Morning watch 2-23-14
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
Todays watch began breezy with a temperature of 35 (F) 2 (C) and ended very windy with bright blue skies and sweet sunshine
At 6:55am I found Beauty under the southeast wing of the Times Square building (TSB). I parked in front of the Blue Cross Arena (BCA) to get the best angle on her.
She flew off 20 minutes later chasing 2 pigeons behind TSB and back to the east over the river where I lost sight of her. I pulled around to Broad St. on the side of BCA and she came back to land on the Mercury money bag (MMB) empty-taloned.
<Click it to see full version 
The Beautyful one stayed there for 15 minutes looking around for a meal and then she flew off to the west.
<Click it
I drove over to the Frontier Communications tower (FCT) since that was the direction I last saw her flying. Sure enough she was on the east side railing of the platform. I had time for one shot before she flew off in a blurr to the north.
I looked around the Kodak Office tower but didn’t see her. I then went to the Andrews St. bridge to have a look around and I spotted Beauty chasing pigeons starting over near KO and making her way across the river and disappearing behind buildings to the east. As I happened to notice a nice looking Coopers Hawk on a Water St. building. The pigeons around that area seemed to be teasing it by taking turns in groups of 3 or 4 and flying above and around it.
After checking around downtown with no luck finding a falcon I left for the Brighton site (BS). As I came around the back of the building I spotted Dot.Ca (DC) on the southeast corner of the southeast extension and a I proceeded to the east side parking lot I saw Pigott up on the northeast corner of the east extension.
<Pigott DC> 
Since DC had his back to me from that side I went back to the south (back) side of the building for a better angle on him. A few minutes later DC flew over in the direction of Pigott whom I couldn’t see from where I was parked. I immediately pulled away and just as they came into view DC flew off of Pigotts’ back side as they had just mated. I had my window down the whole way and could hear it but missed it visually.
<DC> 
<Pigott> 
He promptly flew back to the southeast extension and came to rest on the northeast corner above the roof top tree. Pigott started preening.
<DC 
<Pigott> 
Around 8:40am DC flew off followed immediately by Miss Pigott going northeast. I saw birds scattering and over near Highland Park as Pigott and DC went buzzing thru. I lost sight of them and about a minute later at 8:50am I spotted a falcon (most likely DC) flying southwest in the direction of downtown. I waited a few more minutes and when nobody returned I left for downtown.
Right about this time Donna tweeted that Beauty was at the nest box and she was looking up like DC was there so thanks to her I knew right where to go first-the hole! I made it just in time to see DC fly west from under the northeast wing and Beauty shoot out from the nest box to follow after him. They returned a couple minutes later, I took a couple shots of DC under the wing then went up to the Broad St. bridge where I could see Beauty in the nest box.
DC flew off to the east at 9:07am and while I watched him Beauty snuck out of the nest box. I took a ride to the east side and returned to the bridge having no luck finding DC but I did find Beauty on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR. The sun was washing her out making it impossible to get a good pic so I went down to Graves St. by Aqueduct Park across from OCSR arriving just in time for her to fly west to parts unknown.
What a way to end my watch eh!? I left downtown at 9:30am smiling because not only did I see all 3 Rochester Peregrine Falcons but the sun was shining and-well, love is in the air here amongst our beloved falcons and that’s a very good thing! 🙂
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February 23rd, 2014 at 6:13 PM
Excellent report and wonderful pictures. Warm and sunny too. 🙂
Is it unusual to have a make mating with two females?
Is it likely he will he help with both sets of Eyasses?
February 23rd, 2014 at 6:23 PM
Well Nora, it’s more normal than we thought I guess-his dad Jack has 2 females that have had babies with him and he does double duty. I’m sure if Pigott has eyasses DC will do his part with them and any he has with Beauty. Thanks for your most appreciated comment! 🙂
February 24th, 2014 at 9:01 AM
Oh, he will help alright, but it is a lot for one tiercel, so it is usually better for the eyasses if the tiercel is faithful to one scrape.