Beauty and Dot.ca Visit the Gorge – Evening Fledge Watch – 7/28/15
By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.
5:30 – 9:00 pm
Temps high 80’s (F). Hot and Humid.
Evening Watchers: Kathy O, Joyce, Lynda, MAK, Carrie, Shaky and Carol P. Visits by our old friends Sally and Diana R.
Today was hot, but tomorrow will be even warmer, pushing up over 90. The watchers gathered on the pedestrian bridge hoping for a glimpse of Cadence and Genesee in the gorge. They never arrived. But we were thrilled when Beauty and Dot.ca visited the gorge!
When I first arrived at 5:30 pm, there was an adult on the Kodak Tower’s south side arch. We did have a few other sightings of a falcon on the Frontier Communication Tower. But it wasn’t until approximately 7:40 pm that Shaky spotted a falcon flying into the gorge, and landing on the gorge floor near the water. Less than a minute later, we saw a 2nd falcon fly in and land on the falcon sucking tree (FST). Both were adults. Beauty was on the gorge floor and Dot.ca was in the FST.
Dot.ca did not stay long. He took off and flew up to the top of the Kodak Tower. All of the watchers lined up at the railing, taking pictures, videos and chatting about Beauty and Dot.ca’s visit to the gorge. We wondered where the juvies were.
Here is a Youtube video showing Beauty on the gorge floor drinking from the Genesee River.
While Beauty was drinking, a momma duck and her three small ducklings approached Beauty and swam by her. Beauty moved further from the river, but continued to watch the small family. That’s all she did, watch. Beauty let them pass.
Here is a short video showing the ducks passing by Beauty. Sorry for my shakiness. 🙂 Just click on the Youtube link below.
After the ducks passed by her, Beauty jumped up onto a log.
At 8:05 pm, Beauty took off and flew up to the falcon sucking tree. Dot.ca was now on the cupola on the Kodak Tower.
Beauty stayed there for about 20 minutes and then flew out of the gorge towards the Kodak Tower. She landed on the east side launchpad. Dot.ca was close by at the southeast corner of the launchpad.
We were starting to lose light at 8:30 pm. I wanted to drive around the downtown area to see if I could find Cadence and Genesee. I did find a falcon on the Times Square Bldg under the northeast wing and another eating on the top arm of the Frontier Communication Tower. It was too dark to identify them.
In the coming days, we will probably start to see less and less of our young juvies. This time comes to quickly for this watcher. But, it’s part of their growing up and learning to be Peregrine Falcons. Hopefully we will still get to see them for many days to come!
Goodnight everyone!
Quick correction: There were actually 4 ducklings with the momma duck! 🙂
July 29th, 2015 at 11:21 AM
So cool that Beauty was on the gorge floor ! I know she let the ducks go by because she knew there were babies and left Mama duck with her family !!
July 29th, 2015 at 2:31 PM
I agree Lynn. 🙂