By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

Beauty was in the nestbox on the eggs when I checked the cams before leaving home. I arrived downtown to see Dan in his lawn chair on the south side of the Broad St. bridge with a few drops of rain falling from the sky. I got my chair out and he said you have to put that big blue umbrella of yours back in the truck! I pulled it out and got a big smile out of him. It didn’t spritz for long and about an hour  into our watch Archer came streaking across the river from the east. While we watched him we didn’t notice Beauty had come out of the nestbox to join him and when they started flying together circling the Times Square building we wondered what was going on. Beauty landed under the northeast wing and Archer landed on the ring at the very top of the west wing on the Times Square building.

I’ve never seen ANY bird land up there before today. They suddenly stooped in tandem down the back of  Times Square and we couldn’t see what they were after but we were sure it wasn’t a meal. It was probably a crow or hawk come too close to their precious eggs. They re-surfaced from behind Times Square with Beauty chasing Archer over the Democrat and Chronicle and Hall of Justice buildings only to break it off and return to the nestbox. We don’t know where Archer went off to at that time. 10 minutes later Beauty flew out behind the OCSR over the river back behind the Radisson Hotel and back to the nestbox. Not sure why, probably chasing off a hawk or something. Soon after Archer relieved Beauty on the eggs and she flew over to the heel of Mercury to preen for awhile.

Beauty flew off to the northwest and Dan left so I went for a ride to find her. Quite awhile later I spotted the Beautyful one on the top ibeam OCSR at the west corner.

Beauty preened there for a good 15 minutes then flew over to the Times Square building landing under the northeast wing.

She eventually flew down to the nestbox to switch with Archer on the eggs. He flew east leaving the area and I decided it was time to get home for some breakfast ending my watch. 🙂

For more pics go here

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=424806232213%3A428964840&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

I just realized this is Friday the 13th! I hope it is lucky and not unlucky for everyone today. Anyway, Archer was on the eggs when I left this morning, so when I arrived on the Broad St. bridge and Dan told me there was a falcon on the jail tower I knew it was the Beautyful one.

Beauty flew off due east with blazing speed over the river to our south. We lost her behind Xerox for less than a minute when she came streaking across the sky over the river to our north and stooped on something in front of the OCSR building near Aqueduct park. WOW she was in fast mode this morning! It always gets my heart pounding and my blood pumping when I see them in the air whether it be hunting or just soaring gently in the breeze. I wish everybody could experience this magnificent sight. Beauty came back into view landing on the base of Mercury.

After a brief stay she headed off in the direction of the Frontier Communications Tower. I walked across the bridge to the north side and to the far east end to where you can see the tower best and there she was.

Beauty took off to the southwest leaving our field of view. Lynda arrived to join Dan and I. She brought muffins to share with us.The 3 of us sat in our lawn chairs chatting and watching Archer in the nestbox on Lyndas’ phone screen.  After Dan left Lynda and I decided to go over to city hall to see if Beauty had returned to the FCT. Sure enough there she was as we drove up.

Beauty left flying in the general direction of the Times Square building so we watched the live stream at the nestbox on Lyndas phone to see if she was going to relieve Archer of incubating the eggs. Archer started talking and right after he left with Beauty coming in to take over. I had to leave at this point. Lynda went back to the bridge and texted me on my way home that Archer was on the heel of Mercury and then flew north. Most likely going to Kodak to do his thing with Unity. I’ve made an album including pics from yesterday mornings watch as well as todays. Enjoy!  🙂

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=112510232213%3A651825075&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

I had checked the cams before leaving to find Archer on the eggs. When I arrived on the Broad St. bridge Dan was there and said that one of them had flown from the nestbox area to Mercury and then headed northwest. Donna informed me that Archer was still on the eggs so we knew it was Beauty out and about. No action until after Dan left at 7:00am. I took a ride around the city without finding Beauty and came back to the bridge to wait. I saw a falcon fly to the nestbox and again I needed help. It was Archer who had briefly left and returned while I was out searching.  Thank you Donna,Eileen and Bird Crazy for clueing me in on that tidbit of information! Half hour later I spotted Beauty up on the top ibeam west corner of the OCSR building. 10 minutes later she stooped down behind the Thomson Reuters building where I lost her only to see her re-surface and land on the base of Mercury with prey.

The Beautyful one worked on her meal for about 5 minutes and flew off. She circled around the top of the Times Square building a couple times then went over to OCSR parking on the rooftop west corner. She was facing north with her back to me as usual!

Beauty stayed there for 15 minutes looking around her territory and preening a bit. I was down on Aqueduct St. when she flew off and went to the nestbox to switch with Archer. I missed it as the Phillipone building blocked my view but as I was stepping backwards to get a look at the nestbox area Archer came into view right above me and flew over to Mercury landing on the heel.

In my first pic of him it seemed like he was waving to me with his foot up to scratch. lol Archer preened himself for 10 minutes before taking off heading north.

