By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Back to overcast, dark and cold conditions this morning with a starting temperature of 15 (F) -9 (C) and we are not to go much higher than that for a high today

My falcon watching time is short these days as I have a lot going on but I’m thankful I am getting out at all to share time and space with our beloved falcons. Beauty made it easy for me today-I found her at 7am on the OCSR building top ibeam near the south corner.

I parked by the Radisson Hotel near Main St. to get the best angle on her and was able to see that she had a bulge in her crop so I knew that she had eaten earlier. It does my heart good to know that they’ve eaten in this cold weather. I hung out with her for about 40 minutes in which time she preened and napped off and on. A quick check around did not produce a Dot.Ca (DC) sighting so I headed out for the Brighton Site (BS).

No luck finding him or Pigott at home at BS-after waiting about 10 minutes I went back downtown only to find the Beautyful one in the same spot as I left her on OCSR. Unfortunately, I couldn’t hang out with Beauty but she did give me a falcon fix this morning and for that I could certainly muster up a smile as I ended my watch around 8:30am! 🙂

One link below for a video of Beauty

http://youtu.be/JpbSQV2x9ro

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Sunrise at 6:46 am and Sunset at 5:58 pm.

We had a little reprieve from the frigid temperatures today.  The temps made it into the 30’s (F) and the sun was out for much of my watch which started at about 11 a.m.  My first stop was Russell Station.  No Falcons there, but I did see a juvenile Bald Eagle fly by just off shore over Lake Ontario, heading west.  I checked Charlotte, and Hawkeye.  No sign of Billy at either of those locations.  (11:26 am)

Downtown, I found Dot.ca on the OCSR, north side top IBeam near the north corner.

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From the Andrew St Bridge, I saw a large group of Red-Breasted Mergansers (RBM) swimming on the river between me and the Main St Bridge.  Always good to see them doing well.

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I went to search for Beauty and found her on the Times Square Bldg on the northeast wing ledge.  (12:24 pm)

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There was no place to park on the Broad St Bridge because of the car show that was in town, so I ended up watching Beauty from Aqueduct St (aka the hole).  I stayed there for over an hour.  Since there was not activity, I headed over to the BS location where I found Pigott on the east end of the building on the corner above the tree ledge.  (1:57 pm)

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Soon after I arrived, Pigott took off and flew around the south side of the building heading west.  I caught up with her, finding her on the northwest corner of the northeast extension.

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At 2:50 pm, I saw a Red-Tailed Hawk fly over the building and so did Pigott.  She took off and chased the RTH out of her territory.

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After chasing the hawk away, Pigott returned to the southwest corner of the west extension.

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Crows were cawing loudly to the west of the building and Pigott does not like the Crows anywhere near her building.  So off she went to chase the Crows out of her territory.  She returned, landing on the southeast corner of the southwest extension.

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Pigott walked back on the roof and I lost sight over her.  I assume she may have been looking for cached food, even though she already had a full crop.

I left Pigott at a little after 3:00 pm and drove through downtown one more time before heading home.  At 3:25 pm, I spotted Beauty in the same spot I had left her, on the Times Square Bldg, NE wing ledge.  Dot.ca was no longer on the north side of the OCSR.  It was time to end my watch.  I just missed seeing fellow watcher Larry O, who arrived after I left.

Looks like the frigid temperatures will be returning to Rochester tomorrow, high 19 degrees (F) with a couple inches of snow expected.  Keep warm everyone!  Goodnight!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

The sun rose and shone bright for about 20 minutes and then the sky went overcast with a temperature of 16 (F) -9 (C) and very little wind

It was a half hour into my watch before Beauty showed herself this morning. On my second trip to the east side I spotted her eating on the north side of Bausch & Lomb (B&L).

About 5 minutes later she stopped eating and was looking around-I thought perhaps she saw Dot.Ca (DC). I was parked in my spot on Broad St. between Midtown and Xerox and could see the Times Square building (TSB) so I grabbed my binocs and sure enough DC was under the northeast wing.

After a couple minutes Beauty got back to work on her breakfast, and let me tell you the feathers were a flying everywhere!

I expected DC to fly over and join her but he never did while I was watching. I left them to it and headed to the Brighton site (BS) arriving there around 8:10am to find 8 wild turkeys picking at the grass and running around.

Remember to click on my pics to see full version

Next I found Pigott who was also letting the feathers fly as she was eating too up on the northeast corner of the northeast extension.

