???  No Rochester Falcon calendar for sale this year to help support our Rochester Falcon site?

See, I told you we should've made the Empty Nest Box Calendar

 

Since we did not have eyases of our own in 2011 and it was such an off year, it was my idea to put together a calendar including "Rochester Falcons" that have left the area and have successfully nested and raised families of their own.   

My call for help to our CPF friends brought an outpouring of shared pictures of our girls.  Many thanks to all of them.   

We spent many hours watching them while they were here in Rochester and now as adults in Toronto.

I truly hope that we will have young of our own next year.

I hope that everyone will enjoy this calendar filled with beautiful pictures of Rhea Mae, Linn and Quest and their new families.  I think you'll be very impressed with the beautiful pictures in this calendar.   Thanks.   

How nice that our friends at CPF helped with pictures!  Just ordered one!

At least she wasn't euthanized. This is bittersweet.

I will always be teary when I see the precious photo of Kaver with Mariah 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.

Count me in!

Hilarious. I just posted that note and Quest did a fly-by!

Thanks so much, Kat!  Nice of Quest to do a fly-by! 

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!

Awwww!  So glad he was rescued and feeling better! He's so handsome!

That is so awesome!!!!!

I was looking at the 10nbc website (local news site) and there is an ad for cafe press with our falcon items on it

http://www.whec.com/index.shtml

We love you, Mariah (and Kaver), wherever you are.  And you are not forgotten

Happy birthday, Diana!!!!

Happy birthday, Kris!!!!!  Hope it has been a wonderful day!!!

That was my first fledge watch and Mariah (and Isaura) captured my heart, forever.  Isaura was a very independent young lady.  The only girl that year with 4 brothers.  She definitely had Kaver wrapped around her big yellow footed talons.     He would do anything for her and she was very demanding!  She was the Princess!  Appropriately named by Brian H.

At night all five would return to the top of the Kodak Tower.  One night, Little Miss Isaura decided to spend the night in a tree just below the pedestrian bridge in the river gorge.  While the boys settled down above her, Isaura settled in "her" tree (Isaura's Tree) and watched the people walking back and forth on the bridge.  It was a beautiful summer evening.  The falls were lit in pastel colors, undulating to the music playing softly.

Most of us headed home, knowing they were all safe.  But, Cornpoppy stayed to have dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.  He checked on her before heading home, and she was safely in her tree, head ducked under her wing sound asleep.

We were devastated when it was reported that she had been hit by a plane at the Rochester Airport.

I have so many fond memories of Isaura.   

Was she hit by the plane later that night or the next day?  I so hate when one of them is lost like that

Alison & Bonnie - In my heart, I truly believe that Mariah is out there, flying free.  Everytime a new Peregrine is sighted in the area, we all get there as quickly as possible, hoping that it might be her.  I truly wish that some day we may see her again.   

Me too, Carol!  Whenever I read of a falcon that has been "missing" for awhile-- like Handsome-- only to return, it gives me hope that we will see her again. I am so grateful that she was banded.