I figured he was going to Kodak so I left to ending my watch. 🙂

For more pics of Beauty and Archer follow this link.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=207038032213%3A202130016&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday Dan and I got skunked but today we were treated to some flying by the Beautyful one. About 45 minutes into our watch Archer came in with a small package for her at the nestbox. He went in to settle on the eggs and she grabbed it and flew over to the base of Mercury to eat.

Beauty made quick work of this meager morsel and flew over to the OCSR building landing the west corner second ibeam down. She as usual had her back to us looking northward.

She wasn’t there long before she flew off around the back of the building(northside) and went to the Granite building southwest corner.

She wasn’t there long as she grabbed cached food and headed over to the Bausch and Lomb building to eat a little of it.

It was 7:ooam and time for Dan to go. Right after he left Beauty flew to the Times Square building coming to rest under the southeast wing with her cached food. She spent the better part of the next hour stuffing it down her already full crop.

At this point I got out my window mount and set my camera up pointed right at Beauty and waited to try and get a take off shot. Just as a falcon watchers luck runs DebbieH came by distracting me at the very moment Beauty decided to go pay Archer a visit down in the nestbox and relieve him of his duties. I missed the whole thing! lol Oh well, there will be a next time. I assumed Archer went to Kodak to see Unity since I didn’t see him anywhere in the vicinity ending my watch. 🙂

For more pics go to this link     http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=378211032213%3A2120230702&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

Joyce and Brian picked me up this afternoon to go over to Kodak for a watch. When we arrived Dan,Lynda and Dana were there. Lady Pefa was on the tall still. Dana and Linda left and Joyce and I decided to go down to parking lot 73 for a closer look at Archer who was on the corner of the blue building black strip near the nook and Lady Pefa was in the pigeon poop hole where we think their scrape is.

As we were taking pics Archer took off flying east and Lady Pefa flew to the antenna on the building at the east end of lot 77. We lost track of Archer and jumped in the car to go up there. Joyce knew this was a chance to positively ID her because she had on another occasion with CarolP gotten a pic of Lady Pefas’ legband. We needed another confirmation of the legband to make it official. There she was looking magnificent in the late day sun. We clicked away with our cameras until she left and flew to the tall still.

We joined Dan and Brian and looked at our pics in anticipation. BINGO we both had pics that when we zoomed them it was clear that her legband read the same as Joyces’ previous ID: Black 71 over Red H. From this point forward she would be known as Unity from Toledo,OH!

CarolP was down in parking lot 73 so we drove down to join her and share our news with her. We left to go downtown for a check of things and we found Archer on the top ibeam south side of the OCSR building. He was snoozing and I remarked that he should be for all the energy he is expending these days. We dropped Brian off home and came to my place to look at our pics on the computer screen. What a thrill it was to be part of IDing our newest Rochester falcon Unity! 🙂

For all my pics at Kodak follow this link   http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=785511922213%3A620068218&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
Happy Mothers Day to all!
Fittingly my first sighting this morning at 5:55am was downtown Rochesters resident mom Beauty.

She was near the southeast corner of the HSBC building. She left and I didn;t see her again until about 8:00am. BrianH had joined me while we watched Beauty fly to and land on the main camera.

Shortly after Archer flew out of the nestbox and Beauty flew in. He went over to the Wilder building and parked himself on the fire escape ladder.

After a little preening and scoping out his territory he flew up to the northeast corner of the Crossroads building grabbed some cached food and flew to the Times Square building to prepare it for consumption under the southeast wing.

Archer flew down to the nestbox and it seemed like he was trying to lure Beauty off the eggs with prey. He then flew out to Mercury and dropped the small mothers day gift on the base of Mercury and flew over to the top ibeam of OCSR south corner. Beauty flew out to Mercury gobbled down this meager morsel and returned to her eggs less than a minute later.

Seeing that Beauty went back to the the nestbox Archer flew to the northeast corner of Crossroads and looked to the north where Kodak and his “other woman'” reside.

Archer flew back to the top ibeam south corner of the OCSR building where we left him. I dropped Brian off at home and went home myself to end the watch 🙂

For more pics of my special Mothers Day morning watch follow the link to my album.  http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=318597822213%3A348466902&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

I forgot to include this in my report. It’s a 5 minute video that took 2 hours and 29 minutes to load onto youtube. It’s Beauty eating breakfast on the base of Mercury. Enjoy I know I did!

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

Good day to everyone!

Dan was on the Broad St. bridge when I arrived at 6:05am this morning. I had spotted Beauty on the base of Mercury as I drove through the intersection at Exchange and Broad streets. Just as I got out of the truck to join Dan she flew off to the east and out of sight. Dan left at 7:00am and I decided to go look for the Beautyful one. I found her on the southeast corner of the HSBC building looking lovely in the morning sunlight.

She was in hunt mode looking around for prey. She flew off in a half stoop toward Xerox and I followed to find her on the base of Mercury eating.

Beauty flew off as soon as she was done eating headed northwest and ended up landing under the northeast wing of the Times Square building.

BrianH and LarryO with his dog Cleo showed up to join me as Beauty and Archer switched on the eggs. Archer flew to the base of Mercury very briefly and took off heading north. Larry left and I gave Brian a ride home before heading home for a breakfast break.

