Friday Late Afternoon Falcon Watch – 3/7/14 – What a Difference a Day Makes!
By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.
Sunrise at 6:35 am. Sunset at 6:06 pm.
After a record low temperature yesterday, today the temps rose into the mid 40’s (F). What a difference a day makes!
I saw no falcons at Kodak Park and Pigott was not home while I was out at the BS location.
Downtown I found a falcon on the OCSR top Ibeam, north corner. The sun was lowering in the sky and very bright. It was really had for me to make any ID’s.
*
*
*
*
*
This falcon took off and flew around the OCSR before heading towards the Time Square Bldg. (TSB).
*
*
*
*
* You’ll have to click on the 2nd pic to see it. 🙂
The falcon flew to the TSB and landed on the level just above the nest box. There was vocalization. By the time I made my way back over to the Broad St Bridge (BSB), there were two falcons on the TSB. It was Beauty who had been flying around the OCSR. She was the one on the lower level above the nest box. After checking my pictures, I am almost certain that the smaller falcon on the northeast wing ledge was Dot.ca. Beauty was vocalizing with a wailing sound. Donna had texted me that she could hear her on the live streaming video.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Both Beauty and Dot.ca took off. I found Beauty tucked into the OCSR elevator shaft on the south ledge and Dot.ca was on the top arm of the Frontier Communication Tower. He took off heading south. I checked all over downtown, but could not find where he went.
Beauty was still in the OCSR elevator shaft when I ended my watch just before 6:00 pm.
*
*
*
*
*
At 6:36 pm, Kathy O tweeted that there were two falcons at the BS location at the nighttime roost on the north side. This was Pigott and Dot.ca’s spot.
On my way home, I did check along Lake Ontario, but saw no falcons there. A couple days ago, there was ice on the lake as far as I could see with my binoculars. Today, there was some open water and ducks were out there.
*
*
*
*
*
Like I’ve mentioned in earlier reports, it has been a very hard Winter on the ducks, swans and other water birds that winter here. The Genesee River that flows through downtown has become a refuge for some of them. It started with female Red-breasted Mergansers and then some males joined them. Now there are other kinds of ducks there and a Cormorant. So far, there is a lot of open water on the river for the ducks to feed. I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the birds on the river. Goodnight!
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
