By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

6:38am and 36 degrees (F) 2 (C)-that’s what the bank clock on Main St. said when I started my watch. Still a bit dark out as I made my way to the east side where I saw the familiar shape of  Beauty on the southeast corner of HSBC. I parked in my spot and right away she got busy stooping down the south face of the building. Gone in a blur and returning in a blur!

3 times she took off after a pigeon coming back empty taloned twice and the 3rd time not coming back at all. Instead, she flew over to the Times Square building (TSB) and parked herself at the nest box as told to me by Donna, one of our many fantastic camera watchers. Thank you one and all for your constant help!

It was about 6:55am and much lighter out than when I started as I pulled over on the Broad St. Bridge (BSB). 10 minutes later Dot.Ca (DC) made his appearance as Beauty flew over to Mercury,and not wasting any time they mated on the money bag. DC went to the northeast wing and Beauty went to the nest box.

Now parked in the hole (Aqueduct St.) by Keybank, I watched DC fly off past Widows Walk to the west until I couldn’t see him anymore-he was flapping the whole time. Beauty then came out and flew over to the southwest corner of the Wilder building. I had to move for a better view so I parked out on Exchange St. between the Times Square and Philipone buildings.

As I was watching the Beautyful one I got the feeling someone was watching me, and sure enough on the sidewalk stood DebbieH. I put down the window and told her to jump in but she didn’t get to stay for long as Beauty took off.

Debbie got out to look as I drove around to the hole again and stationed myself near the stairs that lead up to the BSB where Debbie was standing. I could see that Beauty had gone to Mercury and signalled to Debbie. She waved and went to work as I shared space with Beauty.

At around 10 minutes after 8 (with my camera hanging out the window) a man from the Thomson Reuters security team came up to me and asked what I was doing and if I was a terrorist! I chuckled and said no, I’m watching the falcons and pointed to Mercury-then he chuckled and said, oh I didn’t recognize you in the car. I remember seeing you on foot dragging a cart around. I said yeah, I put the cart in storage when I was given this car.  And that was that! lol 10 minutes later Beauty flew off touching down under the southeast wing for a sec then over to the northeast wing. I left for the Brighton site (BS) thinking that’s where DC had gone but when I arrived Pigott was by herself on the southwest corner.

She whined  a little on and off looking north toward downtown for you know who-DC.  Miss Pigott flew off going from one corner to another before settling back on the southwest corner.

I waited and watched with her for half hour or so then I left to go back downtown. Just as I got up to Broad and Exchange Blvd. I spotted Beauty flying over to the southwest corner of the Wilder building.  I drove down to the hole after the light changed and saw DC fly over and they mated.

When finished DC flew over to the deck of the nest box next to the main camera. I thought finally they will go in the nest box and bow to each other when Beauty flew over but DC took off before she could get there and went up to the northeast wing and she went in the nest box.

A few minutes later at 9:30am Beauty flew to the Mercury money bag and DC stayed put under the wing. We all stayed in our chosen spots for 15 minutes and then Beauty flew to the south-I turned to look at DC and he was gone. Next I watched Beauty fly to the nest box as DC came screeching in to swoop her as  she landed-then DC took off out of view and Beauty went to Mercury.

Again I drove to BS thinking DC went there and again I found only Pigott perched on the same southwest corner of the west extension. I stayed half hour and went back downtown when DC didn’t show up.

Arriving at 10:55am I found Beauty to be on the money bag of Mercury and DC under the southeast wing. I parked in the hole and observed them until 11:30am when Beauty flew to the southwest corner of Wilder and DC flew off. Beauty took off to the north,DC followed, then they came back thru and DC landed briefly under the southeast wing. They had me moving back and forth and I think they may have mated on Mercury when I couldn’t see them, for when I cleared the Thomson Reuters building I saw Beauty on Mercury and DC was flying back up to the southeast wing on the TSB.

They both left when I wasn’t looking and I ended my watch at just before noon. The thing that made me smile most today was that guy thinking I could be a terrorist! 🙂

I have provided links for more pics and videos below-just click and view

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWraJg

http://youtu.be/cLf3bNtF-HY
http://youtu.be/9GK7GcR0umU
http://youtu.be/0GWvp27s05U
http://youtu.be/1FCrMdzr6EE
http://youtu.be/SjT2MHhXonM

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 26th, 2013 at 5:12 PM and is filed under Falcon Watch. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.