Morning watch 4-4-15
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
The temperature was 36(F) 2(C) as I started out on my watch with partly cloudy skies and windy
I arrived downtown at 6:45am and spotted Beauty flying near the north side of OCSR. Camp let me know Dot.ca (DC) was on the eggs as I wasn’t sure. Thanks! I went north and found Beauty on the south side arch of Kodak Office (KO) around 7am.
She didn’t stay long as she seemed to spot something and flew off heading south toward Times Square (TSB). I followed and when I reached the hole I could see the Beautyful one flying around the area quite leisurely. She landed on the Wilder green strip (WGS) momentarily then off to Irving Place to eat some cached food on her favorite chimney over there. I drove across the street to the parking lot by TSB for a close view.
Beauty didn’t eat for very long, maybe 5 minutes then she took her small bit of leftovers and cached them at the back of the roof, did some feaking and flew off over to OCSR top I-beam south corner.
I went back over to the hole and the next thing I see is Beauty gone and DC flying out from the nest box replacing Beauty on OCSR. He didn’t stay long as he flew off to the southwest only to return a couple minutes later to the top I-beam south corner of OCSR again. Off he went again almost as soon as he arrived and flew west out of view behind the Telesca building.
It was 8am and I decided to leave and check for Billie and 99 at Seneca Towers as I would like to see if I can figure out where they might have a scrape. I spotted Billie on the south side roof from St. Paul St. The wind almost blew her off so she walked over to the wall to get some cover.
At 8:20am Buffalo Billie flew out and down to the top window ledge south side until 99 came flying in at 8:26am chirping just like DC does with food. I got a little nervous at first wondering if DC was two-timing Beauty again but it wasn’t him as I saw the yellow tape on 99’s right leg band. Billie flew off to fly a little with 99 and was vocalizing as well, in anticipation of a meal.
They headed to the southwest side of the building where I could see Billie but not 99 so I backed down the street until I had them both in view. 99 was on the railing with his food gift dangling from his talons and Billie was on the roof looking at him. She then flew up to the railing and the food exchange took place with Billie taking it to the roof above the windows and a minute later 99 joined her going to the opposite end from where Billie landed while she started to eat.
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*I made note of the fact that when they were flying neither one of them had a missing right wing feather as Carol had seen battling with Beauty this past week. So we definitely have a 3rd female in the area as Carol saw it flying near Kodak west as well.
99 went down to the top window ledge below Billie until she finished eating then he started to chirp and flew north as she moved to the corner of the roof he had been on.
99 came back around to mate with Billie
99 went back to the window ledge below while Billie watched from her corner of the roof.
It stayed this way until about 9:10am when Billie flew off and landed on the east side somewhere (I couldn’t see that side very well from where I was located). Then a minute later 99 took off and circled the building a couple times looking for his mate and then he too, landed over on the east side. I drove down to the Northridge Church parking lot to have a look but could only find Billie on the east side roof.
Billie left while I was tweeting so I had no idea where she went or what direction she flew. They could have been up on the roof or they flew away for I didn’t find them again. I ended my watch at 9:50am with a great big smile after seeing all 4 resident Rochester Peregrine Falcons! 🙂
Click on the links below to see today’s videos
April 4th, 2015 at 3:13 PM
How nice for them all to treat you so well..How nice to have a totally smiley day..(Nice report)…
April 4th, 2015 at 4:54 PM
I’m liking that spot on the south side roof for the scrape! Nice pics today, MAK! 🙂
April 4th, 2015 at 5:23 PM
Yes June, wasn’t it nice of them!? And you guys get to smile right along with me!! 🙂
April 4th, 2015 at 5:27 PM
Patty. if the Seneca Towers owners had allowed a nest box to be placed the best spot would have been up against the elevator shaft facing east just like downtown with something behind it so nobody could sneak up from behind and attack. It’s quite possible they have a scrape up on the roof and if so, I hope they do well. 🙂
April 4th, 2015 at 7:56 PM
If the elevator shaft is back from the edge of the roof it could be a scrape that building owners would tolerate because fewer birdie body parts would fall down on tenants during the season.
April 4th, 2015 at 9:10 PM
Alison, I wrote a letter and the owners turned me down-they will not consider allowing a box to be placed on their roof. 🙂
April 5th, 2015 at 1:39 AM
Well, i do regret that there are many who do not like or appreciate any kind of bird.I really appreciate the folks at Cornell who are 100 percent behind the red tale hawks
and address problems when they arise.
Enjoyed your watch and videos on Holy Saturday.Thanks as usual. Diane
April 5th, 2015 at 6:11 AM
Thanks for commenting Diane. They’ve even got signs up here to not feed the birds! I can’t believe I live in a place that won’t allow it. Sheesh! 🙂