A Beautiful Sunny Saturday Falcon Watch and Unity Remembered – 4/6/13
By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.
One year ago today, April 6, 2012, we lost a beautiful female peregrine falcon by the name of Unity.
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Fly Free Unity!
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Today’s Watch 4/6/13
Watching from the Broad St Bridge at around noon were Dan S, Dana, Joyce, Brian H, Kathy O, Lynda & Tim and me, Carol P. Beauty & Dot.ca copulated on the Mercury statue at about 12:10 pm. Dot.ca settled on Mercury’s moneybag hand and we weren’t sure where Beauty ended up.
At about 12:30 pm, Dot.ca took off and headed south. We all thought the same thing, it was time to visit with Pigott. But, Beauty joined him and they flew together over the Cornhill area. There were some stoops involved and it looked like they were doing some tandem hunting. We finally lost sight of them.
At 1:00 pm, neither Beauty or Dot.ca had returned. Kathy O and I decided to make a trip out to the BS location. About half way there, Lisa McK tweeted from BS that she had two falcons there. We joined Lisa and we were able to ID the two falcons as Dot.ca and Pigott.
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They did quit a bit of flying and chasing Turkey Vultures and landing on different parts of the building, including the two possible scrapes. At about 2:45 pm, they copulated on the west side of the NW extension.
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Speaking of coming in for a landing. I caught this Dot.ca shadow when he came in for a landing.
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Just after they copulated, Pigott went to the north side of the west extension and found some cached food which she started eating. Dot.ca joined her for a moment and then flew to the NW corner of the NW extension. Dot.ca then took off. My guess he was headed downtown. Pigott moved in on the roof, where I couldn’t see her and all was quiet. Next stop, downtown to check on Beauty.
I arrived downtown at about 3:30 pm and found Beauty in the nest box and Dot.ca above her on the NE wing ledge.
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At a little after 4:00 pm, it was time for me to go. It had been a beautiful day with all three Rochester Falcons seen, making it a very good day indeed!
I’ll leave you with a few pictures I took today. As always, remember to click on any pictures you would like to see larger.
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Plus, help with an ID please. I think this is a Fox Sparrow?
April 7th, 2013 at 12:07 AM
That Sparrow looks more like a “Song” Sparrow Carol. I looked it up in my field guide that MAK sent me for my Birthday! I could be wrong!! 🙂
April 7th, 2013 at 12:14 AM
Oh wow, I didn’t see the pics of Unity when I first read your report. When I went back to check out the Sparrow, they were there. Love the moon shots of her. 🙂 Thanks!
April 7th, 2013 at 12:17 AM
Thanks Donna! Posted my report too soon. Could be a Song Sparrow. I’m not great at IDing the little brown jobbies. lol
April 7th, 2013 at 12:23 AM
Thank you, Carol, for posting the wonderful Unity and the Moon shots. My favorites of all time! There is something about them that I just love, and so heartbreaking at the same time.
I also love the shadow picture of Doc ca. He is casting quite the large shadow these days.
Maybe it’s just my eyes, but if you look at the shadow picture and then look at the picture of the broken glass that MAK posted, it looks like Doc ca could have burst through the window glass! I know he didn’t, but the shape is eerily like the shadow picture.
All of those sparrow are confusing. I had a white crowned sparrow that used to appear every year at this time. It would stay around for a bit, and then move on.
April 7th, 2013 at 12:23 AM
LOL Carol, me either but now I have my little green book! I never knew there were so many “Sparrows”, sheesh!!
April 7th, 2013 at 12:32 AM
I don’t know how you all do it. I am happy that I know tweet tweet is a bird. Well….maybe not that badly…but I’m sure you understand……
April 7th, 2013 at 12:35 AM
LOL Kathy, that’s how I am! I’m learning!
April 7th, 2013 at 7:04 AM
Great Moon Pictures,Peaces of Art !Unity will never been forgotten.
I do think the bird is a Fox Sparrow.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birding/fox-sparrow/.
I can be wrong! I’m not sure eather.
Greetings
April 7th, 2013 at 11:35 AM
Carol, your stunning pictures of Unity and the moon have brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much. She will not be forgotten.
April 7th, 2013 at 7:47 PM
Thanks everyone. This is how I like to remember Unity.
April 7th, 2013 at 8:33 PM
Carol,
Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures of Unity and the moon. She was so lovely and I can never forget her….
April 7th, 2013 at 10:23 PM
Thanks Ginny! I have had the honor of watching so many different peregrine falcons and I will never forget any of them. Each of them is special.