You are correct Ei.

To add just a bit to MAK's report.

Kathy O, Dana and I arrived a lot earlier than the rest of the folks.  We drove out onto Willdlife Dr, which skirts along the side of the main pool.  The main pool was drained totally this year due to an infestation of Carp, I believe.  They said when it was first drained, the Eagles gathered for a feast of fish.  I would have loved to see that!

The road was closed just after the Seneca Spillway, which is where young Jemison was released.  We turned around and headed back to the visitor's center.  On the way back we noticed a Harrier hunting over the drained main pool, which is more like a marsh or swamp now.  Kathy pulled over and we were entertained by not just one, but three Harriers skimming the tall grasses, white rump patches shining in the sun.  

They acted more like juveniles than adults, sometimes coming together for a little game of talon tag.  They were the browner color of the female.  We watched their antics for a good hour or so, when Jeanne arrived.  One of the Harriers flew towards us and landed in a tree on the other side of the drive, but only for a few seconds.  The Harrier again took flight and landed on the road in front of us!  We were amazed by it's beauty.  S/he took off and again joined the other two.  It was a wonderful start to our day.

Because we heard that juvenile Peregrines had been seen at Tow Path Rd, that's where we headed.  This road is a dirt road with many dips and craters.  You have to take it really slow.  We joined a group of birders that already had their scopes set up.  Stretched out before us was a birders paradise.  Thousands of all kinds of shore birds and raptors were below us.  Juvenile Bald Eagles were everywhere!  You didn't know where to look first!  

I spotted a falcon on the ground far off to our right.  I quickly got the scope out and discovered it was a beautiful male Kestrel who was enjoying his dinner.  Not a Peregrine, darn it!  Oh, well.  We remained for a couple hours before joining the rest of the group at the Montezuma visitor's center.  The rest of our adventure is in MAK's report.

It was a marvelous day of birding.  We didn't see any Peregrines, but how can you not be thrilled with Bald Eagles, Osprey, Harriers and Kestrels, and a quick glance at a Sandhill Crane!  It doesn't get much better than that.  

Zeus is an amazing Tiercel!   

Thanks for the clarification on this Shaky.  I'd forgotten that Grissom went down first.

Today's Thought:

"When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane." 

Sweet baby!  Had she hurt her talon?

I noticed that too jeanne, unless she is just holding it up. ???

Her talon was fine.  She was just holding it up like birds do when resting.  She was in a very dark room.

Carol, is this the pic you were talking about? Alkyonis rescue. Look at her face.  

Yes Donna!  That's the one I took of Alkyonis after her 2nd rescue at Animal Control.  She just looked so bewildered.  Thanks for posting it.

In the group picture you posted, Akyonis is the one with white tape on her USFW band on the far left.

[MAKfalcon (MAK):]

Jeanne, MAK, Brian and I witnessed a successful hunt by Archer as he stooped off of the NE corner of Xerox, behind some lower buildings to the NE.  We spotted him flying up behind HSBC, gaining altitude, before landing on the SW corner of HSBC.  We put the scope on him and saw that he had successfully caught himself some dinner.  What appeared to be a starling.  It didn't take long before feathers were flying.

MAKfalcon (MAK): A on HSBC  NW corner

Link:
http://twitter.com/MAKfalcon/statuses/22839069768

Alkyonis had a very rocky start on life.  She wasn't the best of fliers.  We worried about her.  Her first trouble was when she went down one of the smoke stacks at the BeeBee Station.  She was being looked over by her two brothers Hafoc and Grissom when she was rescued.  There didn't appear to be anything wrong with her, so she was released quickly.
 
Soon after, she was found down on Main St. and picked up by animal control.  Lisa McK and I immediately went over to check to see which of our falcons went down.  It was Alkyonis.  She looked so sad in the animal carrier they had placed her in.  I know there's a picture out there somewhere that I took.
 
She was rehabbed for a few weeks at Wild Wings.  The prognosis was a strained wing.  I remember Dre and Matt telling me that they would throw food over the fence to her so she wouldn't connect humans with food.

The DEC decided to release her at the Kodak Office Tower where her parents, Mariah and Kaver and her siblings, Hafoc, Grissom, Pride and Gahastey waited for her.  There were many Watchers gathered below in the visitors parking lot and surrounding the tower with radios to witness her release.  We all held our breath as Alkyonis took flight from one of the lower buildings.
 
Mariah flew to her and chased her.  To us it didn't look like Mariah recognized her, she was very agitated.  Alkyonis, tired, landed on one of the ledges of the Kodak Tower on the north side.  She was immediately joined first by Hafoc, and then the rest of the 2004 Fab Five, as they were called by their many fans.  They surrounded her and accepted her and Mariah settled down and finally accepted her wayward daughter.  I remained below the rest of the day keeping an eye on her.  Thankfully all worked out for the best.
 
The five young fledglings left the Rochester area by the end of August and we wished them well.  It was another successful Fledge Watch season.

From 2004, we know that we lost Hafoc and Gahastey and had never heard anything about Pride, Grissom or Alkyonis, until now.
 
I am so happy that she proved us wrong and has grown into a beautiful adult.  I actually have tears in my eyes.  I always do when we find one of our young ones doing well.

Alkyonis was not the best flyer.  She went down twice and was rescued twice.  We worried about her.  But she proved us wrong.  I am so happy that Alkyonis proved us wrong.   

This is on my calendar:

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." - Native American Proverb

Hahaha!  Yes, shaf = shade!  That'll teach me to tweet without checking it first.   

  Anne,

You're too funny.  I'm with you.  Penguins can fly!   

Welcome aboard, Gary!!

It's great to see a new member!  I've been part of this group since 2004.  It's a good group, full of experts, totally non-experts, none the less more expert than before they arrived, and just good people!  I hope that you will feel comfortable with us!  Ask any questions, expect good answers and never think that a question is too small to ask!  I started out trying to convince the group that a red-tailed hawk, that landed on my balcony, was a peregrine falcon!!  Did they laugh -- well, not to my face they didn't!  But they taught me the difference, with respect and kindness! They didn't even laugh when I told them I was convinced that penguins can fly!  Teased, yes, but never laughed!!  And not one of them has convinced me that they can't fly...yet! 

Welcome aboard!
Anne C. (Toronto, ON Canada, eh!)

Before Carrie and Shaky arrived, Kathy O and I checked out Tam O'Shanter.  There are many tall buildings in the area, any of which would suit Quest as a resting spot or a place to hunt from.  There are lots and lots of pigeons available for a hungry Peregrine.

There is no easy spot to see all the buildings from.  We drove around trying to check out the roofs of as many of these buildings as we could.

My theory is that the Tiercel has chosen this nest site and is attempting to entice a female.  In flies Quest.  We know that she moves around this area quite a bit from her transmitter readings, but returns to the power plant.

From what we witnessed on Saturday, Quest flew north around 5 pm, leaving the Tiercel to return to "his" spot inside the power plant.  According to Carrie and Shaky, she returned the next day.

After watching this behaviour and taking into account Quest's continued wandering ways (although she doesn't go too far), I believe that he is more attached to this location than she is.

But, I have no doubt that she has taken a liking to this handsome Tiercel.