By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

A cold start at 6:30am as I left home with a temperature of 0 (F) -18 (C) degrees, but the sun came out and the high today is forecast for 22 (F)

Click on the pics to see the full version

No falcons seen at Seneca Towers either before or after my downtown watch. I bypassed the OCSR elevator shaft this morning and headed over to Elm St. where once again I found Beauty eating on a northeast corner of Legacy Tower (LT) formerly known as Bausch & Lomb (B&L).

Beauty finished eating, came out to the corner for some feaking action then she took off flying northwest at 6:57am, as she has done most days the last couple weeks.

I caught up with her as I pulled over in my spot at the Radisson Hotel by Main St.-she was on the south side ledge of the OCSR elevator shaft and Dot.ca (DC) was on the north side ledge finishing up a meal. When he was done he did some feaking and talon picking. The Beautyful one was feaking as well-you know what they say: the pair that feaks together, stays together!

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DC flew out and over to the top I-beam southeast side of OCSR for just a short time and then he flew off over the river to the east only to fly back to display his flying skills to Beauty as he passed by her in the elevator shaft twice. He then landed on the small I-beam between the elevator shaft and the building.

Off he went again to make 2 more passes and also there was echupping each time he went by. I got the feeling DC wanted to mate with Beauty but wouldn’t try it in the close quarters of the elevator shaft. He ended up flying back to the north side ledge of the elevator shaft and disappeared to the back of it.  The sun washed DC out in my pics of him passing by Beauty, but he shows up better in my snippet video albeit they are brief glimpses, you get the picture. It was almost like he was swooping as in the old days, only flying up at her instead of down. At the time we thought it was aggression but maybe it’s just his way of courting.

<Click to see DC flying up to ledge

I stayed and looked at Beauty’s back for half hour or so while DC hid on his side of the elevator shaft. I ended my watch at Seneca Towers at 8:30am. I do believe our downtown pair is ready and raring to get courtship, mating and bonding duties going-now we just need the weather to cooperate and melt the snow in the nest box! Stay tuned and keep smiling, I know I will! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/Cwl1PDGpJaI

http://youtu.be/6OT26F6t6M4

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Brrr, another cold one in store today but at least the sun shown bright as the temperature was 2 (F) -17 (C) with calm winds

Click on the pics to see a full version

When I left Seneca Towers at 6:30am there were no falcons present. Once downtown, I bypassed the OCSR elevator shaft this morning and went right straight over to Elm St. to check Legacy Tower (LT) (formerly Bausch&Lomb). From there I spotted Beauty eating on a northeast corner.

Beauty filled her crop stood up, feaked then flew off to the northwest at 7:17am

I drove down Main St. to the Radisson Hotel in time to see both Beauty and Dot.ca (DC) on the top I-beam southeast side of OCSR. As I pulled into my spot, DC flew over to the base of Mercury. I left to go up on the Broad St. Bridge where I could see them both without having to crank my neck, when I got over there DC was gone from Mercury and up by the Main cam on the nest box deck. Before I could even grab my camera he took off again flying very fast to the east, crossing the river and out of view. He soon returned and joined the Beautyful one on OCSR who had her back to me.

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Beauty couldn’t decide how she wanted to be situated as she kept turning to the side then showing her back-meanwhile, DC was doing some serious preening and looking blindingly white in the sun.

Beauty showed her full crop then turned around once again

DC followed suit and turned his back to me as well-they were sunning their backs, something they haven’t gotten to do too much in February. I left them at 8:30am.

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Things are going to start heating up one day soon as the sun and warmer temperatures will melt the snow and falcons will start doing what they do during the courtship part of the season. They’ve been to the nest box pretty much every day for the last week. Once the snow melts in there, bowing to each other and digging out a bowl in the gravel for their eggs. Copulating will begin if it hasn’t already and we’ll be off and running.

When I got home to Seneca Towers I spotted a falcon on the north end of the roof. I parked at the Northridge Church to observe-it was 99.

At 9:26am 99 pooped and flew off soon after out over the river then back to Seneca Towers to land on the top window ledge of the north end.

I stayed about 10 more minutes then I ended my watch to go warm up my frozen feet. I saw 3 out of our 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons-3 great reasons to smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/bz74O4CAo9I

http://youtu.be/oebwGwPBsV8

http://youtu.be/6AamkDElC_4

http://youtu.be/tWb9NLbDXvQ

http://youtu.be/Sgiw7GUK0N0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was 10 (F) -21 (C) overcast and calm as I headed out for my morning watch at 6:30am

Click on the pics to see the full version

For the second day in a row there were no falcons in the elevator shaft when I checked. I drove around to Elm St. to check the east and north sides of Legacy Tower (formerly Bausch&Lomb) where I spotted the top half of Dot.ca (DC) on a southwest corner eating.

