Morning watch 5-29-11
By Rochester falcon watcher MAK
As many of you have stated, it gave you an empty feeling to look at the nestbox this morning and see nothing. It was the same for me and as I drove around downtown my first 30 minutes without finding any falcons I started getting a sinking feeling that Beauty and Archer had left the area. I sure am glad I was wrong for when I drove down State St. on my way to Kodak Park to see if anyone was there I spotted Beauty on the 19th floor southeast corner of Kodak Office.
After I took a couple pics to document it I got my binocs out and spotted Archer on the southeast corner of the launchpad.
15 minutes later Beauty flew out and up to the the northeast corner of the launchpad making bookends with Archer.
They stayed this way for a little over half hour, both preening and Archer occasionally bowing to Beauty. Archer flew off circled once high above and landed on the east side of the cupola bowing to Beauty from there.
Archer then walked over a little bit and bowed again.
Beauty seemed to be ignoring him. He then turned around and looked over his shoulder to the north toward Kodak Park.
Archer then turned around and scooted the rest of the way to the northeast corner of the cupola directly above Beauty. He cleaned himself up a bit before flying off to the west.
I didn’t see him again and wondered if he had gone to Kodak Park after being snubbed by Beauty. I also wondered if she watched him fly that way. Soon after my suspicions were confirmed when Dana tweeted that Archer and Unity were copulating over at Kodak Park. Here we go again. I drove around to the north side of KO for a better view of Beauty parking on Frankfort St.
I spent the next hour with the Beautyful one who was facing north, watching her look in the direction of Kodak Park. I silently prayed that she would not go over there and do battle with Unity. She flew off circled above the Kodak Office tower and headed south toward downtown and the Times Square building. I searched for her to no avail and ended my watch to go home and get some breakfast.
I want to say Thank You to all the people yesterday that showed concern for me and offered kind and comforting words after we suffered the loss of the last egg. I won’t forget it. 🙂
May 29th, 2011 at 1:56 PM
Thank good ness for your reports! I didn’t know if I could watch anymore after yesterday. But you are right back out there and reporting, and snapping pictures. thank you.
May 29th, 2011 at 2:35 PM
If you look back she was snubbing him half the time last fall too. So I wouldn’t read to much into that. She just isn’t into bowing to a fella that much I guess. What happens next is up to where her hormones are in the reproductive cycle. Time will tell. It didn’t look like at least two of those eggs were ever fertilized. Couldn’t tell with egg one. Makes me wonder if one of our pair has a problem, other than stress.
May 29th, 2011 at 3:10 PM
I haven’t watched as much this year as I had previous years so I was VERY sad this morning when I saw the EMPTY NEST. I felt like it was my fault for not paying more attention. I was holding back, sort of waiting for the hatching.. Will they have time to have another go ? I live on Cape Cod in a house that backs up on a marsh…conservation land so people HAVE to leave the trees. There’s an old tupolo tree outside our family room windows that has a lot of mossy puffs on its branches (I call them tuffets) Humming birds often sit on the “tuffets” in little groups taking a breather ..They don’t stay long, but are so sweet to watch. I’m not sure why I’m reporting this, but there are many ways to peek in on mother nature.. I’m sorry about this loss and look forward to more “good times ” in the future with the falcons of Rochester!! Thank you for the great work you all are doing.