Here’s your chance to name one of this year’s Eyases!

We are very happy to announce that once again falcon fans will have an opportunity to choose a name for an eyas in the nest box atop the Times Square Building, and it will be in the form of a naming contest open to all viewers.

Much care and thought has been used to name past eyases. We’ve included the criteria for choosing a name. Please read the rules very carefully and use the link below to submit one (1) gender neutral name.

Please, only one submission per person!

The deadline for name submissions is 11:59 pm (EDT) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Suggested Rfalconcam Naming Criteria Acceptable Categories for Names:

Explorers, Astronomers, Conservationists, especially those with
International appeal (e.g., Galileo, [Amelia] Earhart, Magellan), or those who have played a significant role in Peregrine re-population efforts.
Names inspired by Nature–topographic, meteorological, geographic, etc. (e.g. Kaver, Isaura, Fulmine, Alkyonis, Skye, Aconcagua)
Inspirational Names (e.g. Freedom, Hope, Destiny)
Words that refer to falcons in languages other than Modern English (e.g. Thlotli, Hafoc)

Categories that do not fit the criteria:

Names derived from religious, political, or popular culture icons.
Names directly related to a human person either living or dead, except as noted in the acceptable criteria above.
Names related to a commercial product, or a copyrighted or trademarked name owned by any corporation, individual or organization.
Names that reflect negatively on any group, organization, individual or entity.
Names should be well researched whenever possible. Supporting rationale for the name is required, so give us a few sentences that explain the name and the reason you chose it.

Submitting a Name:

That’s easy! Just click on this link to open the submission form. Only one submission per person please! If multiple submissions are sent in, only the first one that meets the criteria will be accepted.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsr19FbJio02S7XUqAMe2raitvy1NaesZNB_oHvouhbz7CBw/viewform?usp=sf_link

NOTE: IF SUBMITTING A NAME, PLEASE DO NOT DISCUSS IT HERE, ON THE FORUM, OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS.

Judging the Name Submissions:

The Rfalconcam Naming Committee will evaluate all name submissions for appropriateness, including (but not limited to) adherence to the naming criteria, well researched name, uniqueness of the name and how well it follows the “spirit” of past falcon names.

The committee will select the top 10 names from those submitted and create a poll for our viewers to vote for their favorite.

NOTE: MEMBERS OF THE NAMING COMMITTEE WILL HAVE FINAL EDITORIAL RIGHT OF REFUSAL FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS, AND THEY MAY REJECT ANY NAME SUBMISSION THAT DOES NOT MEET THE NAMING CRITERIA OR IS JUDGED NOT TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR ANY OTHER REASON.

Past Falcon Names that Meet the Criteria Above:

2002 Freedom

2003 Isaura – A wind that blows off the Greek Isles
Chayton – A Native American word for Falcon
Destiny
Thlotli – An Aztec name for Falcon
Edge – Named for Rosalie Edge

2004 Alkyonis – Named in honor of the 2004 Olympic games in Greece
Pride
Gahastey – Native American word for a type of wind
Grissom – Named in memory of Virgil “Gus” Grissom
Hafoc – Old English word for Falcon

2005 Esperanza – Spanish word for Hope
Ihteram – Arabic word for Respect
Fulmine – Italian word for Lightning
Aconcagua – A mountain in Argentina
Skye – An island in Scotland where falconry is practiced

2006 Aura – Latin word for breeze

2007 Ananta – A Sanskrit word meaning “infinite” and “endless.”

2008 Diamante – Spanish for “diamond”
Quest – A search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something
Seneca – Named after the largest tribe of the Iroquois confederacy
Zephyr – The name given to the West Wind in Greek mythology

2010 Callidora – Gift of Beauty
Jemison – In honor of Mary Jemison, an American frontierswoman

2012 Orion – The constellation of “The Hunter”

2013 Baron, Rosetta, Voyager

2014 Tesh, Nettie, Nor’easter, Mercury

2015 Cadence, Genesee, Bronx

2016 Matilda, Aria, Lilac, Leo

2017 Seabreeze, Ontario, Charlotte, Rachel

2018 Mike, Letchworth, Sundara

2019 Lakota, Phoenix, Jupiter, Donna

2020 Roc, Hope, γεράκι

2021 Freyja, Golden

2022 Blaze, Zara, Kanfai Malachim

2023 Sterling, Artemis, Jubilee

The deadline for name submissions is 11:59 pm (EDT) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.

Good Luck!

At 7:51 pm our 4th and last eyas broke free to join its 3 siblings!

When Nova finally gave us a glimpse, we were able to see that something was happening with the 4th egg. On our Rfalconcam live stream watchers were delighted to watch the 4th eyas hatch under the watchful eyes of mom.

It wasn’t long before Nova moved the newly hatched eyas underneath her to join its three siblings.

This is the first time Nova and Neander have had all four eggs successfully hatch.

Tomorrow morning we should get a better look at our four eyases!

Nova and Neander’s 3rd eyas hatched at 8:10 pm this evening. You can just see the newly hatched eyas in the middle of its fluffy white siblings.

For those watching the hatch on our live stream, Nova was moving around quite a bit giving us glimpses of the 3rd eyas breaking out of its shell. So much fun to watch!

We even got a quick look at the pip in the 4th egg! Hoping for a 4th hatch soon!

Oh, my goodness! Such a surprise to wake up to the wonderful news that we had two hatches overnight! We don’t have the exact times, but Eyas #1 arrived at approximately 10:15 pm last night (4/27) and Eyas #2 arrived at approximately 3:30 am early this morning (4/28). Our hatch window was 4/27-4/29, so they’re right on schedule!

Welcome little ones!

Nova and Neander’s 4th egg arrived at 10:03 am, Thursday morning!

It wasn’t long before Neander joined Nova in the nest box to see the new arrival. They chatted with each other and beaked a few times. Finally, Neander left and Nova settled on their four eggs.

If there is a 5th egg, it should arrive Saturday evening. More than likely, there will only be four. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Last night at 10:52 pm, Nova laid a 3rd egg in the Times Square Bldg nest box! This egg came 58 hrs after her 2nd egg.

When can we expect to see a 4th egg? If Nova does lay a 4th egg, it should be some time between 9 am and 4 pm on Thursday, 3/28. Or whenever she decides. 🙂

After an overnight snowfall of about 5 inches and a current temperature of 29 degrees (F), Nova laid her 2nd egg at 12:51 pm. It was a little over 65 hrs after she laid her 1st egg on 3/20.

Neander will show up soon to see their 2nd egg. But for now, Nova has settled in for a nap.

On this first full day of Spring, Rochester is under a Winter Weather Advisory. The temperature is 27 degrees (F). The winds are gusting at 40 mph and the snow is flying!

That did not stop Nova from laying her and Neander’s first egg of 2024 at approx 7:31 pm!

Many thanks to Rochester Falcon Watcher Linda for letting us know!

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!

On Thursday, September 14^th, 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!