Saturday 1-15-11 Falcon Watch in Brighton and at Kodak Tower
From Rochester Falconwatcher Joyce:
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)
See attached Picasa Album for watch photos and report of the Brighton Pefa…
plus Beauty and her friend on the Tower of Kodak Office.
For those who are not familiar with the terms the watchers use at Kodak Tower, here is file that Lou made in 2005 to help identify the places where falcons land. (The arches are below the launch pad.)
Enjoy,
Joyce
Tags: Brighton, falcon, Kodak Tower, peregrine
January 16th, 2011 at 5:03 PM
Thanks for the good roundup and the show and tell for the Kodak Tower, which seems to be growing in favor again.
January 16th, 2011 at 6:22 PM
Great action shots and captions, Joyce. It’s amazing that the falcons are attracted to the Kodak Tower — once again. I agree that it does seem like a juvie –mother moment, but there has been courtship behavior as well. I think we will have to wait and see. I’d like Archer to return.
The male at Brighton and the male at KT: one and the same or not? I don’t think so, but what is the general opionion?
January 16th, 2011 at 8:38 PM
I guess watchers will need to synchronized their watches. Only if tiercels arereported at both KP and Brighton at the same time will we be sure that they are not one and the same. I seem to remember reading that pefa can see for a distance of around five miles. Given the height of both buildings, perhaps they can see who is where at distances far beyond our ability.
January 16th, 2011 at 11:31 PM
Margaret & Diana – I have been following the Brighton falcons since Beauty was originally spotted there.
When comparing the 2 males, the mustache (malar stripe) on the Brighton male is narrower, and the white area behind the mustache (auricular patch) is quite visible when compared to the downtown male (with Beauty). The tiercel downtown has a wide mustache and the auricular patch is smaller than the Brighton male. I also noticed that the white above the cere is less on the downtown male.
Many have wondered if the downtown peregrines were flying to Brighton. I say no. I saw the Brighton female today, and she was unbanded. I believe these are the same pair that were spotted there last February.
Right now we have 5 falcons in the Rochester area that we are seeing periodically: 2 downtown, 2 at Brighton PC and 1 at Kodak Park.
January 17th, 2011 at 8:36 AM
If and its a big if, the PC pair would decide to stay would Beauty let them? or are they too close. I know you said they can see each other. What is the distance between KP and PC? Seems Beauty and LP (?Unity?) are fine with each other. Could we get three pairs is what I am asking?
January 17th, 2011 at 1:38 PM
Barb – The Rochester watchers have discussed the closeness of TS (Times Square) and the Brighton building. We can see the Brighton building with binoculars from the South St Garage, and we know falcon’s eyesight is much greater than ours. Last year we were wondering if the Brighton pair would stay, but come March they were gone – to a nesting place of their own.
This year one pefa has been spotted regularly, and now both male & female have been seen the last 2 weekends for a short time. Three pairs in the Rochester area is always a possibility. Carol raised a question – could the Brighton falcons have a nestsite somewhere in the Rochester outskirts that we don’t know about? If these are not wintering falcons, maybe the male is keeping lookout on top of the tallest building south of the city, and the female is keeping watch on her territory.
All we can do is to continue to monitor.
January 17th, 2011 at 10:23 PM
Joyce Thank you for the answer.