Rfalconcam Forum

So, who remembers what happened in 2006?

 ??? Why don't you tell us Carol!  :gum:

That was the year I started lurking-came in at the end so didn't realize what was going on.  Through Carol's stories, I learned that Mariah was hurt and Kaver assumed many roles-provider, nurturer, supportive mate-showing what a special Falcon he was.

And that precious Kaver would try to get her to fly.  I think that was also the year Rhea Mae took a tumble down the smokestack.  What a nerve-wracking year!

That was the year Mariah laid six eggs. Sadly, only three chicks survived; Rhea Mae, Sabrina and Aura. Mariah demonstrated how courageous she is, and Kaver showed was an incredible tiercel he was.

I can't wait to read your stories from 2006, Carol P.!

Posted May 10, 2006  11:02 AM

Well, now that you folks have been brought up to speed on Mariah's
injured foot, I can come out of semi-lurkerdom.

The watchers have been out over the past few days, and excuse me for
saying this, we've been watching her like a "HAWK!". 

None of us have reported on her condition because we were waiting to
see what the experts had to say.  As Jim said, we're in watch and
wait mode.

I took a few hours off yesterday afternoon to watch Mariah.  Geeze, I
feel like I'm on Fledge Watch already.  But we'll do anything for our
Mariah.

I sensed there was something wrong on Saturday, when Kaver was in the
nest box all day long.  He even seemed surprised when the first eyas
broke out of his/her shell beneath him.  I kept thinking, where is
Mariah!

For those that are watching M&K for the first time, be assured that
an uninjured Mariah is a Super-Mom.  It was breaking my heart to see
her struggling just to remain upright, putting her wing down for
balance, when she came in to cover the eggs.  A few folks sent us
Emails stating that Mariah wasn't a really good mom and that Kaver
was an outstanding father (which he is!!!).  But it made me so sad to
think that Mariah was being thought of as a sub-standard mom.    I
understand that they didn't know about her injury and they couldn't
judge on past years, but it still hurt.  Just my way too human
emotions taking over.  Sorry.

Each day she seems to improve just a little bit.  She's dealing with
her injury.  Yes, an eyas escapes now and then, but I think she's
doing a fine job of keeping them protected and fed.

Kaver is doing an outstanding job of compensating for Mariah's
weakness.  He's been helping to feed the eyases and at one time
yesterday, he actually came into the nest box and fed Mariah!

Marcia, Dan and I first noticed that her leg was hanging down while
she was in flight on Sunday.  We were very worried.  But, the good
news is, that her flight is strong and her landings are on the most
part successful.  The only time she has problems is when she carries
prey in her "good" foot and tries to land on her "bad" foot.  Dan and
I saw evidence of this yesterday afternoon when she tried to land on
the center smoke stack's catwalk and missed the railing, landing on
the floor of the catwalk.  I believe that she ate her dinner before
she flew up to the catwalk railing.  She remained there for about an
hour before returning to the nest box.

So, be assured that we will be watching her very intensely.

I'll post an album tonite with some pictures of Mariah in flight.

If you have any questions at all, please post them and we'll try to
answer them for you.

Take care,
Carol P.

Here's a summary of what happened in 2006.  This is what I remember.  Isn't looking up Rochester Falcon History fun?   :clap:

2006 M&K - The Bad Year

2006 started out as a very good year for the Rochester Falcons Mariah & Kaver.  Kaver returned on time from his migration.  He and Mariah immediately started to renew their bonds.  After four very successful seasons with this beautiful pair, all of us were looking forward to another year of watching young eyases grow and fledge and learn to be Peregrines.
 
Everything was going well.  In fact, things were going fantastically.  Mariah had laid six eggs!  SIX EGGS!  WOOHOO!  In past years she had laid, at most, five eggs.  The Kodak forum was alive with excitement!
 
