By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

I’ve been out a few times over the past week, but haven’t had time to post pics.  So, here we go.

The heat continues here in Rochester, NY and so do the falcon sightings.  I’ve seen juvies a couple of the days I was out.  I thought it was Sundara I last saw eating on OCSR, but after checking my pictures, I’m pretty sure I’m seeing a “2”, not a “9” on he black/green band.  I was very surprised!

Here are some pictures I wanted to share.  Enjoy! and make sure that you click on them to see the full image.

8/11/18

Beauty & Dot.ca sharing a meal on the library.

8/12/18

Now for a surprise.  I thought I was watching Sundara, but after checking my pics, I’m almost certain I’m seeing a 2 on the band.  So, this was Mike!!!  He was on OCSR with Beauty.

8/13/18

Juvie eating on FCT.  Was not able to ID.

8/19/18

The only falcon I saw during my Sunday morning falcon watch was Beauty.  I first saw her on the Jail Comm Twr, then OCSR and finally on Mercury’s foot.  She was very wet, preening after a bath.  Larry O and Zeke joined me on the Court St Bridge.

<— Beauty on Mercury’s foot.

Here are pictures of a Great Blue Heron and a Kingfisher hunting on the river below.

Beauty took off, heading east.  After driving around, I found her on the Frontier Communication Tower.

At the end of my watch, I checked out Seneca Towers, and the east and west ends of Kodak Park.  I found no falcons, but at the west end of Kodak Park, I found 100’s of Gold Finches eating in the fields and drinking from puddles.  They must be migrating.  That was awesome to see!

Enjoy the day!  I’ll continue to let you all know what I’m seeing on my falcon watches.  🙂

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Another very warm day in Rochester, NY, with temps of 90 degrees (F) due.  No rain in the forecast, just clear, blue skies.

*Be sure to click on any pictures in this report to see the full image.*

I joined Dan on the Court St Bridge just before 7:00 am.  It’s always fun to join Dan on an early morning falcon watch.  Downtown was pretty much empty, no JW’s or festivals this weekend.  I grabbed my chair and coffee and settled down for my morning watch.  There were no falcons to be seen, but there was a lot of activity above and on the river below us.  Lots of gulls and ducks and herons.  Dan pointed out the Black-Crowned Night Heron (BCNH) hunting for fish on the river and another one that had flown into the tree near the library.  As we were watching them, a third BCNH flew into the tree just below the one that was already there.

On the south side of the bridge, we saw two Great Egrets come in for a landing.  A third continued south down the river.

Also, there were two Great Blue Herons hunting below.

Larry O (with Zeke) joined us at 7:2o am and Joyce (with Casey and Abby) joined us at 7:45 am.  Although we had no falcons to watch, it was fun catching up with everyone and watching the river life below us.

At 8:00 am, Dan headed home and Joyce, Larry O and I headed over to the Frontier Communication Tower.  Joyce spotted one falcon on the east side below the platform.  Since it was quiet and we saw no others, we headed over to the pedestrian bridge at High Falls.  There was an adult Red-tailed Hawk on the south side of the pedestrian bridge, surrounded by House Finches!

Joyce pointed out where she saw the falcon on FCT.  This was our view from the pedestrian bridge.

The Red-tailed Hawk took off and landed in a tree in front of the falls.

This was our view of the falls and downtown area.  Not much water was flowing over the falls due to the lack of rain.

Larry had to leave, so Joyce and I returned to the Frontier Communication Tower, where we found both Beauty and Dot.ca.  There was definitely a juvie falcon up there, but we never did see it.  Beauty was on the north side of the platform and Dot.ca was under the platform on the east side.  We could hear the juvie falcon wailing every now and then.  Especially when Beauty moved.  We figured she was somewhere up there on the platform with Beauty.

Carrie joined us and I really hoped that Sundara would make an appearance for her.  Carrie is the falcon watcher that named her.  I ended my watch when our shade shrunk down to nothing around 10:45 am.  The temperature was rising and the falcons would hopefully find shade of their own.  I hoped my sacrifice would bring Sundara out of hiding.  🙂

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

The heat continues, on and on and on and on……

High 80’s today and mid-90’s the next two days.  Plus the high humidity, makes it pretty much unbearable.

*Please be sure to click on any pictures to see the full image.*

I arrived on the Court St Bridge (CSB) just before 6 am.  I had hoped to find Dan there.  After about 15 minutes, with no falcon watchers or falcons in sight, I headed over to the Frontier Communication Tower (FCT).  As I approached, I could see a falcon on the lowest arm.  It was Beauty and she was facing south.

About three minutes later, I heard that most wonderful sound of a juvie wailing.  It landed on the east side platform railing, just below Beauty.

While I was tweeting this out, both took off while I wasn’t looking.  This happens very frequently to the falcon watchers.  Again, I was searching.  From the CSB, I found Beauty on the Jail Communication Tower (JCT).  From where I was, I could not find the juvie.

Beauty took off, heading north, back towards the FCT.  That’s exactly where I found her.  She was in hunt mode, so I settled in to watch her, hoping the juvie would return.

At 7:30 am, Beauty took off, this time heading west.  I waited to see if she would return.

Eight minutes later, a falcon flew in from the east, carrying food and landing on top of the large white drum on FCT.  The juvie was following close behind, also landing on the drum.  It was Dot.ca who had brought in food for the juvie.

Dot.ca left the juvie and landed up on FCT.

Larry joined me, with Zeke.  He collected one of the feathers that fell from the prey the juvie was eating.  Can anyone guess what it might be?

We were chatting when I yelled out FOOD!  lol  Now you have to know that I saw a falcon flying in low carrying prey.  Larry knew exactly what I meant when I yelled FOOD!  hahaha!  It was Beauty and she landed very low on the Frontier Communication Tower.  She had brought in a pigeon, and she was panting when she landed.

The juvie finished eating and hopped off the drum into the framework.  Dot.ca watched from above.

Beauty continued to eat her meal, until there was just a little bit left.

The juvie continued to wail, loudly.  Guess Dot.ca’s offering wasn’t big enough.  When Beauty finished eating, she looked up at her young one, answering softly.  Beauty took off with her leftovers and the juvie followed.  The juvie flew up to meet her and Larry and I watched a perfect food transfer overhead.  After tucking the food in, the juvie returned to the FCT.

After eating, the juvie took off with the food and took it up to the top of the drum.  It looked like a good place to cache the food.  Both the juvie and Beauty had very full crops.

Dot.ca had other ideas for the leftovers.  It was his turn to eat breakfast.  He landed next to the juvie on the drum.  The juvie wasn’t happy, but decided to let dad have it.

While Beauty watched from above on the platform, the juvie landed below her in the framework.

Joyce, with Abbey & Casey, joined me at about 10 am.  Dot.ca finished his meal and flew over, landing just below the juvie.  This was our first good comparison.  Based on the size difference, we believe that the juvie we had been watching all morning was Sundara.  I never did get a good enough picture of her bands for a positive ID.

This was the time my camera battery died.  So no more pictures.  While Joyce and I watched over the next hour, Dot.ca gave a stooping lesson to Sundara.  He dove off of the tower and Sundara followed.  Beauty followed after them.  All three ended up very low on the communication tower.  That’s where they remained, until I left at a little before 11 am.  After I left, Joyce reported seeing both Beauty and Dot.ca leave.

Tomorrow will be a very warm day.  Stay cool everyone!