13 hour Dot.Ca watch 5-16-13
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
The starting temperature was 51 (F) 11 (C) for a long 13 hour watch that started calm and ended windy with a little wild in between.
I was determined to be downtown when Dot.Ca (DC) arrived for the changing of the guards on the eggs with Beauty. I arrived at 5:15am and got confirmation from Campgee that a switch had not taken place so I got settled down in the hole (Aqueduct Dr.) to wait with Beauty for DC. It was not to take place on this day. My first pic of the day brought a jet thru town-this would be a clue for what would come streaking into downtown later.
Remember to click on my pics for a full version
I watched and waited until 7:20am and then I headed over to the Brighton Site (BS) to see if DC was there. As I arrived I found him on the east end of the south side vent sleeping of all things right!? Pigott was on the southeast corner of the southeast extension whining for food.
5 minutes later Pigott flew off to the south only to return 15 minutes later landing on the southwest corner of the southwest extension still whining while DC continued to rest.
10 minutes later Pigott flew around the front of the building and ended up back on the southeast corner of the southeast extension. Yes she was whining still.
DC kept sleeping opening his eyes briefly here and there and it was becoming apparent that something was wrong with him. Miss Pigott moved back on her corner 45 minutes later where I couldn’t see her and at first I thought she had left but after going out farther I was able to see her. 10 minutes after that DC awoke and flew to a window across from where he was on the southeast extension and at the same time Pigott flew past him to a window kiddie corner from DC and yes, whining!
Pigott stayed there only 5 minutes then flew past DC whining loudly to the opposite end of the extension DC was on and landed on a window ledge.
It would stay this way until 10:50am when Pigott flew off to the southeast and that was the last she was seen for the rest of the day. DC continued to conserve energy sleeping the day away. It was reported that a PEFA was at the nest box so at 11:35am when Joyce relieved me at BS I took a ride downtown to check things before going to run an errand. I spotted a falcon on the Crossroads building with a bright white chest and dark helmet.
This male flew off shortly after I made my way to the hole where Lisa joined me and he went into a stoop in front of the Times Square building. He came back up where we could see him, did some fast flying around the area then left our field of vision. I left at that point for an hour or so and when I returned I saw the same male fly to the deck.
At 1:35pm I headed back to BS to show Joyce the pics of the mystery tiercel. We were convinced that it was UT from back in the winter before DC returned from migration but I’m starting to rethink that now that I’ve seen my pics on the computer. Anyway, DC was still sleeping and around 2:35pm as the sun had finally made its way to him he flew off to a window on the south side corner below the vent back in to the shade.
From this point on DC started opening his eyes more frequently for brief periods of time. He even stretched his right wing and leg a couple times making us think that perhaps he had injuries to his left side. Right around 6:30am DC flew off and around to the east extension landing kinda awkwardly on the southeast corner seemingly favoring his left side. Larry came by right after this and I decided it was time to call it a watch leaving Joyce and Larry with DC. It was a long 13 hour watch with much drama but I was able to muster up a smile anyway! 🙂
Click on the links below for more pics and videos from the day
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWqiCw
http://youtu.be/jREqP7R5hPg
http://youtu.be/MBA-DpalArQ
http://youtu.be/iUHcDVrnMyU
http://youtu.be/iUHcDVrnMyU
May 16th, 2013 at 11:58 PM
MAK, thanks so much for your report. The photos and videos validate your concern about DC…aside from the fact he was a no-show at the nestbox. It appeared as though he was pulling up one leg to rest. I’m not certain about Falcons, but in other birds this is a good sign that they’re feeling stable enough to do so. However, it was obvious that something definitely was wrong. Hope you got some rest, yourself, and that tomorrow will be a better day for all concerned.
May 17th, 2013 at 4:37 AM
I was right there with you MAK, well on the computer side of it at least. Sure wish I had hopped in the car like I’d thought early on, I could have been there in 3 hours to help you. (and brought raisin oatmeal cookies to fix everything!)
Sure hope today is a better day no matter what unfolds. I have faith it will all turn out well and know you will be there to help the falcons should anything be required.
Thanks for your reports and tweets, it was a long day but made easier knowing you’d let us know of any updates. So many truly appreciate what you do, you already know that of coarse but we need to voice it more often, you and the other watchers are such a valuable asset to rfalconcam.
May the speculation stop, the facts be revealed and all be boring again in Rochester.
May 17th, 2013 at 5:03 AM
Barb, when these get sick or hurt they will keep going not showing how bad off they really are. The fact that DC seemed to recover and go downtown last night could be deceiving. We’ll see what happens today.
Camp we could have used some of those cookies for luck yesterday. It would have been awesome to have you come watch with me-hopefully some day.
Thanks for your comments-they always make me feel appreciated! 🙂
May 17th, 2013 at 11:17 AM
Yes, MAK, “masking” in birds is a big issue, even with pet birds.