By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Well, it was bound to happen-the end of a long stretch of sunny mornings. It rained lightly during my entire watch with dark humid conditions and a starting temperature on 72 (F) 22 (C)

I took a trip around downtown looking for our falcons and as I crossed the Broad St. bridge (BSB) to look on the east side I spotted one flying above Xerox (I was thinking it was Beauty). I drove over to Court St. and it quickly left my field of vision as it flew over Bausch & Lomb heading west. I continued to check the east side and returned to the BSB after I didn’t find a falcon. There she was-the Beautyful one on the base of Mercury plucking feathers from a fresh catch.

She worked on preparing it then started to gorge on it for about 10-15 minutes and she turned her back to me. She stopped and spent about the same amount of time just standing there looking around. I thought it amazing how many feathers are on a bird as I looked at so many of them  stuck to the wet cement.

I decided to go down in the hole to see the front of her. Beauty started plucking feathers in earnest and then started eating again.

Beauty kept moving around trying to get the right grip on her prey. She spent about an hour eating her breakfast.

When she had her fill Beauty hopped up to the green part of the base and cached her leftovers as she likes to do. She then had a look around and took off heading northwest.

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I found Beauty right where I expected-on the Frontier Communications Tower (FCT) to sleep off her meal. She was on the northeast cube and boy was her crop full. I half expected her to tip over forward from the weight! lol

I left her after a while to look for Dot.Ca (DC) knowing that she would most likely be there for hours. Since it was raining and DC hadn’t been around to beg for food there was only one place for me to look-the OCSR elevator shaft. I went to Bragdon Place next to the Radisson Hotel where I could see the south side ledge and sure enough, he was up there staying out of the rain.

I left him and Beauty to there busy schedule and headed down the road to check the Kodak Hawkeye plant, Kodak research building and last Seneca Towers. No sightings at any of those locations today so I ended my watch and went up to my apartment on the 16th floor. Keep smiling everyone! 🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/MngvLA2sq4A

http://youtu.be/NahDP3G8tZU

http://youtu.be/Rg25G1dnZPM

http://youtu.be/ZpW2XgjT9sM

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

When I arrived downtown this morning, it was already starting to get warm.  Today’s temperature was expected to hit the mid 80’s (F).  Dana reported that both Beauty and Dot.ca were on the OCSR when she ended her watch.  That’s exactly where they were when I arrived.  Dot.ca was up inside the elevator shaft on the south ledge and Beauty was on the south side top Ibeam, tucked in close to the elevator shaft.  Both were in the shade.  I parked close to the Radisson Hotel, also in the shade, where I could see both of them.

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I noticed when I was driving through the downtown area, there was music filling the air.  The Drum and Bugle Corps World Championship was in town and they were practicing.  A drum section of one of the corps was practicing next to the Radisson.  They were REALLY good and Dot.ca, Beauty and I were enjoying the entertainment.

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By noon, it was really getting warm, so I ended my watch.  All was quiet downtown, well except for the sounds of the drums and bugles that filled the air.  🙂

Over the last few days, I’ve started seeing a Peregrine Falcon hanging out on the stacks at the west end of Kodak Park (KPW).  This is the area that Unity claimed as her territory before moving downtown.  It’s an adult, but I haven’t been able to get a good enough look at it to tell if it’s a male or female.  I work close by, so I’ll definitely keep an eye on the area.  Here are a few pics I took of the KP Falcon.

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Goodnight everyone!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was a pleasant morning weather wise with a starting temperature of 61 (F) 16 (C) sunshine and blue skies

Click on the pics so you can see the full version

I checked around downtown before heading to the east side-as I stopped on Woodbury St. I spotted a falcon on the northwest corner of HSBC. When I got over to Chestnut St. it was gone so I continued on my regular route to the parking lot behind the Inn on Broadway and that’s where I saw Beauty over on one of the many northeast corners of Bausch & Lomb (B&L).

I then went to Broad St. between Xerox and Midtown for a closer look. Beauty was looking all around and about 15 minutes later as I was watching her on my camera screen Dot.Ca (DC) sauntered into the scene from the left. Beauty started whining scrunched down as he made his way behind her out of view.

DC came back into view when he flew down to the ledge below and disappeared again. I was convinced he was looking for food-Beauty watched him the whole time then she started preening like nothing was going on.

It would stay this way for the next 20 minutes as I wondered if DC was still up there or left. Xerox was displaying some pretty flowers in their planters around the property. The Beautyful one turned around at 7:30am or so, spread her wings and flew off going over where I had last seen DC.

