rfalconcam - Imprints

Imprints

The Journal of Rfalconcam

Surprise! Surprise! Lilac, a Beautiful Rochester Flower, has been spotted in Utica, NY!

March 10th, 2024

We absolutely LOVE to hear about past young from the Rochester nest site.

Our friends at the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project posted pictures on their FB page on Friday (3/8/24). Rochester Falcon Watcher Dana Mulhern shared the pictures with our watcher group, including an enlargement of the intruding female’s band. We all agreed, Black 86 over Green BA.

Lilac – 2016
Provided by the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project

After checking the banding list, we were surprised to see that it is Lilac from 2016! Lilac was last seen 8 years ago, after fledging from the Times Square Bldg nest box. Her parents are Beauty and Dot.ca.

2016 Names and Banding Information

So, where has Lilac been for 8 years after leaving Rochester in July, 2016? We’ll probably never know, but wouldn’t it be awesome if she could tell us about her adventures!

Lilac on Banding Day
Photo by Carol Phillips
Lilac (front), Aria (back)
Picture captured by Rfalconcam
Lilac (2nd from left) with Siblings
Matilda, Aria and Leo
Picture Captured by Rfalconcam

The following pictures were shared by Rochester Falcon Watchers from the 2016 Fledge Watch.

Lilac
Photo by Pat Carey
Lilac
Photo by Pat Carey
All 4 2016 Juvies on the Times Square Bldg
Leo, Aria, Lilac & Matilda (left to right)
Photo by Carol Phillips

Many thanks to Deb and Matt from the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project for providing the following pictures of Lilac’s visit from the Utica nest box cameras.

Lilac at the Utica Nest Box
Provided by the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project
Lilac at the Utica Nest Box
Provided by the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project
Lilac at the Utica Nest Box
Provided by the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project

We all hope that Lilac, Astrid & Ares (the current pair in Utica) all remain safe. Our friends in Utica will remain vigilant and report any further visits by Lilac.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2024!

January 1st, 2024

Happy New Year!!!

It was time for our 2024 Toast to the Falcons!

The watchers gathered at the entrance of the Blue Cross Arena on Broad St. We decided to meet at 9 am, which is a little earlier than we usually meet. It was bitter cold this morning. Only 28F.

At 9:30 am, we had some excitement!  The local pigeons were very agitated, flying this way and that. Dana called out that 2 falcons flew over us heading south. Soon after this, both Nova and Neander returned. They were tandem hunting. Nova came very close to catching a pigeon right in front of us, over the corner of Broad and State St. After missing the pigeon, they both zipped around the building in front of us. Nova landed on the SW corner of the Wilder Bldg and Neander on the Wilder Chimney. It was very nice of them to join us!

Ten Rochester Falcon Watchers were there to toast today. Shaky, Pat, Dana, Lou, Larry O, Linda K, Tim, Lynda, Joyce and Carol P.

Happy New Year everyone!
The Rochester Falcon Watchers Toasting to a Successful 2024 Falcon Season

ROC The Day: Thank you, donors!

November 29th, 2023

Thanks once again to the generosity of our dedicated falcon supporters, we raised over $2,000 yesterday, including two $500 bonuses for the outstanding teamwork demonstrated by those who stayed up late to make their pledges at just the right time. Well done, folks!

ROC the Day officials will send us a financial statement and donor list sometime in the next few weeks, at which point we will know who to thank individually. Until then, thank you to everyone who donated. Your contributions will be used to fund Rfalconcam operations and improvements throughout 2024.

ROC the Day Reminder – Tonight at Midnight!

November 27th, 2023

ROC the Day is November 28 !

Join us tonight at midnight to ROC the Day for Rfalconcam.

Get the latest news on ROC the Day activities at our Forum.

Let’s ROC the Day together!

ROC the Day 7 Days Away!

November 21st, 2023

ROC the Day is November 28!

Are you as ready to ROC as we are? Join us on Tuesday, November 28 starting at midnight to ROC the Day for Rfalconcam.

Get the latest news on ROC the Day activities at our Forum.

Let’s ROC the Day together!

New Rochester Falcon Merchandise!

November 20th, 2023

Hello Falcon Fans! The Rfalconcam Merchandise Team has been very busy. We wanted to make sure that we had plenty of gifts ready for the holiday season!