I decided to go up on the roof of the South Ave. garage for a better look and when I got up there I could also see Beauty who was at the opposite end from DC on the southwest corner-Archer’s corner. She was watching him eat and just as I started taping Beauty flew over to join DC. He backed up away from the few tidbits that were left as they both did some echupping. The Beautyful one finished eating DC’s meager leftovers quickly while DC did some feaking and cleaning himself up.

They stayed there for a couple minutes and as I was tweeting they left the building without me seeing which direction they went.

So I wound my way down the ramp garage and checked the OCSR elevator shaft first where I found DC on the south side just standing there in his man cave with a full crop. There was no sign of Beauty anywhere in the vicinity of OCSR or Times Square. It wasn’t until just before 8am that I found her on my third try of checking Kodak Office (KO).

I left Beauty around 8:45am watching over her territory and when I got home to Seneca Towers my welcoming committee was perched on the top window ledge of the south side. I went into my parking lot for a closer look at Billie on one end of the ledge and 99 on the opposite end with his back to me.

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Buffalo Billie was preening on and off while 99 would look over his shoulder every once in a while to give me a look at his face.

I watched them until 9:30am as Billie gave me a parting gift-a poop shot!  I drove down the east side of the building where I park my car and as I was backing into a parking spot I looked toward the south end of the building and saw, who I think was Billie, flying in from the east to the south end and disappear.

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So naturally, right after I left them that’s when they decided to fly around. Murphy’s Law!! That’s ok, because I got to see all 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons today and that is good for the making of a smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/D9fR25M7GXo

http://youtu.be/YZ5hMeHdXwk

http://youtu.be/hS_z0qp4DfY

http://youtu.be/jJp8ToqgR_Q

http://youtu.be/eMdtltu8yR4

http://youtu.be/0i6VFepxJPA

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK It was snowing and blowing when I left this morning with a temperature of 20 (F) -7 (C) conditions were changing in intensity but the sun broke out just before I ended my watch

I started my watch at 6:45am about 5 minutes before sunrise checking the south side ledge of the OCSR elevator shaft from Bragdon St. I could barely make out the frame of a falcon thru the darkness and snow that was falling and blowing sideways.

After finding nothing on the north ledge I made my rounds checking the east side, Times Square area and when I looked at Kodak Office (KO) from the Andrews St. bridge I spotted a falcon on the southside arch. When I arrived in my spot on State St. I thought it was Beauty and tweeted it was her and that DC was the one in the elevator shaft. It wasn’t until Beauty flew in and landed and on the opposite side of the arch that I realized it had been DC up there and Beauty in the elevator shaft. I just love it when they switch up their routines to fool me!

When the snow started to come down hard DC moved to the back of the ledge until it let up-Beauty just foofed up her feathers and took a nap.

When the sun came out they both started preening

I had to leave our beloved pair after a short watch and on my way to an appointment I passed by Seneca Towers to check for Billie and 99-no luck there.

I didn’t see them when I got home either but the sun was shining brightly and after the weather we’ve been having that is reason enough to smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/Mj2RyNWpWtQ

http://youtu.be/jl6otIBgfJw

http://youtu.be/eb7FFL9HKQs

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

I’m ready for warmer temps as it was -4 (F) -20 (C) when I stepped out for my watch this morning with overcast skies

Click on the pics to see the full version

I found Dot.ca on the top I-beam southeast side of OCSR when I first arrived downtown this morning at 6:45am as I was checking the elevator shaft.

I left him to it as I left to look for his Beautyful mate, driving straight down Main St. to get to Elm St. where I can check the north and east side of Legacy Tower (LT) formerly known as Bausch & Lomb. Beauty was right up there on one of the northeast corners eating her breakfast.

Beauty finished up soon after I arrived, did a little feaking then flew west. I tweeted it out then left to find out where she went.

I went to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. to check the north side of the OCSR elevator shaft-Beauty was already there and just as I turned the car off DC I spotted DC flying up to the south side ledge, thus joining her. I went down farther in the hotel driveway to where I could see both Beauty and DC. At first they were feaking and cleaning up, then Beauty turned her back to me

<Click it> <DC

I stayed for a few minutes and once they seemed settled I left for home to check Seneca Towers for Billie and 99. I was not disappointed as I stopped in the Northridge Church parking lot for a look/see at the north end of the building. Billie was on the top window ledge and 99 was on his way up there to join her landing with his back to me.