When she didn’t return I went in search of but didn’t either one of them until I returned to Broad St. by Xerox. Beauty was back on the same northeast corner of B&L again and 5 crows were flying above her. Suddenly, they started swooping down at her-they stopped a minute later and flew away. She didn’t seem too bothered by them. While I was tweeting it out DC reappeared on the corner of the ledge I’d last seen him on.

At just about 8:30am Beauty flew east then came back to circle above DC as he chirped at her. She flew out of view and then I heard whining.

DC then made his way to the back of the ledge out of sight again.  These 2 were playing some serious games with me this morning! lol

<Click it     

I received a tweet from Dana around that time that Beauty was on the 8th column west side of Xerox. I drove to the north side of Midtown where I was far enough back to see where DC had gone.

DC was tucked in out of the sun and I was ready to call it a watch just before 9am. This is the 3rd report I’ve done in less than 24 hours so I’m ready to git er done so I can relax. I had fun watching our downtown Rochester Peregrine Falcon pair and their comical antics this morning-I left with a big smile on my face!  🙂

Click on the links below to check out todays videos
http://youtu.be/gmmbdDT1SYg
http://youtu.be/x1zp3DDyHWI
http://youtu.be/vrEgPfi2Ko0
http://youtu.be/lLea4qEvVf0
http://youtu.be/MtxQj-otG7E

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

The weather was perfect yesterday for a road trip and falcon watch-warm, sunny blue skies with just a few clouds and a slight breeze

Make sure to click on my pics to see the full version

Joyce had asked me where I would like to go on a road trip-I said how about the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge since the fall migration has begun. Then I asked if we could go check on Pigott in downtown Syracuse, NY which is not too much farther east. That’s what we did and what a day we had! The refuge was chocked full of juvenile Osprey and Bald Eagles-they clearly outnumbered the adults. Our first sighting was an Osprey in a nest along the road.

Next, we went to Mudlock on River Road where an adult Osprey delivered a fish to a juvie and down the road a bit further we saw a young Bald Eagle.

Next up was the Montezuma Visitor Center that looks out over the wetlands where we saw Canada Geese, and at least 3 young Bald Eagles.

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We then took the Wildlife Drive along the marsh area where there was plenty of nature and birds to enjoy. Great Blue Herons, shorebirds, Coots, Great Egrets, Cormorants and many species I’m not familiar with, including a young Bald Eagle in a tree by the trails edge that had no problem with sharing close proximity with us and an Osprey in flight.

We saw a couple Osprey perched in trees near Mays Point, Sandhill Cranes at 2 separate locations and a young Red-tail Hawk on a pole.

Now that was fun but the next part of our trip was my favorite as we arrived in downtown Syracuse. Joyce spotted Pigott almost immediately on top of a building near the State Tower building (the nest building). I had seen Miss Pigott for a nano second flying with her daughter Barb my last visit so I was very excited to have the opportunity to spend some time with an old friend again.

We drove around and found a better place to observe Pigott–a nice spot called Clinton Square that had water fountains in a big wading pool and benches to sit on. Pigott did some preening but mostly just looked around taking in her new territory. She had a fascinator under her right eye for a few minutes.

Pigott flew off and we went looking for her-we didn’t find where she went but as we returned from our little jaunt she was back up on the previous spot. We finished out our watch at Clinton Square with Pigott, the fountains and a couple guys on extreme pogo sticks. Boy they were flying high and so were we! 🙂

I have provided links below for a photo album with many more pics from the day and some videos

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWqj4E

http://youtu.be/JYyx2LI3y_I

http://youtu.be/3Sp3MBfJwk0

http://youtu.be/ZS-xxSWUAHU

http://youtu.be/TT91WuxbB_M

http://youtu.be/c2K_Boxbs3I

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was 53 (F) 12 (C) to start the day with sun and blue skies mixing in with some fair weather clouds

Click on my pics to see the full version

My first sighting came from the Broad St. Bridge (BSB) where I spotted Dot.Ca (DC) on Times Square under the northeast wing. I went to the hole parking lot next to He’s Chinese to watch him.

A few minutes later he was gone without leaving a calling card as to what direction he went because I missed his departure! I headed over to the east side on Woodbury St. where I found Beauty on the 5th column of Xerox south side. I then moved to Chestnut St. for a front view of her. The sun was shining bright on her as she stayed only a few minutes before flying southwest.

I caught up with the Beautyful one on the top ibeam south corner of OCSR-I started in the hole and then went to Graves St. next to Aqueduct Park. She was looking around a lot and did some preening in between. She walked away from the corner a couple times only to return to it before spreading her wings and flying south after hanging out with me for an hour.

