By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

With temperatures up in the 40’s yesterday and today, it feels like a little bit of Spring in the air!  and the falcons are feeling it too!  Rochester is currently under a flood watch (through the weekend) and a high wind warning through late Friday evening.  If you’re watching the Rochester Falconcam cameras tonight, you might even see some lightening.  Crazy weather for sure.

Like I said, Spring is in the air and for the first time this year, both Beauty and Dot.ca were at the nest box doing a little bit of housekeeping, bonding and bowing.  Here is a picture captured on the Rfalconcam Main Camera today.

*

*

*

*

*

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

My Watch started at Kodak Park where it has been a few days since I have seen the falcon there.  I have to wonder if this was a wintering bird and that s/he has started its migration home.  I’ll keep checking and report if I see KPF.

At the BS location, I found Pigott on the northeast corner of the east extension.  She was preening and looking about.  Dot.ca was not there.

*

*

*

*

*

I left her to look for Beauty and Dot.ca downtown.  Dot.ca was on the south side top IBeam of the OCSR.  Beauty was up inside the OCSR elevator shaft on the north ledge.  I could see her from the Broad St Bridge because the elevator was down.

Dot.ca took off and chased a Coopers Hawk down towards the river.  I did not see where Dot.ca went, but I did find the Coop in a tree on the north east side of the Broad St Bridge.  It only stayed there for about a minute before hightailing it out of there.

*

*

*

*

*

I looked for Dot.ca, but was not able to find where he went.  He may have headed over to the BS location.

Beauty came out of the elevator shaft and landed on top of the Mercury statue.  While she was up there, the neighborhood pigeons took flight and swirled over the river on both sides of the bridge landing frequently and taking off again.  They were very uneasy, probably sensing a predator (namely Beauty) watching from above.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

The ice on the river was receding, allowing a group of about 20-25 Red-Breasted Mergansers (RBM’s) to dive and feed.  There have been many reports on the Genesee Bird List saying that the RBM’s have been struggling this Winter. Many have been found dead and dying.  Very sad.  I was happy to see this group feeding well.  🙂

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Just before the sun started to set, Beauty took off and went into the OCSR elevator shaft.  This is where I left her at the end of my Wednesday watch.

*

*

*

*

*

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Again no Kodak Park Falcon found today.

When I first pulled in to the BS location, I saw a falcon eating up on the northwest corner of the west extension with its back to me.  While I was trying to find a spot to park and get a better view of this falcon, another one flew in and landed on the northwest corner of the northwest extension.  There was a bit of ee-chupping and wailing in greeting.  Finally I was able to see that it was Dot.ca who had been eating when I first arrived.  Pigott flew in from the northwest, now kitty-corner across from him.  She had a full crop.  Dot.ca finished eating and turned around so I had a better view of him.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

It was overcast and it started to rain.  So, I left Pigott and Dot.ca to head downtown to search for Beauty.  I found her tucked up inside the OCSR elevator shaft on the south ledge.

*

*

*

*

*

The rain picked up and it got very windy, so I ended my watch.  The coming days should be very interesting now that Spring is in the air.  At least for a day or two!  Sorry to say the cold weather will be returning soon.  That’s Winter in Rochester for you!  Goodnight everyone!

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2014 at 10:28 PM and is filed under Falcon Watch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.