Just a few minutes later as I finished tweeting it out they both took off fast to the north with 99 leading the way over the river past the trees at Seneca Park Zoo and out of view. When they didn’t return I went over to the zoo road to check the Kodak buildings across the river on Lake Ave.  I didn’t find them so I continued on down back behind the zoo to Seneca Park to check on the water birds in the mostly frozen pond. The gang was all there and then some. I was lucky enough to see for the first time ,a Great Black-billed Gull who had caught itself a nice sized fish.

<Click on all these pics to see the full version

First thing I noticed were the black wings and the size of this gull-it is the largest gull in the world. Not until another regular sized gull came into the picture did I realize just how huge the black-winged one was! He ate at the belly of the fish then picked it up and swallowed the rest right down. He turned around, flew off to the south and never looked back!

What a great way to end my watch at 9am-as if seeing all 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons wasn’t already enough to make me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/Q4l6EeRD3S0

http://youtu.be/UJkQ7-f3LH4

http://youtu.be/cXS5CCMD7Po

http://youtu.be/1bVfyYQOTio

http://youtu.be/lCifChMRvX0

There is one more video of Beauty and DC that I’m having issues with-if I can get it to upload I will add that link to this report later

http://youtu.be/wLKwOEmhTsU

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was 5 (F) -15 (C) with overcast skies – the sun did peak out for a few minutes but it was short-lived. I saw a sun dog as I was crossing the Driving Park Bridge

So I checked everywhere for our downtown dynamic duo. Last place to look – Kodak Office. They were both on the south side arch. I tweeted it out and when I looked back up they were gone but not for long as they flew in from the east. Dot.ca (DC) landed on the west side of the arch (he had been on the east side originally) and Beauty landed below him on the playpen floor.

Beauty stayed there for a couple minutes then flew up to join DC on the arch at which point I heard echupping.

The Beautyful one foofed up her feathers to keep warm and started closing her eyelids while DC was preening and looking around the area.

Soon after Beauty tucked her head over her shoulder into her wing for a nice nap. DC did some extensive preening then he started closing his eyes to nap.

This is how I left them after a short watch as I had some things to attend to this morning. I drove past Seneca Towers to check for Billie and 99 but they weren’t there. I ended my watch around 8:15am. Keep smiling people I just know that spring is going to break out one of these days! 🙂

Click on the links below to view today’s videos

http://youtu.be/82Qiksz6zLI

http://youtu.be/sC7Tu-dV4iY

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

9:45 am to 1:00 pm

*Be sure to click on any pics you would like to see larger.*

It was cold, but much warmer than it has been recently.  Temps in the teens, the sun was shining and I was free to go downtown for a falcon watch!

I first checked out the Kodak Tower.  Beauty was up on the south east corner of the launch pad, soaking up the sun.

I checked out the other sides of the tower, but could not find Dot.ca there.  So, I headed downtown, where I first checked out the OCSR elevator shaft.  It was hard to see, but I do believe Dot.ca was on the south side ledge.  I left the Radisson and drove over to the Broad St Bridge.  I wanted to check out the river.  It was mostly ice, but there were a few small areas of open water which were being used by a few different types of ducks, a bunch of Ring-billed Gulls and one Canada Goose.

After checking out the river on both sides of the Broad St Bridge, I headed back to Kodak Office where I found both Beauty and Dot.ca.  Beauty was still on the SE corner of the launchpad and Dot.ca was just below her on the SE corner of the netting that covered the old Mariah and Kaver Playpen.

First Beauty and then Dot.ca took off heading north east.  Eventually they both returned.  Dot.ca landed on the SE corner of the launch pad and Beauty was now below him on the SE corner of the playpen.

While Beauty and Dot.ca were settled on the Kodak Tower, I decided to head out to the pedestrian bridge to check out the gorge. It was an icy, winter wonderland.  The views were spectacular.  This was my view of the Beauty and Dot.ca on the Kodak Tower.

Here are some pictures of what I saw in the icy Genesee River Gorge, while I continued my falcon watch from there.

The Smith St Bridge, just north of the pedestrian bridge, was closed.  The city was clearing the snow from the city streets and dumping it from this bridge onto the ice covered river below.  There were two HUGE piles of snow below the bridge on top of the river ice.