10 minutes later I found DC on the Frontier Communications Tower perched on the northeast platform railing corner. Beauty was on the platform with food. She must have grabbed some cached food on her way over since there were no feathers being pulled out and she was done eating within minutes. Of course DC was whining at her from his corner!

When Beauty was done she did some feaking, roused and turned around to face her mate. I stayed a short time before I had to get going-I was meeting Joyce to take a trip out to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge and Syracuse, NY where Pigott resides now. I will get to those pics and videos later today as it is 1:30am and I need some shut eye.

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I left our downtown Peregrine Falcon pair on FCT at 8:30am smiling and the rest of this banner day with nature kept me smiling! 🙂

Bonus preview of what’s to come

<Pigott

Click on the links below to see videos from this watch
http://youtu.be/cRFCU4j_h28

http://youtu.be/98hf9zajhpA

http://youtu.be/CQUvnGCw-E8

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was 18 degrees cooler this morning than yesterday and way less humidity as a cold front works its way thru western New York. It was mostly cloudy with a starting temperature of  54 (F) 12 (C)

Click on my pics to see the full version

I started my watch with Dot.Ca  (DC) as I spotted him on the top ibeam south corner of OCSR from the Broad St. Bridge (BSB). I drove down to the hole on Aqueduct St. to get closer to him-2 minutes later he flew west.

10 minutes later I found Beauty as I pulled over on Woodbury St. on the east side-she was up on the 5th column on the south side of Xerox.

I then drove over to Chestnut St. to watch her with a front view. She was doing a lot of stretching and preening-still in a molt and losing white down feathers.

Beauty stayed there catching a nap here and there besides the preening and stretching (she’s a great multi-tasker lol) until just before the 8 o’clock hour when she flew over to the southeast corner of HSBC just long enough to touch down and fly off again behind the building out of view.

I went in search of and found DC on the Frontier Communications Tower (FCT) platform railing northeast corner.

10 minutes later DC looked east and flew west only to return seconds later and come to rest on the northwest corner this time. He was watching some birds below him as he flew off again a few minutes later and returned to the northeast corner one more time. Less than 5 minutes after that he took off and came back this time with prey landing under the platform and above the southeast cube.

I left my spot in the City Hall parking lot for a spot down on Fitzhugh St. in front of the Sister Cities parking garage to see him better as he plucked feathers and started eating. He didn’t eat for long then hopped over to a beam farther in under the platform where I could not see him too well.

I left DC around 9am to look for the Beautyful one before wrapping up my watch. Stopping on the Andrews St. bridge to look around I took one last pic of DC. I found Beauty on the top ibeam of OCSR near the south corner from the BSB then I first went to the hole and then the Radisson Hotel at Main St. for better viewing.

I hung out with her for a few minutes while she napped and looked around her territory.

I left to check the Hawkeye plant,Kodak research building and Seneca Towers-all places Veteran and Billy have been seen but had no luck in finding them. I called it a watch around 9:45am with a smile for having seen that Beauty and DC are well and doing fine! 🙂

Click on the links below to see todays videos
http://youtu.be/dSOjzmI0dwc

http://youtu.be/-z44ZbLWyPA

http://youtu.be/Kjp_iuyHvEs

http://youtu.be/lHZhnKcqEbQ

http://youtu.be/8JsOnQhAvQU

http://youtu.be/TPeGBclOOEs

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Well it was bound to happen-the string of nice sunny mornings came to an end today as it was dark and overcast with a starting temperature of 72 (F) 22 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

I came across both Beauty and Dot.Ca (DC) on Widows Walk around 6:45am this morning. Beauty was on the southeast corner and DC was up on the east side of the railing. I was parked in the parking lot next to Times Square.

Again, I can’t say how pleased I am that they are spending so much time together. Most Peregrine pairs go to their nest site to bow and renew their bond after the kids leave home. I think these 2 have been seen at the nest box only twice to bow-all this togetherness must be their way of bonding. If it works for them, it works for this falcon watcher!Beauty didn’t stay long before flying off to the east and DC stayed so I elected to stick with DC since I didn’t see him yesterday. He soon flew across to the north side railing and I went over to Fitzhugh St. where I had a front view of him.

DC made several attempts to extract a pellet and finally was able to get a couple small chunks up and out-I got it on video. He was watching some starlings above and below him when suddenly he started to whine and took off heading north.

40  minutes  and 2 trips around downtown later I came across the happy couple on a chimney below Widows Walk. Beauty had food that she was preparing and DC was right next to her watching and whining. They stayed maybe 2 minutes then the Beautyful one flew off with her package and DC followed right behind as they headed west then turned north.

