Falcon Watch Weekend 2012 - August 3rd, 4th and 5th

[Donna]

My tatoo hasn't washed off yet.  Was a good one!

LOL Ruth, I finally washed mine off. Tim is quite the character. Had a blast! Was great meeting everyone. Orion slept most of the time on Mercury but when he was ready, what a flight to the NB. Next year I'm shooting for 2 weeks! Love it there. Thanks all!

[ginha]

So sorry Dave and I couldn't join you all for what sounded like a good time with friends. We just got home from Butterfield Lake after 2 weeks. It was the 1st time in 10 years that we have missed one Oh well there is always next year  Glad you all had a good time, hope some one took pictures!!

ginha

[Dumpsterkitty]

So sorry Dave and I couldn't join you all for what sounded like a good time with friends. We just got home from Butterfield Lake after 2 weeks. It was the 1st time in 10 years that we have missed one Oh well there is always next year  Glad you all had a good time, hope some one took pictures!!

ginha

We really did miss you & Dave!  I'm glad you got a chance to go to the lake!

I took some pictures but most came out REALLY bad-I hit the wrong settings button. I hope to get the ones that did come out tomorrow!

[Kris G.]

Album from last week's Watchers Weekend Breakfast: (sorry-Bill didn't get a pic of everyone that attended)

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?fid=aa54a69a83dcf6455b2f2841c4d4a52e&startIndex=0&sid=2AcM3Dhm0cNXVQ

[Tokira]

Album from last week's Watchers Weekend Breakfast: (sorry-Bill didn't get a pic of everyone that attended)

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?fid=aa54a69a83dcf6455b2f2841c4d4a52e&startIndex=0&sid=2AcM3Dhm0cNXVQ

Kris, I LOVE your signature message.  In fact, I've stolen it to post on Facebook, along with a contrasting one for comparison:
When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.�
~Wayne Pacelle President and CEO, H$U$, 1993

All of us who love animals need to pay attention to those who wish to remove them from our lives 
Carol
WV

[Kris G.]

Album from last week's Watchers Weekend Breakfast: (sorry-Bill didn't get a pic of everyone that attended)

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?fid=aa54a69a83dcf6455b2f2841c4d4a52e&startIndex=0&sid=2AcM3Dhm0cNXVQ

Kris, I LOVE your signature message.  In fact, I've stolen it to post on Facebook, along with a contrasting one for comparison:
When asked if he envisioned a future without pets, “If I had my personal view, perhaps that might take hold. In fact, I don’t want to see another dog or cat born.�
~Wayne Pacelle President and CEO, H$U$, 1993

All of us who love animals need to pay attention to those who wish to remove them from our lives 
Carol
WV

Thanks!  I saw it posted by someone on the petition to stop secondary rodenticide poisoning in the Hawks of NYC and loved it too!

[MAK]

Album from last week's Watchers Weekend Breakfast: (sorry-Bill didn't get a pic of everyone that attended)

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/album.sfly?fid=aa54a69a83dcf6455b2f2841c4d4a52e&startIndex=0&sid=2AcM3Dhm0cNXVQ

 

[Nic1Pic]

Thanks Kris and Bill for these photos.
Is other people took also photos for those poors like me who are far from Rochester??
 

Nicole

[Bonnie]

I have pics of the falcons, not the people.

www.bonnietalluto.com

Kris, great pictures!

[Dumpsterkitty]

Pictures are done at last! I must apologize at the outset-I had adjusted my camera's settings to get an early morning picture from the Broad Street bridge & forgot to reset it for quite a while...most of my people pics are WAY overexposed. I did what I could to them, but some are too blurry to even see the people, so I don't have pics of everyone that was there

Anyway-the weekend started early Saturday morning sharing Broad Street bridge with Dan. And it started with what every watcher waits for...a successful stoop!

Orion had left OCSR a bit before 6 and flew behind Thomson Reuters-we didn't see where he went. A little after 6 I spotted Beauty soaring & hovering WAY high over Xerox. She was just about out of sight when I spotted her flap once or twice then ZOOM! Down toward the north side of Broad St. We saw a flock of pigeons heading south down the river...she chased them UNDER the bridge...then came OVER the bridge right over our heads & BOOM nailed a pigeon as it was coming out from under the bridge!  She took the pigeon behind Thomson Reuters. Dana arrived after a bit and found Beauty feeding her catch to Orion on the Telesca building.

The rest of the day is a bit of a blur. We went down to "the hole" where we had a wonderful view of Beauty feeding Orion on Telesca. Orion eventually flew to Mercury where we had a great view of him as we enjoyed each others company in Aqueduct Park. In fact we didn't have to go far all day to keep "our" baby in sight!

I had to leave Sunday at noon, so I missed dancing in the rain...that looked like fun...but I had a great time seeing friends old & new...meeting my buddy Donna in person for the first time-I know-who would have thought we had never met in person before?...enjoying MAK's hospitality once again-next time I promise I'll be able to stay awake so we can sing karaoke & party!...and, of course, the stars of the weekend... Beauty...Dot.ca...and the magnificent Orion!

My pictures are here...hope you enjoy them!

[Bobbie Ireland]

Thanks, Ei! Most enjoyable report and pix!

[carly]

Thank you to all of you for sharing your photos and stories of watchers weekend with us!   

[birdmusic]

Here are a few more from me.  It was a wonderful weekend.  Thanks to all for your hospitality!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=1QbNWblyxauQA

[Bonnie]

Great pictures Kris, Wendy, Ei, MAK, Dana, Carol P.  It WAS a very nice weekend for me, too.  Of course it was too short.  There is nothing like watching a successful young falcon rule the sky.

[Donna]

I didn't take many pics as I was just too overwhelmed with just being there. I was afraid if I got my camera ready, I would miss something, (you know how us NEWBS are with falcon watching)! The 7 hours Orion was sleeping on the TS building one day, I was sitting on a ledge in a parking lot down below. My neck was killing me from looking up all day, (now I know how MAK feels) but I didn't care because the second you look away, BAM, they are gone. I took no chances, I wanted to know where that youngster went when he took off. It's amazing how many people know about the falcons when they walk by and see a crazy person with binos looking up. THEY KNOW!! That was the day Mark went for a Cookie run and came back and gave me one. Thanks Mark, I know OR Oatmeal Raisin, ORion! I get it...lol. I really had a blast with all the watcher's, they be pretty funny. We laughed and laughed then....OH, there he goes someone yells! We all get up, binos in hand and follow then call out.."ON OCSR, or on TS wing"....etc. It was funny when I met Ei for the first time, it's like HEY...no shyness there!!! Too bad she had to leave so soon, next time Ei!
MAK couldn't have been more hospitable, we had a blast. I tested her one night and said, "let's go DT and find some falcons, (it was late) and she said OK, so no matter what I felt like doing, she was down with it. We didn't actually go but she was ready. WE didn't go site-seeing, go to the beach, go looking for eagles, osprey or any other raptor, we watched falcons and it was awesome. Let's put it this way, I did NOT want to leave! Thank you all for a great week!

I'll see what pics I took and post them.  

P.S. A BIG THANK YOU TO BONNIE for the lift down, what a way to travel!!