Morning Falcon Watch/After the Storm 10-30-17
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
The rain finally stopped and the wind took over this morning with a temperature of 48 (F) 9 (C)
We had a bit of a scare yesterday when Jeanne informed the local watchers that she had seen a report on the Monroe County Fire Wire of an injured falcon near West Broad and Fitzhugh streets about an hour before the sun was to go down. Also, neither Beauty or Dot.ca (DC) had been seen on camera at the Powers nest box which is us usually a daily occurrence. I was tied up and couldn’t go check but Lisa and Carol went downtown to see if they could find anything. Lisa thought that she had seen a falcon in the OCSR elevator shaft but they were unsuccessful in finding an injured bird as darkness fell, so I knew I had to get out first thing this morning.
It was too dark to check Seneca Towers (ST) when I left but I had seen both of them together yesterday on the south side window ledge in the pouring rain. I checked the OCSR elevator shaft first as that’s where they usually go for inclement weather. Nobody on either side and after checking all the usual spots I went over to the east side where I found Beauty on the southeast corner of the 5 Star Bank. This is a favorite morning spot for her to hunt from and I was very happy to see her up there in the semi-darkness.
I left to look for DC with no luck and when I returned the Beautyful one was gone. I was starting to get a little anxious for not having found DC at this point. My next trip around downtown bagged Beauty on the top I-beam southeast side of OCSR.
Again, I left her and checked around for DC to no avail. Thankfully, and with a great big sigh of relief I returned to find that DC had joined his mate and was just a few feet away from her.
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Beauty had a bit of food in her crop and DC was clearly in hunt mode as he was looking all around the area.
A few minutes later DC stooped down toward the river and Beauty followed behind him a few seconds later. They re-surfaced in front of the Radisson Hotel and flew northeast out of my view.
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I searched for them but never located them again. I had to be somewhere so I left to check ST on my way through. Unfortunately, after 3 drive by’s during the course of the day I was unsuccessful in seeing Billie or Seth. It really is a team effort in keeping track of our Rochester Peregrine Falcons and we all were quite relieved this morning to find out that our downtown pair were safe and sound!!! Smiles all around! 🙂
Click on the link below to see today’s short snippet video
October 30th, 2017 at 3:55 PM
Wow! I didn’t get the notification of an injured falcon, and I guess I’m glad I didn’t. All’s well that ends well, at least for our downtown falcons. I too saw Beauty and Dot.ca on OCSR and then leaving OCSR, but you had already tweeted it by the time I got back to my desk.
I wonder who it was. Perhaps a kestrel met up with Beauty’s or Dot.ca’s wrath. Whomever it is, I hope it’s going to be okay.
Thanks, MAK!
October 30th, 2017 at 4:07 PM
Pat, it may have just been a grounded bird due to the heavy rain yesterday and flew off on its own. Many times people report about downed falcons and a lot of the time it turns out to be something other than a falcon. Thankfully this was one of those times! 🙂
October 30th, 2017 at 4:17 PM
Thankfully indeed! A falcon down at that location sure would scare me!
October 30th, 2017 at 8:06 PM
Thank you all for looking out for them!
October 30th, 2017 at 8:48 PM
It’s what we do Kathy! 🙂
October 30th, 2017 at 10:27 PM
PHEW!!!
October 30th, 2017 at 11:32 PM
Exactly Barb! 🙂