10 minutes as was coming down Fitzhugh St. from Main St. I spotted tail feathers on the Frontier Communications Tower (FCT) large disk. It was DC and he was eating, so he had managed to charm Beauty out of some of her catch! He brought his prize to the front edge for a second giving me a  look-I believe it was a pigeon, then he went out of sight to the other side of the disk.

I drove down to the City Hall parking lot thinking I could see him on the north side but he was only showing tail feathers again. While en route Beauty showed up and parked herself under the southeast cube on FCT right across from DC. It was her turn to whine at him even though she had a full crop.

DC flew west and snuck back without me seeing to land back on the disk while Beauty kept whining at him off and on. This is how I left them at 8:45am ending my watch because I had a 9 o’clock appointment. It was a successful watch as I saw both of our downtown Rochester Peregrine Falcon pair and they both had eaten making me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos
http://youtu.be/c9EMHuulE3A

http://youtu.be/hUD3YLrhTaw

http://youtu.be/MduaqqlcKko

http://youtu.be/2t-i_jBQvi4

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

This sunny and blue sky morning weather is getting to be a habit around here-I have no problem with it! The starting temperature was 64 (F) 18 (C)

Click on the pics to see the full version

I had my first sighting from the Andrews St. bridge as I spotted a falcon on the top ibeam northeast side of OCSR.

I reported that it looked like Dot.Ca (DC) but it wasn’t until I went over to Bragdon St. across the river from OCSR giving me a closer look, that I could ID it as Beauty. She was half asleep half the time.

The sun worked its way around to where the Beautyful one was, making it hard to get pics that weren’t washed out as she had her back facing me pretty much the whole time I watched her. She did some preening and stretching too!

Around 7:30am I heard the chirping sound of DC-it sounded close by so I looked around but didn’t see him. I thought maybe he was on the west (river) side of the Radisson Hotel right next to where I was parked because Beauty perked up and was looking that way, so I went down to the Sister Cities pedestrian bridge where I could see. I never did find him but I enjoyed all the sights from that bridge-it’s been a while since I’ve visited it.

I crossed over to the the west side of the river and set up right below OCSR and Beauty.

I made my way back across the bridge to my car as I didn’t want a parking ticket (I got one there before) because I didn’t have any change to feed the meter. I took a few more pics while I was on the bridge.

Beauty finally turned around and flew off around 8:20am, circled above the Rochester Plaza Hotel a few times then disappeared behind OCSR heading southwest.

It was half hour before I found another falcon-again it was Beauty. I spotted her from the City Hall parking lot-she was up by the northwest cube tucked in a corner surrounded by beams making it very difficult to see her.

I tried different angles and finally found a spot on Church St. where I could see just about all of her hidden in the shadows.

I knew thru past experience that she would be staying there for a while so I set out to look for DC. I never found him but in my travels I saw a guy washing windows on the top round (restaurant) part of OCSR, lots of gulls down on the flats of the river between the Court and Broad St. bridges and a welder doing work on the railing on the Broad St. bridge.

That’s all she wrote folks-I left downtown and checked the Hawkeye plant, Kodak Park research building and area and last Seneca Towers before heading up 16 floors to my home. No other falcons seen but I spent a lot of time with Beauty and that is always worth a smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to view more pics and several videos
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWqj34

http://youtu.be/94CmcMxzzAo

http://youtu.be/2Gpc3CyKqIo

http://youtu.be/egGtNN8iEe8

http://youtu.be/iSipakSBvEU

http://youtu.be/J4Be5wAuvu0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Another beautiful morning for a falcon watch with blue skies, sunshine and a starting temperature of 60 (F) 16 (C)

Please click on the pics to see full version

As is my usual routine of late I check from the Andrews St. bridge (ASB) first, then to the Broad St. bridge (BSB) and last the east side. I found both Beauty and Dot.Ca (DC) on the east side of HSBC-she was on the southeast corner and he was on the northeast corner-bookends.

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They had their backs to me and as I had my camera fixed on DC while taping a video of them the Beautyful one left the building. From where I was parked at the back of the parking lot at the Inn on Broadway I could see the RGS antenna which is where she flew to. 15 minutes later DC left when I wasn’t looking so I drove over to East Ave. for a closer view of Beauty.

She hung out for 20 minutes preening as she continues with a molt (pulling out many down white feathers) and rousing before taking off to the west out of view.

