Fledge Watch/Chasing falcons 7-23-17
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
Another overcast, dismal and dark morning with a temperature of 67 (F) 19 (C)
Remember to click on my pics to see the full version
Yesterday afternoon around 2pm I checked the Hawkeye plant from my apartment and saw a falcon below the nest box. While I was eating my supper last night around 6:30pm I witnessed a juvie flying past my window heading north. I went out on the west balcony but he never came back. My last check of the night from the balcony around 8:10pm had me watching some ducks down in the river and the sun going down. Not much of a sunset as it was mostly cloudy.
As I did my scan of the area I spotted one of the Seneca Towers juvies eating a snack over on the south side ledge of the Veteran’s Memorial bridge. When he was done he flew off straight down to the tree tops on the east side (my side) of the gorge and disappeared into the trees. I have seen a juvie do this once before one night when KathyO came over to watch with me. So we know at least one of them roosts in a tree at night. That would be it as darkness fell.
I started my watch this morning at 5:20am with Beauty on the northwest corner of the 5 Star Bank-she flew off immediately and headed east. This was not her usual spot on the bank but a few minutes later I would find out why she was there. I thought she had gone to the RGE antenna and when I was checking it out I spotted Dot.ca (DC) flying over to the bank only to land on the the northeast corner then fly off. He was dogging her!
There’s a round about (traffic circle) at Broad St. and Broadway and I was literally going around in circles looking for our downtown pair! As I was coming down Chestnut St. I spotted DC on the northeast corner of the Columbus building (at the corner of Chestnut and Lawn St.) and he was whining! I knew the Beautyful one had to be near with food and when I drove to the back of the Broadway Inn parking lot I found him begging his bride to share the food she had.
Beauty handed over the goods and flew off after feaking a bit. DC started plucking feathers to beat the band-white fluff filled the air!
I hung out with him for a bit and then I left to look around for juvies! I didn’t find any so I stopped on the Court St. bridge to check on my river friends. No Dan this morning as he told me yesterday he wouldn’t be out. He likes action and there hasn’t been enough for him lately. lol Anyway, I found my 2 duck families and spotted a Black-crowned Night Heron jumping around on a log below the Broad St. bridge.
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I left there and ended up on the Andrews St. bridge (ASB) where I saw a falcon on the Frontier Communications tower (FCT). I drove to the Hochstein School of Music parking lot to catch Beauty just before she flew off to the Powers building. I watched her go straight into the nest box out of view and then I heard DC chirping. I quick drove back to the ASB where you can see them if they’re towards the front of the nest box.
Next, I watched DC come out of nowhere and fly to the drum on FCT. I thought there was a bonding session going on in the nest box but when I checked the archives it showed only Beauty. If he was up there he wasn’t where I could see him or the cameras.
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I could see her near the front of the nest box when suddenly she flew out and over to the drum. She landed and DC flew off to the south. You can see the sequence of events on my downtown snippet video at the end of this report.
Beauty stayed on the drum for a minute or so then flew south as well-she was dogging him now!
I flew south as well and located DC on the top I-beam north corner of OCSR. From the hole I could clearly see his full crop. Soon after I got there he walked to the right and then flew west.
I was going to leave the hole when I noticed movement under the northeast wing of Times Square. It was Beauty at the back of the ledge eating. She picked up her pigeon wing and walked forward only to turn around and go to the back of the ledge to cache what was left of it. She did some feaking then flew off heading north.
I ended my watch at that point (7am) to go walk Bella before it started raining. On my way home afterwards I came upon Billie on at Hawkeye on the nest box ring. I stayed long enough to identify her as she was preening.
I didn’t see any juvies again today but Beauty and DC kept me smiling with their falcon games! 🙂
Click on the links below to check out today’s videos
July 23rd, 2017 at 6:47 PM
Loved your report, photos, and snippets as always MAK, but I have one big question: When did you move to the WEST side of the gorge??? LOL!!!
July 23rd, 2017 at 7:46 PM
Nice catch Carla! I’ll have to correct that! LOL 🙂