As the expected hatch day approached, all eyes were glued to the Kodak Birdcam.  Mariah and Kaver shared brooding duties.  A couple of the forum members tracked the times that each of them spent on the eggs.  Mariah did most of the work, but Kaver so enjoyed sitting on “his” eggs that Mariah and he sometimes would get into “stand-offs”.  Mariah would enter the nest box and hover above Kaver, getting closer and closer and Kaver looking everywhere but at Mariah.  It was very humorous to all that would watch.  Pictures would be posted minute by minute, catching every movement.  Most times Kaver would stand, stretch his wings and tentatively step over the eggs he so adored.  But every now and then, Mariah would just stand next to him, just touching.  They would remain that way for hours, content.  Those were the classic stand-offs.  Those were the moments we loved to watch.
 
Hatch day came.  Kaver was on the eggs.  I was watching intently along with everyone else.  I started to sense something was wrong.  Where was Mariah?  I hadn’t seen her on the eggs for a very long time.  That was so unlike her, especially when hatching was so close.  Kaver remained on the eggs, looking a little antsy.  He kept fidgeting, standing up and checking out the eggs, then sitting back down.  To my shock, he stood up again and pulled out a piece of egg shell.  No way!  Mariah NEVER missed a hatch.  Where was she?  I was really starting to worry.  That was the first time that an eyas had hatched under Kaver and he just looked so lost.
 
Finally, Mariah showed up in the nest box, but something was very wrong.  Kaver left and Mariah attempted to cover the newborn eyas.  In those days, we didn’t have streaming video to watch, so it was just static pictures every couple minutes.  She seemed to be using her wing for support and you could see that something was wrong with her foot or leg.  Something was desperately wrong.  I immediately called Kenn Martinez.  He was in control of the cameras back then and was able to see the streaming video.  He was able to capture some video snippets, showing Mariah’s movements and her curled up foot.  They were sent to the DEC and our friends at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation who shared them with Peregrine specialists up in Canada.  Everyone was worried.
 
The eggs continued to hatch.  Four young eyases made it into the world under a struggling Mariah and the watchful eye of Kaver.  One of them died in front of us as Mariah tried so hard to cover her four young ones.  The 5th eyas attempted to hatch, but did not make it and the 6th egg did not hatch at all.  Many tears were shed.  We had never before witnessed the death of an eyas.  As much as we all loved viewing these wild creatures year after year, that year we cried for their loss.
 
The experts had varying opinions, but it was obvious to all that Mariah had injured her foot somehow.  We would never know how.  All said she would either heal or she wouldn’t.  We all watched hoping that she and her three surviving eyases would be ok.
 
That year, Kaver became a super dad.  He did all the hunting, bringing in food continuously to Mariah and the eyases.  Just after Mariah showed up with her injury, I was on the phone with Kenn when Kaver came in with food.  Mariah was standing the best she could, leaning on her good foot & wing with the eyases in front of her.  She was unable to grab the food from Kaver like she usually would.  She couldn’t hold it down and tear off small pieces of meat to feed her fluffy white eyases.  Kenn was watching the streaming video.  I could only see one picture at a time, refreshing as frequently as I could.  All of sudden Kenn went silent and I heard him say “Oh My God…”  I said, What!  What’s wrong!  I feared the worse.  He said, “He’s feeding her.”  I started to cry.  They said this would not happen.  Again this incredible pair proved everyone wrong.  Kenn was able to save this snippet of film to send to the experts.  It showed Kaver biting off small chunks of meat and passing them to Mariah.  She would then lower her beak to the eyases, feeding them one by one.  Every now and then, she would take one of the morsels for herself.  I believe there was one picture captured of Kaver placing a piece into her beak.
 
Mariah got stronger and stronger.  She was finally able to put some weight on her injured foot.  Not relying on her wing as much for balance.  Just after her injury, I took flight shots of her with her leg dangling below her, not tucked in as usual.  Once I watched her fly up to Kaver and grab prey from him with her good foot.  She struggled to hang onto it, landing on the catwalk of the High Falls smoke stack.  She missed the landing on the railing and fell onto the floor of the catwalk.  She pulled herself up and hopped, dragging the prey with her to the edge of the catwalk.  She steadied herself and started to pluck feathers.  By mid summer, her foot was much better.  She was able to hunt on her own, but Kaver still did more than his share of hunting and feeding his eyases.
 