Beauty and Dot.ca remained on the Kodak Tower.  All was peaceful in their world on this sunny, winter day.  Before leaving the pedestrian bridge, I stopped at the east end and looked once more at the beautiful High Falls.  I glanced down at the bowed tree that jutted out from the east side gorge wall.  This old tree, that has been a resting spot for most of the Rochester falcons, adults and fledglings, continues to survive.  I was daydreaming, thinking about all the young falcons that had landed there.  That’s when I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk flying towards me along the east side gorge wall.  It swooped up and landed on the bowed tree just in front of me.  It was a juvenile RTH.  Wow!  So beautiful!  I took a few pictures before it took off and flew back to the south.  What a wonderful way to end my downtown falcon watch!

On my way home, I did check out Hawkeye and the Seneca Tower Apartments.  I had no luck finding Billie or 99.

I will leave you with a few pictures of the young Red-tailed Hawk that visited me on the bowed tree.  Enjoy!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

The temperature was 14(F) -10(C) when I ventured out this morning. It was somewhat overcast to start but the sun managed to break thru a bit-the wind was calm

Click on pics to see the full version

I first checked the south side of the OCSR elevator shaft from Bragdon Place and found it empty and when I drove to the other end of the Radisson Hotel by Main St. to check the north side I didn’t have to look for both Beauty and Dot.ca (DC) were on the 2nd I-beam of OCSR. DC was eating and had a full crop while Beauty was further down toward the south corner watching him.

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This lasted a few minutes then Beauty decided she wanted some of DC’s meal and flew down to join him.

There wasn’t much left and DC didn’t seem to want to share at first as he grabbed the biggest chunk and backed up. Beauty started eating little bits that were on the I-beam. DC finished then turned around and ran/walked away from Beauty toward the elevator shaft to do some feaking while she finished off his leftovers.

When she was done, Beauty flew down to the end of the 2nd I-beam by the elevator shaft, then up to the ledge between the building and the elevator shaft.

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This lasted about half a minute as they both flew south rather quickly. When I got turned around to look Beauty was on one side of the base of Mercury and DC on the opposite side. I drove around to the Broad St. bridge but when I got there DC had left and gone up under the northeast wing of Times Square (TSB).

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Beauty then flew to cam 1 (pan cam) and while I was driving down to the hole she visited the nest box as reported by cam watcher Donna. Thanks-I didn’t see where she went from cam 1 and when I got to the hole I only saw DC under the northeast wing at 7:35am.

Perhaps Beauty thought DC would join her at their snowy nest box for some bowing. While I was tweeting, the Beautyful one flew up to join DC under the wing-they were face to face and I think she was wanting to do some bonding with him but he kept looking away toward OCSR and his man cave.

Beauty and DC snuck off Times Square while I was tweeting. I found Beauty on Kodak Office on the southeast corner of the launchpad. She had her back to me from State St. so I ended up on Verona St. where I had a better angle on her.

I left her to find DC and headed straight over to Bragdon St. to check the south side ledge of the OCSR elevator shaft and there he was in his man cave ready to sleep off his breakfast.

I had to smile about that as I left him to it-Beauty was still on KO as I passed by on my way home to Seneca Towers, where I saw no falcons today thus ending my watch at 8:35am. 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/Qd_XzPOP1jM

http://youtu.be/m10lqCLkvXg

http://youtu.be/0leziUKBfRU

http://youtu.be/AZof7vIoh6s

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was a dreary, overcast morning with a starting temperature of 8(F) -13(C). By the end of my watch it was snowing and the temperature had risen a few degrees

Click on the pics to see the full version

After checking the OCSR elevator shaft (nobody there) I went over to Elm St. to check Legacy Tower (LT) formerly known as Bausch & Lomb. I found Beauty on a northwest corner eating. I chose to get closer to her by going up to the roof (8th floor) of the South Ave. garage. She finished up soon after, cleaned up a bit then took off toward OCSR disappearing behind it to the north as I was taping her.

I left to check things out from the Andrews St. bridge and spotted the Beautyful one on the top I-beam northwest side of OCSR. I drove down State St. parking across from the Rochester Plaza Hotel to observe our downtown queen. She was sleepy and after dozing and doing a little preening she turned her back to me and stayed that way for the remainder of the time I was downtown.

I left her to it as I set out to look for Dot.ca (DC) who gave me a hard time finding him today. I found pigeons all lined up on window ledges huddled together trying to stay warm and a gull laying on top of a light post.

