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Archive for May, 2017

Mother’s Day Falcon Watch! – 5/14/17

Sunday, May 14th, 2017

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Hello everyone!  Happy Mother’s Day to Beauty and all you mother’s out there!  I have to also mention the lovely Rhea Mae, who had two of her three eyases hatch yesterday.  <3

Now that we have four eyases at the nest box and the weather is getting a bit more spring-like, with temps near 60 degrees, it was time to head downtown for a late morning, early afternoon watch.  It was tough finding a parking spot on Broad St due to graduations at the Blue Cross Arena aka Rochester War Memorial.  But, I was lucky and found one today.  I set-up my watch at the area we call Falcon Watch Central.  They are still working on the Broad St Bridge, so we can’t watch from there.

At first it was very quiet.  Then I spotted a falcon flying out of the nest box, heading towards the Powers Bldg.  I believe it was Beauty.  She flew by the Powers Bldg, heading northwest.  We’ve been hearing Kestrels over in that area, so she might have been warning them away from the Times Square Bldg (TSB).

Soon a falcon returned, flew around the TSB and then landed on Mercury’s foot.  I’m pretty sure it was Dot.ca.

1-falcon-on-patrol-5-14-17<— Beauty on Patrol.

5-dc-on-mercury-5-14-17<— Dot.ca on Mercury’s Foot.

6-dc-on-mercury-5-14-17<— Dot.ca on Mercury’s Foot.

7-falcon-flyover-5-14-17<— Beauty Flyover.

2-cache-on-tsb-5-14-17<— Cached Food on the Times Square Bldg.

8-nest-box-cameras-5-14-17<— Nest Box Cameras.

9-times-square-bldg-5-14-171<— View of the Times Square Bldg from Falcon Central.

Beauty went back to the nest box and soon after, Dot.ca flew in with food.  There was loud vocalization from both parents as Beauty charged out of the nest box and grabbed the offered meal from Dot.ca.  She flew over me and landed on the base of the Mercury statue.  Beauty cached the food there and took off heading towards the OCSR.

10-beauty-caching-prey-on-base-of-mercury-5-14-1711-beauty-caching-prey-on-base-of-mercury-5-14-1712-beauty-taking-off-5-14-17<— Beauty caching food and taking off.

Dot.ca remained on the nest box platform and then flew up to pan cam.

13-dc-on-nest-box-platform-5-14-1714-dc-on-pan-cam-5-14-17<— Dot.ca at the nest box.

Dot.ca took off on a hunt, chasing two pigeons over the Genesee River.  He missed, then headed southwest.  Beauty returned, flying high and keeping the sky above her young ones free of predators.

15-beauty-flyover-5-14-17<— Beauty on Patrol, keeping the sky above the TSB free of predators. (Click on pic)

While Beauty was on guard duty from above, Dot.ca returned to the nest box to keep watch over his young ones.

16-dc-on-nb-platform-5-14-1718-dc-watching-beauty-above-5-14-172<— Dot.ca guarding his young.

17-dc-watching-beauty-above-5-14-171<— Dot.ca watching Beauty flying overhead.

All was quiet downtown, so I headed over to Seneca Towers for a quick look for Billie and Seth.  I did see one on the apartment building when I passed by yesterday.

Today, I saw one patrolling above, bopping a few passing Turkey Vultures.  I did not see a 2nd falcon either day.  I assume one may be at the nest, wherever that might be?

19-genesee-valley-gorge-he-5-14-17<— Looking south from Seneca Towers.  A very lush Genesee Valley River Gorge.  Hawkeye (Kodak) in the distance.

All was quiet and peaceful in our Rochester Falcons world.  Happy Mother’s Day!


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