2006 began with joy, then sorrow, then hope, then joy.  That year many folks were privileged to watch this pairs’ struggle to raise their young.  That year three young eyases fledged from the nest box on top of the Kodak Tower.  Three strong fledglings named Rhea Mae, Aura and Sabrina.  The Rochester Watchers gathered on the pedestrian bridge above the Genesee River Gorge, with the beautiful High Falls in the background.  They watched three young fledglings learn to be Peregrines under the watchful eyes of their parents, Mariah & Kaver.
 
I had the honor that year of naming one of them.  Her name is Rhea Mae.  She and her brother Sabrina aka Valliant now have mates and are raising young of their own.  Rhea Mae is nesting on top of the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto with Tiago and Valliant is nesting with his mate on the Ogdensburg Bridge in NY.  Of Aura, we have no word.  She was the beautiful Golden Aura that year, very light in color in contrast to darker Rhea Mae.  We all hope she is doing well.

Wow what an emotional roller coaster that year had to be. I sure have missed alot of falcon watching! Thanks for sharing Carol.  ;D

Maybe a watcher would share the story of Jemison, firstborn son (banded female but thought to be male) of Beauty and Archer, who was rescued not once but twice. And Callidora, his dominating sister! Who could forget her first flight!  I still laugh thinking about how she flapped and flapped as she paced back and forth on the nest box roof.  When she finally took off, she dropped straight down! As first-time parents, Beauty and Archer did a great job with these two.  It was just sad that Jemison never really got a chance to fly the skies with his parents and sister but thankfully he was releasable after his injury and his release video was a thrill for all to watch!

I sat at my desk at work that day with tears streaming down my face, it's a good thing I didn't have any clients...
Carol
WV

   I have a terrible memory but I can give my take on that fateful day back in 2010. It was the July 4th weekend and though I can't say what happened before I remember I was by myself at falcon central which is the stairs that go from the Broad St. bridge down to Aqueduct St. We watchers gathered there with our chairs and watched for a fledge. Anyway, a Rochester Police officer who knew of the falcons and us watchers drove over to me and said they had one of our falcons over at the Rochester International Hotel on States Street. So I jumped in the truck and whipped over there. I remember being very nervous for I didn't know what I would find and it was my first year of watching and I was a rookie. When I got there an animal control officer had our sweet boy Jemison in a pet crate. Jemisons eyes stared into mine and I instantly bonded with him. Someone from the hotel staff told me he saw it out in the grass in front of the hotel and called animal control. I was told they were taking him to a vet and then the guy closed the door of the crate. It all happened so quickly. I remember feeling real bad that they took the little guy away before I could contact any of the veteran watchers. I felt I had failed somehow. It was this day that I found out how truly special the other watchers are and the ones who watch from afar. I remember talking to Janet and Donna on the phone as we waited for word on dear Jemison. They were very reassuring and compassionate as were ALL the watchers in the field with me.
   After an agonizing wait we got word that Jemison checked out alright and Jim Pisello would be bringing Jemison back to be released. When Jim arrived we were allowed to look at Jemi in the crate quickly before they headed up to the nestbox for the release. As soon as Jemison came out of that carrier he went straight down and we all knew he in fact was not alright. He managed to fly around to the north side of the Times Square building where nobody could see what happened next. When we got over there the parking attendant said this bird had crashed into a window and then flew up on the ledge of the Times Square building. For 4 agonizing hours we kept watch on Jemi with his drooping wing until he finally tried to fly off and ended up on the ground. All the watchers circled him and closed off his exit and Dana was able to throw Jeannes jacket I believe over him and the second rescue of Jemison was complete. It was a long emotional day for all and to top it off a woman smashed into Jeannes car as she was driving across to join the rest of us at the Aqueduct St. parking lot. Thankfully nobody got hurt and our watch was officially over.
   Anyone who wants to elaborate on the days activities please do!  :heart:

Mother's Day 2006 was.........probably one I'll never forget. It was a cold, rainy day and 1 little eyas was exposed to the elements. We were all glued to out PC's  that day. I'll never forget it. :( Yes, Mariah was injured and Kaver fed her and made sure all the eyas's were fed. He took good care of his girl.  :heart:

Kris, the day Cali decided to fledge was one of those heart-stopping days also. She just ran off the edge, or so we thought. Oh moments like that just stay with you. Phew!!!

Jemison, oh boy, there's another story. (Huh MAK)?

