Looks like there was only one falcon all day on Sunday.  Carol P and Dana had one downtown earlier in the day (Twitter topic).  Kathy O checked around 3:30-4:00, but no pefa.  I was hoping for Archer's return, but not this Sunday.  I watched from the top of the State Street Garage, no pefas. 

NOTE for LOCAL WATCHERS: I was approached by security on the rooftop.  He asked no photos be taken and that dogs were not allowed to run free.  I explained about the falcons and the security guard knew about the old nestbox on Kodak.  I showed him the new nestbox and just as he was leaving Beauty appeared on Mercury.  I shared my binoculars, and told him he brought me good luck in finding a falcon.  He left smiling, but said to be careful using the South St garage for falcon watching because there is 24/7 security, and we are being monitored.

After seeing the peregrine fly east from Mercury at 4:30 pm, I later found one perched at 5:50 pm on the SW corner top of Midtown.  It looked like Beauty.  At 6:00 she flew west and I found her on the SW corner top I beam of Old Changing Scenes.  We seem to find her on SW corners of buildings.  Wonder if she does this for a reason.  Maybe the most common direction from which other peregrines enter the city? 

I watched Beauty for an hour as it got darker and darker.  I was hoping to see if I could find where she might finally roost for the night.  Well, she flew off OCS and once in the air, it was too dark to follow her...but I tried.

~Joyce

[We had a good chat last night. All ya need is a little bribe. , seems to work. Learned a lot about Woodpeckers...thanks Ei, Paul, BC...I had my woodpeckers all wrong. We also learned that Archer is due back soon, so he's not late! (Thanks Joyce). Scratch is 9 years old and the lifespan for a egg-laying hen is about 4 years. Thanks Linda. Shaky popped in looking for some Candy also but I ate it all, sorry Shaky. NYCbird was there also and had some info. We need to do this more often, it's really fun and kinda breaks the ice. Due to time difference in other areas, NL, Germany, even Ca...it's hard to get all in at once. We'll find time for all.]

We had a good chat last night. All ya need is a little bribe. , seems to work. Learned a lot about Woodpeckers...thanks Ei, Paul, BC...I had my woodpeckers all wrong. We also learned that Archer is due back soon, so he's not late! (Thanks Joyce). Scratch is 9 years old and the lifespan for a egg-laying hen is about 4 years. Thanks Linda. Shaky popped in looking for some Candy also but I ate it all, sorry Shaky. NYCbird was there also and had some info.

We need to do this more often, it's really fun and kinda breaks the ice. Due to time difference in other areas, NL, Germany, even Ca...it's hard to get all in at once. We'll find time for all.

Sorry BC about the candy, I tried!

I briefly stopped in and agree it was fun and something we need to do more often.  We also chatted about when Orville first appeared on the scene and the number of moves this famous pebble has made. It was concluded that Orville appeared on Cam in 2003.  Attached is a compilation of posts that was in the Kfalconcam files.  Too bad the story was never finished.

~Joyce

[Sun 3/14/10 10:36 am Carol P reports: Pefa on OCSR. SW Top I-Beam. She and Dana are on watch. Cold, wet, miserable and starting to pour.]

Something technically wrong with Twitter so I am reporting update directly to forum:

Sun 3/14/10 10:36 am Carol P reports:  Pefa on OCSR.  SW Top I-Beam. She and Dana are on watch.  Cold, wet, miserable and starting to pour.

This little birdy is just a morsel for our falcons.  Looks like a starling to me.  I also wonder why Beauty has avoided the nestbox.  Watchers have seen her on OCS and HSBC this weekend, but no where near Time Square.  Perhaps she wanted to avoid the crowds this weekend.  Sure was a lot going on downtown.

~Joyce

Hi Diana,

You raise a good point, and I believe other falcons have certain feathers shaped like that as well - for aerodynamics in flying.  I looked at other photos with a falcon's back to the camera, but I could not find an identical match to the one's I posted.

Below is Kaver and Mariah, and Tybropa Cree (CP).  I don't see the same pattern.  However, without seeing bands, we may never know for sure, but I had fun trying.  There have been a few times times from the ground the watchers did not think we were watching Beauty.  She looked lighter, but we eventually confirmed it was her.

~Joyce

     

[1)]

The same? Not to me.

So are both these pics Beauty?  Her head doesn't look that dark here.

Carol P created a comparison slide and asked local watchers what they thought.  My initial reaction was that it was Beauty.  Then I started to wonder too, but I couldn't find anything specific to differentiate the two. 

So, I put on my Sherlock hat (love doing that investigative stuff), and I created a second comparison slide using a different shot from Mar 1. Backs of both falcons are facing the camera.  I warmed up Carol's Mar 3 pic so the feathers were closer in color.

When I zoomed in on the Mar 3 falcon, I noticed an irregular feather.  I went back through the pictures posted of Beauty from the Main Cam.  I created a new side with comparison of the feather from four different shots of the back feathers. My conclusion...it is Beauty.

~Joyce

1)       2)       3)

I see Shaky has some competition...  Thanks!   

[OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just noticed my status is now: I'M NOT ADDICTED.....LOL, that is so funny..SHAKY!!]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just noticed my status is now: I'M NOT ADDICTED.....LOL, that is so funny..SHAKY!!   bguitar I'm definitely proud of that!

CONGRATULATIONS DONNA!   Keep up the good work.  I don't think I will ever make it to the second line...Yarak doesn't give credit for Twitter reports (LOL).