I stayed with her only a brief time as I had to make it another quick watch. I returned to downtown to find that DC was gone from the TSB. Beauty was on the base of Mercury as Shaky (TY)  had tweeted and she was eating.

The Beautyful one decided she had enough and took her leftovers up on the green base of Mercury for safe keeping.

She then proceeded to do some feaking and cleaned herself up. She turned around and back, had a look to make sure the coast was clear before flying off to the north.

I drove over to the Radisson Hotel at Main St. to check the OCSR elevator shaft and found DC on the south side ledge and Beauty on the top ibeam north corner of OCSR.

It was a short but sweet watch as I saw all 3 Rochester Peregrine Falcons and the 2 girls had a nice meal too! Left downtown at 8:44am ending my watch with a smile! 🙂

Click on the links below to see my photo album and 4 videos from todays watch

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaN3DFm0ZMWqjV4

http://youtu.be/o84vNvUdErc
http://youtu.be/5CaJwPEFpfo
http://youtu.be/z04qW6_iPOw
http://youtu.be/4QIvf2G5NPc

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Sorry I haven’t had much time to post.  I had a very nice afternoon watch today and wanted to share some pictures of what I saw.  It was a four falcon day.

Pigott and Dot.ca at the BS location.

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Dot.ca joined Pigott after she finished eating and helped himself to some dinner.

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Downtown I found Beauty on the northwest corner of the HSBC Building.

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After leaving Beauty on HSBC, I headed down to the lake to see what I could see.  I am happy to report that I found a juvenile Peregrine Falcon on an antenna at Russell Station.  I cannot be sure that this was Billy.  My camera just isn’t able to pick up detail at such far distances.  But, it sure did look like her.  🙂

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After the sunset, at about 6:15 pm, the juvie took off heading east, flying low over an area where ponds are located.  To me it looked like she was on a hunt.  I waited a little while do see if she would return, but she didn’t as far as I know.

Goodnight everyone.  Very happy the weekend has arrived!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was a wopping 1 degree (F) -17 (C) when I stepped out the door this morning- I had to shovel before I left for my watch as we got a few more inches of snow overnite with some drifting from the high winds. They have died down since and bright blue skies and sunshine prevail

As I drove down Exchange Blvd. around 6:55am I thought I saw a falcon on the Mercury money bag but when I went down in the hole it was gone. I went up to the Broad St. Bridge and had a look around then proceeded to the east side where I spotted what I thought was 2 falcons on the east side of Bausch & Lomb northeast corner from Broadway and Broad St. Again when I got closer crossing Chestnut St. and pulled over on Broad St. across from Midtown I saw only Beauty eating up there. Was I seeing things or was Dot.Ca (DC) playing games with me!?

She finished up after a couple minutes, wiped off her beak and flew off to the northwest in the general direction of OCSR.

<Click it

After I checked around the area and caught up with her as I found her from the Radisson Hotel by Main St.-she went up in the elevator shaft north ledge of OCSR. (I mistakenly tweeted the south ledge)

I didn’t stay more than 5 minutes with the Beautyful one as I had an early appointment and wanted to check the Brighton site (BS) too. When I got there at  7:40am I saw Pigott fly off the east extension over to the west side of BS and back. Flying over DC  who was on the southeast corner of the east extension with prey, to land on the southeast corner of the southeast extension under the tree.

<Pigott  DC>

Pigott watched DC in between preening and DC plucked feathers to beat the band trying to get to a warm meal.

<DC Pigott

<Pigott DC>

I left this falcon pair to it and returned to down town finding that Beauty was still up in the OCSR elevator shaft north side ledge.

I drove away at 8:30am smiling for having seen all 3 of my Rochester Peregrine Falcon friends! 🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/NL3Rk71hm_8

http://youtu.be/0pbSLz45yjw
http://youtu.be/TGCYJivgD2s

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

It was snowing, breezy, dark and cold with a starting temperature of 12 (F) -11 (C). The intensity of the snow changed during my watch.

I spotted Dot.Ca on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR just before 7am from the hole. While I tweeted the info he left the building. I drove over to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. and checked the elevator shaft but didn’t see anything. As I made my way back to the hole I saw Beauty on the base of Mercury-her back was to me.

I then drove up to the Broad St. bridge (BSB) where I could face the Beautyful one. She was in hunt mode and did some preening in between watching for a meal to turn up.