LOL, funny MAK you were posting the same time as me! Well, there ya go!!

05/11/06

SWEET!  :heart:

Enjoying your stories so much, MAK. Thanks!

Oops! I now see there are loads of tales, not just from MAK. Enjoying all of them.

This is the pic that was the most talked about at the time! Thanks!  :heart:

Sometimes ya just have to scroll down a bit, huh Miss Bobby!!!  (Tis)  :D

I do, I DO!! I always speak far too soon, D-G!!

Thanks Carol,
It was an exciting year with lots of ups and downs.I think it's a miracle that you can still watch Rhea Mae ,and she is doing Great.
And I will always remember Mariah and Kaver as the best and most special couple there ever was.
Thanks.!!!!!
Greetings Carla

You are very welcome Carla.  I love telling stories.   :wave:

Yes!  This is one of the pics from my story.  Thanks so much for posting it!   :clap:

Love this picture Carol.  Thank you for posting it.

Three first hand accounts of Callidora's Fledge Flight on June 28, 1010 - Taken from Watch Reports from Larry O, Carol P. & Jeanne.

Falcon Watch 06/28/10 2:00 - 5:00 pm –> Callidora Fledges
Larry O’Heron
 
Most of the watch was standard. However the last bit was most exciting.
 
Basically, Jemison flew from the box to the south east corner, as he did before.
 
However, Callidora became very excited to be with Jemison. Still at the box, Callidora started fanning. Thinking she was ready she took that step out into the air. However, things went to hell in a handbasket quickly. Instead of continuing across the gap to join Jemison, she quickly dipped to the left, carrying her out over Exchange St.
 
I was yelling how it was Callidora that was flying because all us watchers had spent the day discussing how Callidora would probably wait until Wednesday. No such luck.
 
As Callidora headed over Broad St, Archer and Beauty took off from their Time Square perches and headed after her. Even tho’ a building blocked my view of the last bit of her flight, I had a clear view of her heading towards the Wilder Bldg. I was confident that she landed on the roof.
 
Beauty landed on the fire escape of the Wilder Bldg. Archer kept circling overhead, clearly focused on Wilder. In the interim all thought of Jemison was lost until we had sighted Callidora.
 
Archer returned to Times Square. Jemision finally poked his head up on the south side. Beauty remained at Wilder. I headed down Broad to Exchange to get a look at the west side of the Wilder Bldg. Once I had crossed the street, I could see Callidora on the ledge on the west side. She was safe there.
 
Based on past experience, I felt Callidora would be all right. A & B will watch over her. They will bring her food until she can summon the strength to return. It may be a day or two, but she’ll get back.
 
When I left, Carol P, Jeanne and ?Madge? were on Exchange, looking up at Callidora.
 
She is in good hands - in the air, on the roof and on the ground.

************************************************

Fledge Watch - Callidora Fledges! (4-8:30 pm)

Rochester Falcon Watcher:  Carol P.
 
As Larry O reported, we were witness to Callidora’s first fledge flight.  It wasn’t pretty but most first time Peregrine flights aren’t. 

While Larry, Jeanne, Margaret and Darlene ran towards the intersection of Exchange and Broad to try to find her, I was on the phone with Jim P.  “Please move pancam down to the top of the Wilder Bldg.  Callidora just fledged and that’s where we think she landed!”  Jim quickly moved the camera and told me he could see her on the west side of the Wilder Bldg roof and she seemed to be in good shape.  Whew!
 
I joined the others near the Wilder bldg.  Callidora was above us, running up and down, wings flapping.
 
During the next few hours, more and more Watchers gathered to watch our newest fledgling.  Kathy O, Lisa McK, Dana, MAK, Jeanne, Margaret, Carla P, Joyce, Diana R, sorry if I missed anyone.
 
Callidora seemed content to walk and flap around the roof of the Wilder bldg while her brother Jemison took flight multiple times.  Each time joined by Archer and Beauty.  One time he made it over to the top of the Cross Rds bldg, which is just north of the Wilder bldg.  I really think he could have easily joined his sister at anytime.  He elected to keep flying with his parents, each time being returned to the Times Square bldg.
 
