By Rochester Falcon Watcher Joyce (wnyfalconfan)

Steve, Casey, Abby and I went for a falconwatch ride around town. I texted Carol to let her know we were out & about and running doggies at our first stop Brighton Site (BS). We planned on going downtown (DT), then to Lake Tower (LT) apartments, and finally Kodak Park (KP). Carol was planning on doing the same coming from the opposite direction.

We found Pigott on the top window in the corner where the east extension meets the SE extension. Before I confirmed it was her with my camera, Steve said the falcon looked big, like a female. Is he becoming a falconwatcher? There was no sign of BST (Brighton Site Tiercel).

Click on pictures for full view.

Drove all over DT looking for Beauty with no luck while Carol came in from the north. She had no sightings at KP or LT either. We met up on the Broad Street Bridge (BSB). Carol was going to stay DT while KathyO was keeping watch at BS. Kathy still only had one falcon there – Pigott.

We headed down Lake Ave and parked south of the apartment building looking at the east side that faces the street. No sign of a falcon where previously sighted. For some reason, Steve said let’s watch and wait, and I caught something out of the corner of my eye on the top ledge 2nd set of windows from left to right. Nothing, then all of sudden I caught a wing & tail. The peregrine must have been back in on the ledge close to building, like the falcons do on the south side vent at BS.

The Lake Tower (LT) mystery falcon started to walk on the ledge. Unfortunately those pics were out of focus, but I did get the left leg in the air (where ID band would be) on one of them. It looked like no band in the camera viewer, but enlarged on the computer it looks like there might be. Hopefully this weekend one of the watchers will confirm if there is a band.  The falcon walked out of sight, so we moved the car to get a better view. The behavior reminded me of Quest when she was looking to nest on the ledge at Harlequin.

The falcon’s back was to us and tucked in next to the column (like they do on BS).  There was no opportunity to see if there were bands, but what a pretty face. Looks mostly like a tundra female to me.  This Lake Tower female (LTF) has a very white chest, dark helmet, no white above the cere, and no distinctive malar stripe (mustache) with a white auricular patch behind mustache.

There is white wash on the ledge. Carol thinks this might be the night roosting spot. LTF was settled in so we headed to our last stop at KP.  No falcon, but there was a red-tailed hawk in a tree close to the road.  By this time MAK had returned DT to help with the search for Beauty. Kathy stayed at BS until dark, but no BST showed up. Carol remained at BSB with no luck finding B.

Now is the time for lots of peregrine movement and action.  Nesting season and migration has begun.

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Joyce (wnyfalconfan)

It had been a week since Steve took me on a falcon watch. We were able find all three peregrines in the brief time we were out. Beauty was in the same spot on OCSR north side as previously seen by Carol two hours earlier. Arriving at the Brighton Site (BS), Dana and Carol’s lenses were pointed up at the east side of the building. The tiercel (BST) was near the roof-top tree on the SE ledge and Pigott on the corner of the east extension. Pigott was the active falcon today. She moved within 8 ft of BST, flew around to the south side, harrassed some geese, and returned to the east side.

Check out the Brighton duo – click on link to my album below. As done previously, some of the pics have been arranged to give the impression of a slow-motion picture show.

Picasa (wnyfalconfan): Falcon Watch Jan 19, 2013

Enjoy!

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Joyce (wnyfalconfan)

This past weekend, Steve took me for a brief falconwatch to the Brighton site (BS) and downtown. It must have been “gimper’s” luck because I got to see all three peregrines.

Here are slideshows of each of our falcons seen on Saturday, Jan 12th, plus a bonus album of the Eastern Screech-Owl seen on Wednesday Jan 9, 2013.

Click on each thumbnail for full view. Click on links for slideshows and video.

– – – BS Tiercel Slideshow

– – – Pigott Slideshow

– – – Beauty Slideshow

To go along with my slideshow, here is an rfalconcam video posted by Dumpsterkitty15 on YouTube that was recorded at the same time as I took my photos. – – – Beauty takes off from Mercury January 12, 2013

– – – Eastern Screech-Owl Album
Note – In the last photo I caught a rare shot of the upper eyelid over the eyes.

Hope you enjoy!
Joyce

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Joyce (wnyfalconfan)

What a great way to ring in 2013…with members of my “3F Club” – Family, Friends, & Falcons. And, I was lucky to have a special bird-of-prey sighting on the first day of the New Year.

Click on each thumbnail for full view, or see photos in my Picasa album.

I was so glad that I could make it downtown for the Watcher’s Annual New Year Toast. Nothing (except a blizzard) was going to keep me away, even with a broken ankle. It took me 2 hours to get ready, and when I arrived I was happy to see so many participants joining in the tradition (as mentioned in Carol and MAK’s reports). I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh cold air, even though others were freezing by the time Steve and I arrived.

Beauty was on OCSR during our gathering. Thanks B for being on the I-beam facing us!

Many headed out to check the Brighton Site (BS). Found Pigott on the south side. No sign of the BS Tiercel (BST).

Pigott was eating.

She had a full crop and took off chasing a bird to the south.

She flew back right overhead and landed on the SW extension corner.

As Pigott settled back in on a SE extension windowsill, Lisa offered to show us where she found an Eastern Screech-Owl. This was the first time I have seen one in the wild. It is a gray morph and was sleeping in a tree cavity. Such a cutie!