I shared space with Beauty for an hour with camera zeroed in on her, finger on the shutter (frozen and numb) waiting for her to take off and as I was wiping the snow off my lens she left! Go figure!! I watched her as she flew over to OCSR and passed in front of the elevator shaft a few times and then went around to the northeast side where I couldn’t see her. I thought maybe DC was up in the elevator shaft and that’s why Beauty flew past it-like she was looking for him. Back to the Radisson so I could see up in there but the snow was making it hard to be sure if I saw something on the north ledge. Beauty was on the top ibeam northeast side tucked in where it meets the elevator shaft.

The falling snow was not making it easy for me but you can make out the shape of a falcon. I left for Brighton and arrived there around 8:30am where I found Miss Pigott on the top row of  east facing windows on the southeast extension. She was napping with one eye open so I stayed only a few minutes before heading back downtown to see if I could find DC to make it a trifecta.

I returned to the Radisson Hotel to find Beauty still tucked in on the top ibeam of OCSR by the elevator shaft northeast side. And a bonus of DC up on the north ledge of the shaft-so I think he must have gone there earlier when I missed him leaving the top ibeam and that would explain Beauty seemingly checking it out as she passed by it a few times earlier. The snow was really giving me fits trying to get a pic that showed him-he was up there, I could see him with my binoculars although it’s hard to see him in the pic below.

It was obvious that our Rochester Peregrine Falcons were hunkered down and were not going to do much so I called it a watch at 9am and left them with a smile after seeing all 3! 🙂

Check out the 2 links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/lXKecK6K-GA

http://youtu.be/tOozBOQ2GsY

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

10 degrees (F) -12 (C) was what hit me when I walked out the door this morning-factor in the wind and it feels like -7 (F). Spring where are you?

I was unsuccessful in finding Beauty at the start of my watch this morning so I went to the Brighton site (BS) where I was met by the tail feathers of  Dot.Ca (DC). He was on the southeast corner of the east extension eating. Pigott was on the southeast extension top row east facing window.

<DC     Pigott>

DC finished up eating within a few minutes and flew over to the southeast extension  landing on the next set of windows to the left of Pigott who crouched down as he passed by. Miss Pigott had a fascinator stuck to her beak again but managed to knock it off with her talon as DC did some cleaning up and preening.

<Pigott

<DC

Another rushed watch so I couldn’t stay very long-I left them and returned to downtown to look for the Beautyful one. As I approached from Exchange Blvd. I caught Beauty flying out from the nest box area heading toward OCSR. I drove down to the hole and to my surprise DC  was on the top ibeam near the south corner and Beauty was further down closer to the elevator shaft. He must have followed me when I left BS and of course beat me downtown as he has no traffic or traffic lights to deal with! lol

<DC  Beauty>

I left the hole to go over to my spot by the Radisson Hotel and Main St. for a different view. The sun was shining on them so brightly that it washed them out.

<DC

While I was looking elsewhere Beauty managed to move down to the corner of the ibeam where it meets the elevator shaft and got tucked in out of the wind.

I had to go to an appointment so I ended my watch around 8:40am with a smile after seeing all 3 Rochester Peregrine Falcons! 🙂

http://youtu.be/-lqPNaNFuzQ

http://youtu.be/ZOVbi0Wf5-I

http://youtu.be/FJ88UaLSfL0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Back to frozen tundra as the temperature was 16 degrees (F) -9 (C) and with the wind chill making it feel like 4-light snow fell during my watch and it was overcast

From the Broad St. bridge (BSB) I found Beauty quite easily this morning as she was on the top ibeam southeast side of OCSR at 7am. Idrove over to the Radisson Hotel by Main St. to be closer.

She stooped down in the river around 7:30am in between the Main and Broad St. bridges out of view-then resurfaced empty -taloned and flew up into the OCSR elevator shaft coming to rest on the north side ledge. It was hard to see her thru the snow.

I guess this was her signal for me to go find Dot.Ca (DC) so I left for the Brighton Site (BS) after a look around downtown. When I arrived at BS  just after 8am I spotted DC on the southeast extension on the corner by the roof top tree. Pigott was nowhere to be found.

DC flew off to the south a few minutes later and didn’t return so I headed back downtown since that’s the direction he was flying. Thanks to Donna who tweeted that Beauty was at the nest so I knew right where to look first. As I approached from Exchange St. I could see Beauty by the main cam-she had her back to me so I went to the hole to get a better angle on her.

Remember to click on my pics to see the full version

As I got to Aqueduct St. at Bank Place by the southeast corner of the Philipone building I noticed the white of DC on the top ibeam of OCSR near the south corner. The Beautyful one left the nest area and joined DC on OCSR a bit further down on the ibeam.