I left the other Watchers at 8:30 pm.  Archer had brought in food to Jemison at the nest box.  Both Archer & Beauty were on the Times Square bldg where they had a good view of Jemison and Callidora on the south side of the Wilder bldg.
 
I’m sure she’ll be perfectly safe where she is under the watchful eyes of both of her parents.  Tomorrow is another day of adventures for our young fledglings.  Stay tuned!

********************************************

A quick additional report 6/28 jeanne


I wasn’t on an official fledge but wanted to just add a few things. We had many watchers tonight including many passersby.

Callidora remains on the Wilder building tonight. She would walk and flap on various parts of the building but did not attempt another flight. There are some little finches and other little birds on that building and Callidora was walking to them! She also was looking down the fire escape at little birds! Jemison flew to the Crossroads building which is across the street from Calli. At one point, they were each on a corner of their respective buildings!
 
The most impressive– Jemison, Archer and Beauty were all in the air doing some great flying. And Beauty is trying to keep a rein on Jemison. She corrales him back to times square through close flying and some stooping on him!
 
No doubt Beauty and Archer have Callidora in their sight.

As requested, here is my Fledge Watch report of Jemison's first sustained fledge flight.   :wave:

Fledge Watch - Sunday, 6/27/10 (7:00 - 8:00 pm) - Jemison Fledges!


Rochester Falcon Watcher:  Carol P.
 
I was downtown, along with many other Watchers, for a good part of today. During that time, there was a lot of flying by Archer and Beauty and a lot of flapping by Callidora & Jemison.
 
After a dinner break, I returned to find a whole lot of Watchers in attendance, Kathy O, Lisa McK, Joyce, Willie, Dan S, Dana, Lou, MAK & Marcia, Ralph & his wife (sorry I forgot your name).  I’m sure I’m missing someone.  I wasn’t on official Watch, so I wasn’t keeping track of names.
 
By 7 pm, there were only a handful of Watchers left, Marcia, Joyce, MAK, Lisa and I.  I felt really sorry for those that had just left, because that’s when the fun began.
 
We watched as Jemison flap, flap, flapped on top of the main camera.  and then……………………..off he went (he was banded as a small female, but I’ve started to think of him as a him, just my opinion)!
 
Jemison took flight!  Real, long, sustained flight.  Not just the short flight over to the other side of the Times Square bldg.  Jemison first flew out to the east towards the river.  Beauty zipped in from the Mercury statue where she had been for a long time.  It looked like she was physically pushing him back towards the Times Square bldg.  Stopping him from heading for the river.
 
Jemison flew back to the long section of the Times Square bldg on the south side, landing quite well.  Beauty landed above and kept watch.
 
Jemison flapped, hopped and skipped his way to the taller, front part of the building, coming up against a wall, which he attempted to climb, jumping up on small ledges until there were no more.  This didn’t stop him.  Off he went yet again, this time heading south, then east.  Again, Beauty was there to guide him back to the Times Square bldg, where he landed on the same section he had first landed on, except this time on the north side.  The remaining Watchers hurried to the other side.
 
Jemison was not happy where he was and was in constant motion, again heading towards the taller part of the building where the nest box was located.  He tried to climb again with no success.  Finally attempted a short flight up, but missing his target.  This time he fell down the face of the building, threw his wings out and started flapping again, heading east.  Jeanne had joined me at this point and I quickly told her what was happening.
 
He headed towards the east, again towards the river and Beauty put up a block.  She followed him very closely towards the Wilder building, where he landed at the top, south side.  Whew!  Safe yet again
 
For the next 15-20 mins, Jemison paced, flapped and hopped back and forth, making his way to the top of the fire escape that his parents were seen many times.
 
Again, off!  This time towards the Times Square bldg.  He first landed on the level above the nest box, rested a bit and then headed down to the level he had been flying to for two days.  One more short flight and he was safely back at the nest box.  Archer had returned during this last bit of flying.
 
We were all so excited to see Jemison flying so well.  He was getting altitude easily and flap, gliding and landing well.  I have to admit that he is probably one of the strongest first time fliers I’ve had the honor to watch.  Truly outstanding!
 