Beauty at the nestbox.  At the same time Kathy O had a falcon on Mercury.  Looks like Beauty is sharing her statue with the new male.

     

(movie)

How come all falcons look alike especially when they don't have bands!  Here are some comparison shots of the Brighton male and the new male downtown.  Keep in mind, as much as they look similar, without bands we can't be sure if they are the same falcon unless both are sighted at the same time.

The new male photos are shared by Dana from her 2-27 Kodak Gallery Album. The Brighton male (brick in photos) were taken on 2-13, 2-20, & 2-21 by me.

My first reaction was that the Brighton male came into town for a visit.  The Brighton building can be seen from the top of the South Ave garage, so with a falcon's eye sight they can see each other very well.  No watchers have yet seen the Brighton pair mating, nor have they been pre-occupied with specific location on that building. Over the past couple weekends, I enjoyed watching the Brighton pair flying and e-chupping.

   

Hoping Archer gets home soon without incident!
~Joyce

Check out Greg Huglin's video clips of Great White Shark, Waves, Surfing and Dolphin 'Stock Footage'...

http://greghuglin.com/video.htm

why were the cameras removed?

There was discussion of tearing the building down, so the cameras may have been removed prior to the sale of the building (which ultimately failed).  The images displayed on their webcam were very poor, and the cameras frequently shut down.  Don't know if was the camera equipment or connection within the building. The Statler is now abandoned and no one is allowed access. 

Last year I met up with Kimmarie and Irina for a Buffalo falcon watch reunion. We went into the Statler and asked the guard if we could to use the facilities.  I had never been beyond the main hallway downstairs.  We went up to the second floor.  The old wood work and chandeliers were gorgeous.  I can just imagine how beautiful a hotel it was in its day.

~Joyce

[Sharing news posted by Kimmarie in Buffalo on Feb 24 at http://www.falconsandfriends.com/. As DEC noted in the below letter, there are plenty of opportunities to falcon watch in Western New York.]

Sharing news posted by Kimmarie in Buffalo on Feb 24 at  http://www.falconsandfriends.com/.  As DEC noted in the below letter, there are plenty of opportunities to falcon watch in Western New York.

News regarding the upcoming Peregrine Falcon nesting season at the Statler

The future of the Statler Building is uncertain right now. Efforts to purchase the Statler have fallen through and the building has been “moth balled�. The Peregrine nest is still there, but there will be no web camera this season. With all of this in mind, I received the following via email from Connie Adams, Sr. Field Wildlife Biologist for the DEC. She has asked me to share this information with all of you:

"KimMarie,

Peregrines will be nesting before you know it, and I wanted to let you know what was up with the situation at the Statler, since you have always been so active and concerned about that particular nest. I assume you know the Statler is no longer operational, and this weekend it was boarded up. About a month ago, Audubon removed its computer and monitor, so there will be no webcam there for the forseeable future, which is a great loss. However, that means that any observations made by peregrine watchers will be that much more valuable. I would like to get an intern watching this, and the other 5 peregrine nests this spring and summer, since right now, regular observation through scope, binoculars or camera will be the only way we know what is going on at these nests.

We have been in contact with the building trustee, Morris Horwitz, and the building manager, John Gingher. In the event a peregrine falcon chick were to end up on the ground, as they have so many times in the past, the person who found it would be advised to contact us, and we would then contact Mr. Horwitz, who would contact Mr. Gingher, and then we could take it the long walk up the 18 stories back to its nest box. However, the other option, after hours or on the weekend would be to contact the Erie County SPCA Wildlife Unit. They would hold the chick until we would be able to return it to the nest box.

I thought you might want to share this information with your friends who faithfully watch the birds. We will have 4 other nest boxes, one each on the North and South Grand Is. Bridges, one at UB at the MacKay tower, and one at the Central Terminal. The 5th nest is on the US side of the gorge, right at Niagara Falls on Goat Island. As I said, none of these sites have cams on them, yet, though I believe there may one day be one at UB, CT and maybe even the Grand Island bridge. However not this year, as far as I know. The cam would have had to be in place by March 1st, and no one has contacted me about something like this.

Just thought I would let you know what was going on with the Statler.

Connie"

It will be difficult to know exactly when the young falcons will fledge, if in fact the nest produces eyases this year.  All we can do is use years past for a general guide.

I’ll post information if or when I receive it.

I'm envious!  Carol, Dana, and other watchers have sighted Merlins and been able to photograph them.  Where is the 19th Ward? You don't have give out the address but you can send me a private message with the street.  I've seen the new Merlin at Wild Wings and would like to see one in its environment.

Joyce

P.S.  I'll be the one with a long lens camera and 2 dogs.

Welcome Scot.  Thanks for the great aerial photo.  No, Mariah has not been spotted since late October in Irondequoit.  We don't know if she migrated and has not yet returned, or moved on to find a new nesting territory.  Many of us still search north of downtown looking for falcons. A juvenile was spotted there, and we recently had an adult on a Lake Avenue apartment building.

We seem to have falcons in Rochester coming and going right now as we prepare for the nesting season.  It will be wonderful to have another set of eyes (even from work).  If we have a nesting pair downtown this year, we are going to need all the help we can get.

As for raptor ID from a distance, sometimes it is difficult even for experienced watchers to tell if it is a falcon, hawk, or coop until we get a closer look.  A lot depends on lighting.  For me, it was just repeated watches.  Eventually I learned to see the differences in size, facial markings, coloration, wing shape and flight differences.  I even studied images online and other watchers photographs.

Joyce