On my 4th trip around the city I stopped for coffee and decided to go to the hole to check the Wilder green strip which I hadn’t checked and as I pulled down Bank Place I spotted DC up on the base of Mercury eating around 8:30am. I went up on the Broad St. bridge to watch him as he was facing that way.

I didn’t see him pluck any feathers so I think he must have started elsewhere or he had cached food. Nevertheless,DC ate both legs/feet filling his crop up nicely.

DC finished off his meal, cleaned himself up and flew southeast over the river making a big semi-circle over the east side, turning by the Radisson Hotel to head over and up into the OCSR elevator shaft at 9am.

I had a couple stops to make before going home but when I got there I spotted Billie on the northwest corner of Seneca Towers. She flew off toward the river gorge just as I was about to tape her.

On a hunch I decided to go back out and check the north end of the building from the Northridge Church at St. Paul St. and East Ridge Road. It worked out great as I found both Billie and 99-she was back on the northwest corner and he was on the top window ledge across from her.

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99 was doing some preening along with a couple leg stretches while Buffalo Billie watched down in the gorge. Neither one looked to have food in their crop.

This is how I left them at 10:30am, as I ended an enjoyable falcon watch in which I saw all 4 Rochester Peregrine Falcons that made me smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos

http://youtu.be/dqw84yKrRxw

http://youtu.be/fzFu57YLwIc

http://youtu.be/F2JkV2kSL9w

http://youtu.be/E_IhPk52a9I

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was a bone chilling -6 (F) -21 (C) degrees when I left this morning with a bit of a breeze. The sun was shining throughout but it didn’t really make much of a difference-sub zero temps are COLD!!

Click on the pics to see the full version

Well let me just say that I had quite the eventful watch this morning starting with my car getting stuck in the parking lot while backing out of my spot. After half dozen tries I got out thankfully. I first stopped to check the OCSR elevator shaft-no falcons seen on either side. I then went over to the east side on Elm St. where I spotted Beauty eating on one of the northeast corners of Bausch & Lomb which has changed owners and is now called Legacy Tower (LT).

Beauty spent about 10 more minutes on her meal then flew off to the northwest at 7:31am.

I left to check the elevator shaft of OCSR as that’s where the Beautyful one had gone after the last time I watched her eat on Legacy Tower. There was a falcon on the north side ledge with its back to me that I thought was Beauty. I left to look for Dot.ca (DC) and found Beauty on the south side arch of Kodak Office (KO). She was sleeping on and off as she watched over her territory. I then drove back to check the elevator shaft and found out it had been DC in the elevator shaft.

Satisfied that I saw both Beauty and DC I left for home to check Seneca Towers (ST). I ended up in the driveway of the Northridge Church at East Ridge Rd. and St. Paul St. after I didn’t see anybody on the west or south side. I was ready to call it a watch when I spotted 99 on a top window ledge on the east side of ST. Less than a minute later he stooped to the south, 99 came back and landed on the 17th floor east side balcony railing 1 floor above mine.

In my excitement I had tweeted that 99 was on my east side balcony-this was the first time I had seen a falcon on a balcony railing at ST. Anyway, 99 didn’t stay there for long, as he flew off to the south end of ST before going into a stoop leaving my view as there was a big snow pile in front of me blocking the view. He didn’t come right back so I left the church to check the other side of ST. He then appeared and flew back around to land on the 18th floor east side balcony this time. I made a U-turn and parked on St. Paul St. to observe.

99 had his back to me at first then he turned around to face me-I thought perhaps someone in the building had spooked him. There was a fascinator on his beak.

99 flew off the balcony up to an air conditioner on the 19th floor at 9am with his back to me.

My feet and hands were really cold at this point so after taking a couple more pics of 99 I decided to go and try to get a look at him from my 16th floor balcony.

There was a road block on the way (literally) as a car was blocking the driveway in my parking lot. It wouldn’t start because of the cold temperatures and another guy in a van was trying to give him a jump. I ended up helping them push the car back into the parking spot so we could all get through. I finally got up to my balcony and looked at the wrong air conditioner at first. Then, just before he flew off I found the right air conditioner and got a snippet of 99. I watched him fly northeast into the trees behind the church I had been parked at and disappear. I ended my watch at 10 am and yes, I was definitely smiling! 🙂

Click on the links below to see today’s videos (especially the very last snippet for a close look at 99)

http://youtu.be/SNssvxoGhKQ

http://youtu.be/yvgDICx4m-M

http://youtu.be/8ivYPsHfWh8

http://youtu.be/bYX9WjsHr1c