The first item available for your consideration is our updated Quest Tour T-shirt. The original shirt was offered back in 2008 when Quest left Rochester, NY, so we never had all her travel locations included. After sadly losing Quest this year, we decided to redo her tour t-shirt so that it included all the places she visited before settling in Canada to raise a family of her own. We want to thank our friends at the Canadian Peregrine Foundation for watching over Quest and her family. The juvie Quest picture was taken by Lou Capuano and the adult Quest picture was taken by Ann Brokelman.

The Quest Tour T-shirt

We’re offering this shirt in white and multicolors. Zazzle links below.

White Quest Tour T-shirt

Multicolor Quest Tour T-shirt

Next is our new 2024 Rochester Falcons Calendar. This calendar includes pictures of Nova, Neander, Artemis, Jubilee and Sterling from the 2023 season. Just click on the picture to order your 2024 Rfalconcam Calendar from Zazzle.

2024 Rfalconcam Calendar

Who could resist these cute ornaments featuring our young eyases from 2023?

2023 Rfalconcam Eyas Ornaments

Artemis Ornament

Sterling Ornament

Jubilee Ornament

Finally, as you all know, this was our 25th Anniversary and we wanted to offer our official 25th Anniversary T-shirts and 2-sided ornament.

Rfalconcam 25th Anniversary Merchandise

Ornament – 25th Anniversary

Heart – 25th Anniversary T-shirts – White

Heart – 25th Anniversary T-shirts – Multicolor

Eyas – 25th Anniversary T-shirts – White

Eyas 25th Anniversary T-shirts – Multicolor

The Rfalconcam Merchandise Team wishes all of our Rochester Falcon Fans a safe and happy holiday season!

Carrie – Kathy O – Shaky – Lou – Dana – Carol P.

Quest

October 24th, 2023

By Rochester Falcon Watcher Carol P.

Lost, but never forgotten.

Many hearts were broken on August 22, 2023. The day I received a text from our friend Mark Nash from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. Quest had been found on the ground with very severe injuries by a couple of concerned folks. They remained with her until Mark arrived. He saw immediately that she was in trouble. The X-rays they took of Quest confirmed his worse fears, she wasn’t going to survive. Mark shared pictures of Quest’s injuries with us and explained that a decision was made to humanely euthanize her.

Quest began her life in a nest box on top of the Kodak Tower under the watchful eyes of her parents Mariah and Kaver. She was one of five young that hatched in 2008.

On May 30, 2008, Quest and her siblings were banded and given their chosen names. Mike Allen and Barbara Loucks, from the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation, banded each of the eyases and they all received their names. Three girls and two boys! Seneca (F), Diamante (m), Zephyr (m), Susan B (f) and Quest (f). Quest was given her name by students at the Hilton Quest Elementary School and they were there to see her banded. That was the 11th year that the Kodak Falcons had been banded. Her NYS band was Black 96 over Green V. Blue tape was placed over her silver USFW band.

Because Quest was the largest on banding day, the DEC chose her to receive a transmitter. On June 5, 2008, she received her transmitter. Because they did not have the proper glue to seal the harness that was placed on her to hold her transmitter, they used Mexican Red ladies nail polish.

Quest successfully fledged on June 21, 2008. Her Watchers were thrilled to see her take her first flight. She and her siblings flew in the Genesee River Gorge, near the High Falls, learning to chase prey and each other. Oh, and mom and dad too! So much fun! Those were the days!

She was last seen in Rochester, NY mid-August. Her transmitter readings were started on August 18, 2008. On August 22nd, we started receiving witness reports from Martha’s Vinyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod. I was in touch with many of the folks there. They were thrilled to have her during that Winter and shared many pictures and stories from her adventures.

Quest’s travels were followed by her many fans all over the world!

Some of the Rochester Falcon Watchers followed her when her transmitter readings placed her in Canada, on the other side of Lake Ontario. We actually found her and her mate flying around a power plant. Yes, you heard right. She had a mate!

In 2011, she was spotted with her mate. Kendal, on a building across from Harlequin headquarters on Don Mills Rd. She was given a nest box and the rest is legend.

On December 21, 2014, Bruce Massey, a member of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, confirmed with us that Quest had finally lost her transmitter. That was such great news!

From 2011 thru 2023, she raised 42 young. She was one short of her mom Mariah’s 43. Quest and many of her siblings went on to raise young and helped to increase the population of Peregrine Falcons in the United States and Canada.

We call it the Mariah and Kaver Legacy. Of course, this included Mariah’s first mate, Cabot-Sirocco.