It was starting to rain, so we headed back to our cars.  Carla P joined us and we told her what had happened.  Beauty picked up a cache of food somewhere and flew up to land on a lower level with it.  She seemed to want to stay out of sight.  For some reason, she wasn’t ready to feed them.
 
We checked our watches and saw that it was 8 pm.  Jemison had been flying around for an hour.  We were ecstatic that he had done so well and had returned to the nest box safely.  Callidora was very happy too! 

I left as it started to rain harder, so I’m not sure when or if Beauty fed them.  Maybe Joyce or MAK will be able to report on this.
 
It was a long but very enjoyable day of Falcon Watching.

I remember that  afternoon/evening so well. It was one of only four or five  times I've managed to get downtown to actually watch our falcons, and I was lucky enough to see Callidora fledge!  I had been watching all afternoon on the camera (at work), and had to go down to see these babies for myself!    I feel truly fortunate to have witnessed what I did although it was  also heart-stopping!   I think I filed a fledge watcher report about that evening - but don't know how to access it!   It was a privilege to be with all the other long-time watchers, but also to see our falcons doing some beautiful flying.  Jemison was such a strong flyer! 
And little Callidora on the Wilder building!   I remember hating to leave, but it was getting darker and we knew she wasn't going to leave, and  that A and B would keep watch on her.  A truly beautiful summer night!  One that I won't forget.

Margaret I looked but I didn't see any report from you on that date. To look it up yourself go to the falcon watch blog and scroll on the right side of the page to whatever month and year you want to check out. Click on it and go from there.  :handshake:

Thanks, Carol and MAK, for posting about Jemison and Callidora!  Loved those two-great memories-hope they're both doing well.

I will always be teary when I see the precious photo of Kaver with Mariah :heart: :heart: :heart: Archer should have inherited some of those wonderful qualities.

I remember when Cali fledged.  She so wanted to be with her brother.  Sweet baby!  We really did not think she would make that leap but there she went!  I don't know if first flights are traumatic for the birds but they sure are for the watchers!  The biggest surprise, I think, was with Sacajawea who fledged at night, just as the watchers were leaving.  It might have been an oops kind of flight.  Kaver was on the other side of the playpen(the base of the tower where the nestbox was on Kodak) and she might have been going toward him.  Instead, she ended up flying, kind of.  I think it was about 9 PM. 

One of the things I will always remember about Jemi, aside from how sad it was that he was grounded (and it was very sad), was how absolutely beautiful he was.  We knew this from the camera but to see him up close was breathtaking.  We so wanted him to be better so he could be released back to the nest.  Calidora did fine but they would have had such fun together. :(

I believe you are correct about Sacajawea Jeanne.  She was definitely a premature fledge.  She got to flapping her wings and it seemed that a wind gust lifted her and .... well, off she went.  Much to the shock of the gathered Watchers that were getting ready to head home.   :o

OK, one quick DJ Dale rap before I turn into a pumpkin...

June 29, 2005...

Kaver’s Lament: That Eyas Did Me In/Two Juvies on the Nineteenth Floor

So I'm hangin' on the dolphins
And I'm chillin' on the wave
Pooped from flying with a youngun
Wiped from stooping with a babe
So I turn to old Mariah, she has pigeon on her chin
And I kak so low and tender:
"Girl, that eyas did me in."

"Are you RAVING, Kaver baby?
Not a eyas, he's a juve!"

"That's semantics, sweet Mariah,
but the truth is, I can't move--

He's a wired and hungry juvie
And you seem to think it's groovy
That he's bent on talon-tagging
But my energy is flagging

and there's TWO JUVIES ON THE NINETEENTH FLOOR
and they're flirting with some guy
in the window . . .and there's Skye,
flying up and down the smokestack
like it's going out of mode.
I just can't do no more hunting,
not a bird and not a toad
and not a rat and not a bat
and not a watcher or a cat!
I am sick of hauling dead stuff to the top of this here peak
I am ragged and exhausted,
I am tired from tail to beak."

TWO JUVIES ON THE NINETEENTH FLOOR
Kakking treble on the left
Kakking bass on the right
Without mercy, nest to gorge,
and it's going to last ALL NIGHT

DJ Dale rap.  Oh how I miss it.   :clap: :2thumbsup: :bow: