Fledge Watch – Marcia Lyman, 18 June, 5:20 PM – 9:10 PM
It was an eventful watch tonight. At one time or another, I was joined by Brian H., Ginny and Trish, Kathy O., Lisa McK., Carol P., Ellen, Dan, the Davisons, Brian’s apprentice – Gary, Tom and Babs, and various passers-by (whatcha lookin’ at?).
When I arrived at the Kodak visitor parking lot, Sacajawea was on the perch outside the nestbox; Linn was inside, peering out from time to time; Kaver was at the rocket level of the Kodak Office tower; there was no sign of Grace and Ananta, nor of Mariah. Set up shop in the parking lot, right near the corner of Platt and State Streets.
At 6:20, Mariah flew to the scrape with a small portion of food. Sacajawea leaped into the nestbox, and snagged the food away from Linn, for herself (http://tinyurl.com/3auayk). Notice her mantling the food to keep it from Linn. Grace and Ananta down in the playpen were flapping and screaming, but didn’t get anything to eat.
After leaving the food, Mariah took off and soared with Kaver over the area east of the tower. She flew off toward the southeast, and Kaver came to rest on the camera 1 support arm.
Mariah brought a big pigeon in from the southeast at 6:40, bill agape and pumping her wings hard. She must have caught this bird quite a distance away, and was pretty tired by the time she got home. She landed on the southeast corner of the 13th floor of the tower, and rested, panting, for fully 7 minutes before cleaning the prey. Then she proceeded to down almost all of it herself! Girl’s gotta eat, right? After her meal, at 7:00, the Queen picked up the remnants (slim pickin’s) and dropped them in the playpen on the north side, to Grace and Ananta. She then soared around the tower and before the nestbox for some time, while Kaver observed from the cupola on the tower. Wings were seen in the playpen at 7:35. Sacajawea was on the nestbox perch, with Linn staying in.
At 7:43, the fun really began. Carol P. alerted us that Mariah was off the tower, and coming straight at us! Well, she was aiming for a Mourning Dove right next to the Bru Building/Rochester Button Factory, and she smacked it about 10′ off the ground, right at the corner of Platt and State Streets. that is to say, before our very eyes! I’ve never seen Mariah so close, and it was a real thrill for me. Anyway, she did not get hold of the bird, and it fell to the sidewalk very near the corner. Mariah was determined to pick up this dove, and made several passes low to the street. Whether because of the nearby traffic, the not easily accessible spot to which the bird had fallen, or other distractions, she was unsuccessful at snagging the dove. She finally went to the corner of the Kodak building at Morrie Silver Way and State Street, watching the dazed dove. At 7:49, she flew to the southeast corner of the 13th floor, continuing to keep a watchful eye on the dove, which had flown to the top of a mailbox right next to the Bru building/Rochester Button Factory, under an awning. At 8:20, she flew to the support arm of camera 1, while Kaver, who had watched all this action from the cupola, flew to the east side of the High Falls smokestack, while the eyases yelled. Nothing more was forthcoming for them tonight, however, at least while I was there. The dove, meanwhile, had disappeared from the mailbox.
The red lights at the top of the tower came on at 8:40, and the floodlights (them as works) came on at 8:50. Grace was on the southeast floodlight, and presented a pretty picture, illuminated from below. It was lovely to see the variation in the light as Grace moved and flapped her wings. Ananta ran (like a falcon possessed) back and forth on the playpen floor, flapping all the way. Sacajawea remained on the perch outside the nestbox, Linn stayed in (still), Mariah was on camera 1, and Kaver stayed out of sight on the east side of the High Falls smokestack.
The nightcap came at 9:04 – two figures appeared on the walk outside the 19th floor offices, apparently enjoying the view of Frontier Field and the river gorge. Well, Mariah gave them a couple of minutes grace period, then went into Stealth Bomber mode. Without a sound, she proceeded to dive on these intruders to her space. After her first pass, she did a U-turn, and headed back toward them at speed. They got the message that this was not the place to be, and scuttled back along the east side of the building, ducking down at each pass by Mariah. She continued to dive-bomb them all the way to the door on the north side, never vocalizing. I wonder if she remained silent so as not to upset the eyases. We watchers were vocalizing, though, cheering her on at the top of our lungs! She’s such a warrior.
So that was my first official fledge watch of 2007. I should be so lucky to have all the rest be so fine. I’ll post pictures as soon as I can organize them.
Marcia L.
June 20th, 2007 at 1:32 PM
You provided a graphic and very detailed description.
re: “Stealth Bomber mode”
We are learning that many animals such as elephants, giraffes, give out warning signals to their like kind but which are not audible to the human ear.
1. Do we know if falcons are capable of the same? Perhaps she was sending out signals to Kaver and the babes that she was on attack.
2. Since it was night-time, do falcons operate on some extra-sensory radar system, or do the eyes readily adapt to both light and dark? I was thinking that perhaps her silence was because her radar was kicking in.