An Untold Fledge Watch Story, June 21, 2008

Quest’s Fledge Flight took place 15 years ago, yet it seems like it was just yesterday. Kind of. So you can imagine my memory is a little foggy. There were many Rochester Falcon Watchers on duty that day and of course, I can’t remember everyone that was there.

When Quest finally spread her wings and took her first flight, she ended up landing on the ground in a parking lot on the north side of Kodak Office. When we arrived, she was just walking around and checking out all the new stuff in her world.

The Watchers kept at a distance and kept an eye on her. It was finally decided that she was in danger of being hit by a car, so a plan was hatched. It was decided that she needed to be rescued, but she had other ideas. No way was Quest going to let us get anywhere near her.

Three of the Watchers volunteered to rescue Quest and put her into a carrier. I came in behind with a blanket and two other Watchers kept her attention from the front. Everything was going great until she turned her head around and saw me. It was like, no way! That’s when Quest took off and landed on a low building in the back of the parking lot. That’s all we wanted. She was off the ground and now under attack by a Kestrel. Quest wasn’t happy and neither was the Kestrel. In those days, we had a family of Kestrels that nested on the BeeBee Station. The Peregrines and Kestrels were always going at each other.

Again, we settled in to keep watch over Quest. After a while, she was annoyed enough to take off again, this time heading east, towards the Genesee River. One of our new watchers took off, sprinting. He was able to follow her and see where she landed. When we all caught up, we saw that she was on a much higher building. From that point on, Quest joined her family and continued her journey.

FLY FREE QUEST!

Pictures of Quest Shared by many of her fans.

Dana Mulhern
Dana Mulhern
Lou Capuano
Lou Capuano
Joyce Miller
Joyce Miller
Ann Brokelman
Ann Brokelman
Ann Brokelman
Carol Phillips
Carol Phillips

A Sad Goodbye to Artemis

September 16th, 2023
Fly Free Artemis
Picture by Dana Mulhern

On Thursday, September 14th, Rochester Falcon Watcher Lisa Mckeown received a phone call from Chuck the maintenance person at the First Federal Building in downtown Rochester. He told Lisa that there was a dead, banded bird on the roof which he believed to be a Peregrine Falcon and that it appeared to have been there a while.   Lisa asked if he could send a picture of the bands on the falcon, which she received Friday afternoon. The bands, black 36 over green BW, identified the deceased falcon as Artemis.  Lisa contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, so they can retrieve Artemis.

Artemis was from Nova and Neander’s brood this year.  She hatched at the beginning of May and was banded on May 30, 2023.  Everyone commented on what a big girl she was.  By mid-June, she and her siblings, Sterling and Jubilee, had fledged.  On July 15th Artemis was spotted perched and later flying in the Genesee River gorge near High Falls.  This is a place that long-time watchers are very familiar with, as it was here that we met each other and enjoyed numerous watches during the Mariah and Kaver era.

Thank you, Artemis, for visiting a place that holds many precious memories for many of us.  We are honored to include you in those memories.  May you fly free, our big beautiful girl!

Artemis, Sterling & Jubilee After Banding
Growing Up
Artemis On Banding Day
Named by Rochester Falcon Watcher Linda King
Artemis Flying Free in the Genesee River Gorge
Near High Falls
Picture by Carol Phillips
You Will be Missed Artemis

Fly Free Quest ♥️

August 23rd, 2023

It is with great sorrow that we have to report the loss of Quest from 2008.

The Canadian Peregrine Foundation reported on their Facebook page that Quest was found on the ground with a very badly injured wing. Our good friend Mark Nash from the CPF arrived and took Quest immediately to the vet. X-Rays were taken and it was determined that she was too badly injured to ever fly again and that she was in a great deal of pain. The decision was made to euthanize her.

We would like to thank Mark Nash, the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and all of those involved with helping Quest get the care she needed.

Fly Free Beautiful Quest. ♥️

Quest (center) in the nest box on the Kodak Tower with her 4 siblings

All Three Rochester Falcon Eyases Have Fledged!

June 16th, 2023

At approximately 2:30 pm, first Jubilee then Artemis fledged very close together. Jubilee landed safely on the Wilder Bldg and Artemis landed on the Telesca Bldg.

Later in the day, Sterling flew up to the ledge above the nest box. He has now returned to the nest box platform.

We believe both Jubilee and Artemis are currently on other parts of the TSB.

Our eyases are now considered fledglings or juvies.

We’ll keep you posted on their adventures!


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