearly 40 minutes later I located her under the southeast wing on the Times Square building and she was eating breakfast.
With not quite a full crop the Beautyful one flew off Times Square with prey in her talons and the hunt to find her was on once more!
Some 45 minutes later while approaching the Broad St. bridge from the east side of the city I spotted Archer on the base of Mercury.
I guess Beauty had pulled a fast one on me and doubled back after I left to find her. They made a switch on the eggs and now it was Archers’ turn to catch breakfast. He flew off Mercury back behind the Reuters Thomson building where I lost sight of him. As I drove down to Aqueduct St. I saw him fly to the nestbox and back out vocalizing the whole time. When I got down on Aqueduct St. I found him on top of the fire escape ladder of the Wilder building with his breakfast in his talons. He was vocalizing loudly!
I think he was telling Beauty he had a small package for her not knowing that she had already eaten. Guess he didn’t notice her full crop! Next, Archer flew back over to the nestbox and Beauty came out and flew to the base of Mercury. Dark pics cuz the sun was behind her (yes there was sun for a little while ).
Beauty wasn’t there for long when she flew over to the nestbox with Archers’ gift and then took off for parts unknown.
It was good to see both Archer and Beauty this morning but I couldn’t help feeling bad for Unity over at Kodak Park all by her lonesome. Archer has been devoting pretty much all his time to Beauty and their eggs lately. I hope one of these days another tiercel comes swooping in to steal her heart away from Archer so she can live a normal Peregrine Falcon life! That’s all folks! 🙂
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