A trip around downtown yielded me a sighting of DC from the ASB around 7:35am-he was on the northeast cube of the Frontier Communications tower (FCT).

I went to the City Hall parking lot to observe him in the rising sunlight making him look quite white and dapper. He stayed there looking around the area very alertly. At 8:10am DC flew north low and fast past the pine trees that line the south end of the Kodak Office parking lot leaving my field of vision.

A few minutes later DC flew in from the east and landed on a beam right below the platform on the east side. All I could see of him was his back and side. As I made my way down to the other end of Fitzhugh St. it only got worse as a beam was blocking his head from view. Finally, from below him I got a look at his profile-the white over the cere gave him away.

DC was looking mostly straight ahead of him and I got the feeling Beauty was up there somewhere so I started checking the tower from all sides. When I pulled over on Plymouth Ave. I had a clear view of Beauty on a west side beam that was across from DC whom I could not see from this vantage point.

I left them to it around 9:30am and headed home down St. Paul St.-I wanted to check the Kodak Hawkeye plant for Veteran or possibly the banded female I had seen on a window ledge at Seneca Towers a couple days ago. Joyce checked her out later as well and we were pretty darn sure it was Billie (the official spelling is Billy but the DEC wants us to spell it Billie so as not to create any confusion about her gender)  from Central Terminal in Buffalo,NY. No sightings there-continuing on to Seneca Towers where I live on the 16th floor I stopped on Seth Green Drive where there’s a spot you can see the west and south sides of the building thru the trees. Nothing along the roof line and just as I was going to pull my binoculars down and call it a watch I spotted a big falcon with its back to me on a 21st floor window air conditioner on the west side.

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I thought I better get hopping to see if I could get up the slow-go elevator in time to see this big girl from the 21st floor balcony. I was shaking with anticipation and when I walked out on that balcony  and saw how close she was I thought I died and went to heaven. I sat down on a bench and tried to make as little movement as possible so I wouldn’t scare her off. I was very happy that my presence didn’t seem to bother her at all. Let me introduce you to Billie, a 2013 offspring of Gleig (Daughter of Madame X and Surge and Pigotts sister) and our own Rochester born, Diamante (son of Mariah and Kaver). Black over green leg band 77/AX

Right around 9:55am Billie softly vocalized and flew off while I was taping her. I did my best to catch up with her as she flew above the tree canopy, over the river, back and forth under the Veterans bridge before she looped up under the south side of the bridge where I couldn’t see her. Now my watch was over as I took the elevator down 5 floors to my apartment smiling and shaking wildly from what I was lucky enough to have just witnessed! 🙂

Click on the links below to see a photo album and videos from todays fantastic watch

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWqj3a

http://youtu.be/HvF9CzBcSJ8

http://youtu.be/W9sThQBj4yk

http://youtu.be/oSc2BCyWOUE

http://youtu.be/Bve6Ay5DwOo

http://youtu.be/9sFECE2RdiE

http://youtu.be/vb43zI8B7Xs

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Sorry to say that my computer has been giving me lots of trouble lately.  I hope to catch up with some pics from last weekend which was the last time I saw a juvie, which I am pretty sure was Tesh.  That being said, since it’s been a week since I’ve seen a juvie, I am now switching over from “Fledge Watch” to “Falcon Watch”.  Fly free and far Tesh, Nettie, Mercury and Nor’Easter.  We all hope to hear that you are doing well in the future.  Miss you already.

My weekend watch was spent mostly watching and following Beauty, with a couple appearances by Dot.ca.  She is quite active right now, spending most of her time visiting favorite spots around downtown Rochester.  Much of her time is spent at the Frontier Communication Tower (FCT).  Yesterday, she moved around quite a bit, with only one sighting of Dot.ca at the end of the day.  I did see him on the north side of OCSR today before I ended my watch at 12:30 pm.

The weather was gorgeous.  We’re finally getting some warm temperatures, blue sky and sunshine!  Watchers I saw in my travels this weekend were, Kathy O, Dana, Larry O, Dan, Lou, Joyce, Brian H, and Lisa McK.  You can bet that the Rochester Falcon Watchers will continue to keep an eye on things and report what they see.

OK, now for some pictures from my weekend watches.  Enjoy everyone and goodnight!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

The first three pictures are of Beauty after she took a bath on top of City Place.  Her favorite bathing spot.  lol

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Sunday, August 24, 2014

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Many thanks to Pat for letting me know this beautiful falcon art was in the subway bed below the Broad St Bridge.

This report is for my dad.  He would have been 83 years old today.  Miss you dad.  Thanks for sharing with me your love of all living things, great and small.  <3