<Click them>

They both were closing their eyes on and off-I caught a pic of Beauty dozing and I captured video of  DC getting some shut eye as well.

It was time to get going so I ended my watch at 8:45am leaving our downtown love birds making eyes at each other in between naps. Smiling-you bet I was!  🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/bysNbOhAO7A

http://youtu.be/4QydYcgUiAE

http://youtu.be/ERUfC9SiSFc

By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK

Well, we’re back to be the cold arctic air this week-the temperature was 22 (F) -6 (C) lake effect snow has been falling and the sun made it out for maybe an hour before getting swallowed up by snow clouds. We won’t be getting out of the teens and single digits for the rest of the week.

So I found Beauty on the Bausch & Lomb building eating her breakfast at 7am-she was on the northeast corner of the east side.

She finished up in about 20 minutes, cleaned herself up a bit and flew off to the OCSR building where I caught up with her.

I was parked near the Radisson Hotel by Main St. as she turned around to show me her back. I decided this would be a good time to go check the Brighton site (BS)-maybe Dot.Ca (DC) was there with Pigott.

As I made my way to BS I thought it was cool the way the sun seemed to be swallowed up by the clouds.

<Click to see full version>

When I arrived at BS there was one lone falcon and her name is Pigott. She was on the southeast extension on an east facing window 2 floors down with her back to me as well.  They have lovely backs  don’t they!? Miss Pigott did turn her head to reveal a fascinator on her cere. lol

I had another rushed watch so I didn’t stay with her for long. Back downtown to find Beauty had moved to the OCSR elevator shaft south side ledge.  She’s a smart girl to go there out of the elements to digest her breakfast-hey, we all do what we have to in order to survive right!?

After looking for DC unsuccessfully I decided to call it a watch at 8:45am-perhaps our paths crossed when I came back downtown. At least I saw the girls and know that they are doing fine. Keep smiling everyone! 🙂

Click on the links below to view todays videos

http://youtu.be/R7k8nm09z8Q

http://youtu.be/zzyR1y5sgFQ

http://youtu.be/oPYx_U_49S0

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Sunrise 6:54 am; Sunset 5:51 pm.  It was 35 degrees when I ended my Watch today.

While checking out Kodak Park, Mr K, the male Kestrel that I saw yesterday, came to visit again.  He is such a beautiful Kestrel. (12:48 pm)

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I found no Peregrine Falcons at KP, so I headed downtown.  At first I couldn’t see Beauty at the nest box.  But with a little help from my friends NCA and Lisa McK, I was told she was up there.  Dot.ca was up on the northeast wing ledge. (1:27 pm)

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As I was tweeting, a good friend joined me on the Broad St Bridge to watch the falcons.  It was long time Falcon Watcher Dan!  I hadn’t seen him since our New Years toast to the falcons.  We pulled out our lawn chairs and settled in to watch Beauty and Dot.ca.  The sun was out, but there was a cold wind.

At about 2:00 pm, First Dot.ca and then Beauty took off heading south.  It looked like a tandem hunt, but neither were successful.  We never did see where Dot.ca went, but for about 15 minutes Beauty soared higher and higher in hunt mode.  This is the kind of flying that Dan loves to watch.

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We lost Beauty behind Xerox.  At 2:20 pm, Beauty returned with prey, landing on the north end of the Cross Rds Bldg to eat her meal.  When she was finished, she flew up to the southeast wing ledge on the Time Square Bldg.

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At a little after 3:00 pm, Dan had to leave.  We checked out the Red-Breasted Mergansers (RBM) on the north side of the bridge.  There was a lot of water running on the river, all the ice was gone.   But, the RBMs were still there, mostly near the base of the bridge.  I said goodbye to Dan and headed over to the BS location.

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Neither Pigott or Dot.ca were at the BS location when I arrived at 3:20 pm.  I stayed there, hoping to see them come in.  At 4:15 pm, they both flew in together, arriving with ee-chups filling the air.  Dot.ca landed on the east side tree ledge and Pigott two windows below.

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Dot.ca moved down to the south end of the tree ledge and Pigott took a nap.

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Dot.ca took off and did some fancy flying for Pigott, then landed on the southeast corner of the east extension.  Pigott turned around and seemed to be impressed.  🙂

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I left Pigott and Dot.ca to go check on Beauty one last time before I ended my watch.  (5:00 pm)

Beauty was tucked into the OCSR elevator shaft on the south ledge.

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Now I could end my watch after seeing all three Rochester Falcons safe and sound.  Goodnight everyone!