Bobbie from Ireland called to say she would be on the Broad St. bridge at 11:30am to say goodbye as she will be leaving Rochester on Monday to go to her nieces’ in New Jersey until Thursday when she leaves for her home in Ireland. I got there about 11:00am with Dan coming shortly thereafter. Less than 5 minutes after Bobbie arrived we had 2 falcons flying over the river. Beauty was kakking up a storm at Archer. She flew to the nestbox and he went after 2 crows around the back of the Thomson Reuters building. He came to rest under the southeast wing of the Times Square building.

KathyO arrived in time to see Archer go after a Turkey Vulture that was flying over the river quite non-chalantly as TVs do. He didn’t come in contact but just escorted it out of his territory. I told Kathy and Bobbie it was Dans’ birthday and we broke into singing the birthday song to him. He probably wished he had a chance to turn his hearing aids off! lol  As Bobbie was leaving Archer flew back under the southeast wing on Times Square. BrianH joined the watch as Dan left. Archer stayed on Times Square for an hour before flying straight down the face of the building after something we couldn’t see. Brian walked down to the stairs where we call falcon watcher central to find Archer on the fire escape ladder of the Wilder building. We all decided to go home ending this watch.  🙂

For more pics of the day here’s the link to my album.  http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=782091822213%3A50732737&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

Hey everybody!

As I drove up to the Broad St. bridge this morning I first spotted his car and then I saw him. Who you ask? Why none other than Mayor Dan. My early morning fellow watcher Dan sitting in his lawn chair on the south side of the Broad St. bridge in his spot. What a feeling of joy that came over me. It was a long winter by myself in the darkness and cold of each morning. He greeted me with his larger than life smile and a big old bear hug and suddenly the cool 43 degree temperature felt warm to me. I caught him up on Quest,Lady Pefa  and Linn in Toronto and showed him my new camera. He was thrilled to see the pics I took of Beauty eating a small morsel who incidentally was on the base of Mercury when I arrived.

There were a couple people walking to work that stopped by and asked us if the falcons were back again this year. I guess when you set up your lawn chairs on a bridge at dawn to watch Peregrine falcons you are remembered! So back to my watch…Beauty flew off Mercury over the river heading east over the Rochester Convention Center(RCC)Chase Lincoln,Midtown and behind Bausch and Lomb and out of our view. Dan left at 7:00am and I got in the truck and cranked the heat to get warm as I made my u-turn to the north side of the Broad St. bridge facing the nestbox. DebbieH appeared just in time to see Beauty flying over the river and Rundell Library. She went into a stoop over the Dinosaur Barbeque where she left our field of view. Debbie went to work and I did a couple drive arounds without success ending my watch for the time being.

Fast forward to Kodak Park about 2 hours later. Sue decided to go on a watch with me while we were out running errands. She spotted a falcon fly to the pigeon box. It flew off  low near the ORB and up to the tall still landing on the back(north side) where we couldn’t see it from the parking lot. A few minutes later a falcon flew from behind the tall still to the second railing northeast side of the tall still. No doubt Lady Pefa judging from the size.

After about 45 minutes a falcon which I assumed was Archer flew out from behind the tall still heading east/southeast picking up speed as he flew and going out of sight. Lady Pefa stayed on the tall still but changed positions now facing where Archer had gone. 15-20 minutes later I spotted Archer flying from the southeast over the parking lot where Lady Pefa joined him. They flew together for a few minutes with Lady Pefa flying right over the top of us before they both flew to the northeast and disappeared. We had to leave but later on our way home we stopped by the parking lot of the bar My Apartment for a quick look at the back of  Kodak Park spotting Lady Pefa on the top railing of the still directly to the west(left) of the tall still. That’s all she wrote! 🙂

For more pics of todays watch here’s the link to my album

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=824067722213%3A508564103&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer

By Rochester falcon watcher MAK

Hi everyone!

My morning watches lately have consisted of alot of  sit and wait for not too much action. I’m lucky if I even see Beauty and Archer but that’s okay. I consider this to be the rest period for soon business should pick up with the hatching of our 3 beautiful eggs.

I checked the cams before I left to find Beauty on the eggs. I sat in the truck on the Broad St. bridge with my eyes glued to the nestbox waiting for Archer to show up for over an hour. Around 7:30am I noticed DebbieH walking up the sidewalk toward me. It was at this time while I was not paying attention that Archer and Beauty made the switch! I watched Debbie as she got past the Thomson Reuters building and looked toward Mercury. I panned my eyes over to see the Beautyful one on the base of Mercury.She blended in well and you could only see her tail from the angle I had on her.

We watched her eating something very small and then she took off flying in the direction of the Frontier Communications Tower. Debbie left to go to work and I headed over to City Hall. Sure enough when I arrived Beauty was on the southeast corner of the platform railing.

I watched her preening herself until she flew off heading toward the Times Square building. I went home at this point ending my watch. 🙂

Here’s the link to a few pics of Beauty this morning.     http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=955202622213%3A484793388&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharer