It’s been a long Winter, which seemed even longer with the Covid situation. I don’t know about you, but we here at the Rochester Falconcam are ready for Spring and warmer weather!

After a successful 2020, with three young falcons (Roc, Geraki & Hope) well on their way, the Rochester Falcon Watchers have been out and about, keeping an eye on our downtown pair, Beauty & Dot.ca (DC). There have been many reports and sightings of our dynamic duo hanging out close to their Times Square Bldg nest box. In fact, if all goes well, we should see an egg there very soon.

Over the Winter, the falcon watchers have seen a juvie hanging out along Lake Ontario. Due to size, we believe it’s a female and she has eyebrows like our Hope. Without bands, it is impossible to positively ID this falcon. Due to Covid, none of our young were banded by the DEC last year.

We’ve also been keeping an eye on our other pair, Billie and Beau at ST. They have also been seen together recently by watchers checking out the area. Beau is an unbanded tiercel (male) and Billie is the granddaughter of Mariah and Kaver.

So, while we wait for Beauty to lay her first egg, we all hope that you are doing well and that you will join us for the 2021 Rochester Falcon season!

Our only male, Roc, fledged off the north end of the wall at approximately 3:35 pm. Rochester Falcon Watcher Carrie Shone witnessed his first flight from the wall. Roc flew north and then turned back, with Dot.ca flying above him. Roc ended up landing safely on the northwest corner of the Times Square Bldg, almost level with the nest box.

Carrie said he looks great, flapping and running, with Dot.ca keeping an eye on his young son.

This was the last picture our cameras caught of Roc, standing next to Geraki, just before he fledged.

Roc is now a juvie, no longer an eyas!

The watchers will continue their fledge watch for the girls, Geraki and Hope. The females are bigger than the males, so they usually wait a little longer to fledge.

You may notice the falcons panting. Falcons and other birds have a body temperature of 104° F. To keep themselves cool, they pant, sending air through the air sacs and lungs in their bodies causing evaporation, helping to cool themselves.

If you’ve been following Rfalconcam over the years, you’ll know that the eyases normally receive their names when they are banded. However, banding by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation could not take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without the colored bands to identify each eyas, arbitrarily naming them would lead to considerable confusion.

Now that the eyases are no longer white fluffballs, we can see the differences in their facial markings that allow us to tell them apart.

An additional complication in the naming process arose when we lost one of the eyases in May. We were already actively seeking four names at the time:

With only three eyases and four names, we had to find a way to politely reject one of them. This problem was quickly solved when both of our volunteers graciously bowed out, but that left us with only two names for three eyases!

Given the circumstances, we decided that the best course of action would be to use the 2nd-place name in the naming contest. That name was Hope.

So, without further ado, here are the 2020 eyasas.

Roc’s name is not just a play on his city of birth. The Roc is an enormous legendary bird of prey in the Middle Eastern tradition. The book One Thousand And One (Arabian) Nights includes tales about the Roc. Marco Polo also reported on the legendary bird.

Roc’s smaller size, “blue” feet, and almost solid dark head distinguish him from his sisters.

Hope

Hope (female) – The 2nd place entry in the naming contest was submitted by Ethan Fernaays of Ontario, New York; Gayle Burroughs of Rochester, New York; Heidy May of Rochester, New York; Kevin Beebe of Spencerport, New York; and Susan Kowal of Batavia, New York.

Hope is named for a brighter and better future. It is something we need, and it’s understood by all. New life represents hope.

Hope has yellow feet and a light-colored head. The large light areas behind her malar stripes go almost to her eyes

γεράκι

γεράκι (Geráki in the Latin alphabet, female) was named by students at Algonquin Middle School in Averill Park, New York.

γεράκι is an ancient Greek word for falcon. If you’re wondering how it’s pronounced, you’re not alone. Here are two pronunciations: 1 and 2.

γεράκι also has yellow feet like her sister, but her head is darker with smaller light patches behind her malar stripes.

A big thanks goes out to Eileen Karle for helping us spot the differences between the eyases. Plus a very special thanks to our Rochester Falcon Watchers! Soon we’ll be gathered again to watch over the young fledglings as they take their first flights. If you’re able to help out with the fledge watch, please let us know. We could sure use your help!

One of the four eyases in the nest box at the Times Square building in downtown Rochester passed away late last night due to natural causes. The remaining three appear to be healthy and continue to develop normally.

The New York State Department of Conservation has been notified of the situation.

There can be no attempt by our volunteer staff at Rfalconcam to remove the body. That is under the jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Conservation, which will decide on the appropriate action to take.

We join the many followers of Rochester’s Peregrine Falcon family in being truly saddened by this loss but must always remember that death is a part of the life of these magnificent creatures that chose Rochester as their home.

Fly free, little one.

It’s time to vote for your favorite name for one of Beauty and Dot.ca’s Eyases!

The poll is open! From the many excellent suggestions that were received, Rfalconcam’s Naming Committee selected 20 names from over 200 submissions. Thank you to everyone who submitted a name!

A poll has been created for members of the Rfalconcam Forum to vote for their favorite name. One of the four eyases will be given the winning name.

You must be a member of the forum to be able to vote for a name. Join the forum now if you’d like to participate! Use this link to register:

https://rfalconcam.com/forum/index.php?action=register

A questionnaire will be sent to the email address you supply during registration. You must reply to this email in order to have your membership approved. Be sure to check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive it.

If you are already a Forum member but don’t remember your password, you can reset it. Use the following link to have a “password reset” email sent to you. (Check your spam/junk folder if you don’t receive it.)

https://rfalconcam.com/forum/index.php?action=reminder

Once you have logged in, use this link to vote:

https://rfalconcam.com/forum/index.php?topic=18124.0

The poll closes at 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday, May 24, 2020.

We are requesting suggestions for a name that will be given to 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 was used to name past eyases. We’ve included the criteria for choosing a name, which have been changed this year. 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 Friday, May 15, 2020.

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 will be accepted.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6vD1QUEkythh2v63EHzgHImqtphxQ1HgboU8G5hDIYMrQCg/viewform?c=0&w=1

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 members of the Rfalconcam forum to vote for their favorite. You must be a member of the forum to be able to vote for a name. Join the forum now if you’d like to participate!

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 honor 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

The deadline for name submissions is 11:59 pm (EDT) on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Good Luck!

We were very happily surprised by the arrival of our 4th eyas at 7:55 am Sunday morning. There were many fans on our streaming video who were able to witness Beauty helping the last eyas to hatch.

Beauty and Dot.ca now have a full nest box. It’s going to be so much fun watching them raise their little family.

Hope you’re all able to join us!!!

Sometimes it’s really hard to tell when a hatch occurs. Beauty is really good at covering her young ones and keeping them warm. A big clue is when a shell pops out from underneath her. This happened at approximately 1:40 pm.

Thankfully, our cameras were able to catch the hatch happening at 1:23 pm.

It wasn’t long before Dot.ca brought in food and both he and Beauty fed the two older eyases. The newly hatched eyas was a little too young for its first meal.

Hopefully the 4th egg will hatch soon. Be sure to keep watching!

On line watchers witnessed a half shell pop out from under Beauty around 9:12 pm last night. It wasn’t until 11:19 pm that we had a good view of the 2nd eyas.

Early this morning we had some wonderful views of both eyases during a tandem feeding by Beauty and Dot.ca!

Sometime today, we should have a 3rd hatch and hopefully, soon after that, a 4th.

Stay tuned to our streaming video to watch for the new arrivals!