Falcon Watch – Larry O’Heron Wednesday, June 27 6:15-7:30AM
Highlights:
Juvies change neighborhood.
Ananta does a power dive.
Mariah provides training lessons close up to the juvies and us.
Today’s morning watch was well worth the effort to drag myself out of bed at 5:30 in the morning.
First the important stuff:
– all four juvies were sighted and accounted for
– we’ve moved out of the parking lot and onto the Pont De Rennes pedestrian bridge.
So who was watching today: Dan S (of course), Jeanne (without a doubt), Mike (naturally) for the usual morning crew. In addition, Kathy G, Paul (an official watcher), Dawn, Tom and (very early) Carol P. And it was worth it for everyone who made it down there this morning. So let’s get to it …
Juvies change neighborhood:
When I arrived to the Kodak parking lot, things looked strange. Dan S was standing and he was alone amid a sea of folding chairs. Dan S uickly brought me up to speed tho’. The juvies were out on and all over the BeeBee power station. This meant it was time for the bridge. In my mind, I figured that they were out in the gorge, and while technically true, I’ve come to prefer to say that they’ve moved towards the gorge. But this is a big step. When I got on the bridge, one juvie was on Jimmy Mac’s restaurant, one juvie was on the BeeBee station, and the other two were spread among the stacks, etc. Some really cool stuff happened before I got there, but I will leave that up to Paul – the other official watcher – who has more details, and witnessed a lot of the activity.
Suffice to say that this was the closest that I’ve been to the juvies so far, distances that can be measured in tens of feet rather than “floors on a building”.
I was especially glad to be within a hundred feet of Grace who has become my favorite. She is my favorite because of her drive to develop and take charge of her life. Which brings us to …
Ananta does a power dive: Grace was on a flight over the river, seemingly enjoying the adventure. Ananta, sitting on the center stack, took off and flew towards Grace. At this point Ananta was some hundred feet over Grace, with both over the river on their flight. That’s when Ananta, inverted and went vertical on Grace. It was a spectacular, practice “stoop”. If Grace had been a starling, it could have been all over. The inversion and dive was that fast and that powerful, which brings us to …
Mariah provides training lessons close up to the juvies and us.
Mariah, from a variety of positions like the top of the stacks and the stack catwalks, was all over the gorge and bridge in an amazing aerial demonstration for the juvies. Now in fact, who can truly know why she was doing it? Training? Lessons? Food?
Sometimes the targets were pigeons over the Genesee brewery or the falls or Mill St. Sometimes the targets were crows which was a first for me to see Mariah take after crows). The crows were in the vicinity of the BeeBee station, but down much lower than the juvies. And in any event, crows haven’t really been an issue for M&K in the past. But this morning was very different. Okay, here is my unscientific thought. They provided targets of opportunity to demonstrate for the juvies the techniques of hunting, defense and stooping. Remember that is my opinion, not to be confused with scientific fact.
On several of the lessons, Mariah came right over our heads (very close!) and proceeded out over the bridge into the gorge. Awesome! She also passed under the bridge several times, especially on taking after the crows.
At one point, I watched Mariah “take out” a pigeon, but I may have mis-observed. I saw the pigeon drop but Mariah did not pursue it, so maybe the pigeon just performed a vertical evasion, but it sure looked like a hit.
Just a reminder to keep an eye out for Paul’s amazing report coming up.
Larry O
June 27th, 2007 at 10:46 AM
Wow, Larry – excellent watch summary! I love it when Mariah is in ‘teaching’ mode, we get to see so much of her close up! And Ananta stooping on Grace is just amazing, they’re growing up so fast!! Thanks for the detail, it’s great.
susan c
June 27th, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Hi, Larry – Thank you, and other watchers, for the wonderful descriptions of the girls’ progress. I enjoy checking the web daily to see what they’ve been up to.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Do the birds go back to their box at night or do they find other roosts from now on?
June 27th, 2007 at 12:15 PM
Bill and I moved from Rochester 10 years ago and have been following the falcons for years. We just wanted to tell you how much we have enjoyed “Imprints”. Everyone has done a great job during their “watches”; so much so that we almost feel like we are there with you. Thanks so much for bring a little of Rochester to us in South Carolina.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:22 PM
What a great bunch of watchers!! I live in Las Vegas, Nevada but I am from Rochester. It is so wonderful to watch every year as the new eyases are hatched and reared–but my only perspective comes from the scrape cameras. You folks are my only way of hearing the rest of the story after the juvies take flight. I am so glad you are there and I can feel like I am, too! Thank you for your posts.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:55 PM
Larry-
Please keep observing and writing…..your verbiage captures my attention and my imagination. After reading your posts, I feel as if I have just witnessed the antics…..from right here in Florida.
Thank you to you and all of the Falcon Watchers….those of us who observe over thousands of miles appreciate keeping up with the ‘girls’ now that they have taken flight.
Karen
June 27th, 2007 at 2:20 PM
I get these reports via Anchorage Alaska from a friend that was born and reared in Batavia. She has become an avid falcon watcher with reports and pictures from the internet. I live in Golden, CO.
It is becoming more interesting to me all time. I am addicted to watching all wildlife, so thanks for your time and reports.
I particularly enjoy Canadian Geese, of which we had none fifty years ago. Now they nonchalantly graze the remnants of green grass as the melting snow reveals it small amounts at a time, while pedestrians walk a few feet away.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:10 PM
Thanks for the updates. I look forward to reading them everyday when I get home from work. Especially now that is nothing on the Falconcam to watch. One of these days I’d like to over to the bridge and watch the action for myself.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:58 PM
I love how the babies are growing up, there getting really big like there mama. I love seeing the picture’s of them flying there so cute. Thank you for keeping us so informed, you do such a great job. Keep up of the good work!
June 27th, 2007 at 7:18 PM
I very much enjoy reading all the reports, updates and responses to the reports and updates! I am thrilled to hear that the girls are learning fast! I just saw one (or maybe two) taking a rest in the playpen (my lucky day)! If I lived in Rochester, I would be right there with you watching, admiring, reporting, worrying …!
June 27th, 2007 at 7:25 PM
I was so pleased and intrigued to read that you, William B. Anthony, enjoy Canada Geese, becaue not everyone does! I do, so that makes two of us! We have lots of them here in Toronto!
June 28th, 2007 at 1:57 AM
Sarah: while the scrape is the nursery for eyases, the whole Kodak “cliff” is the resting place for juveniles, as the watcher reports have indicated. Just as teenagers do not sleep in their nursery crib anymore, but move out to a bigger space, so the young falcons do not generally spend much time in the scrape after fledging. There have been broods who would show up on the cameras more often than these do – one season the young Mariah even held “family conferences” in the scrape according to old reports, but not this year.
June 28th, 2007 at 7:56 AM
we are watching from southern vermont …. from april until recently it
was part of my routine to hop on the web and watch…..haven’t seen
the birds in their box for awhile now.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:19 AM
when the fledgelings are ready to actually separate from their parents, what do they do? i mean, how far do they travel, when do they find mates, has there been much follow up with the offspring?
questions, questions, questions…
am leaving for vacation. am anxious about not have computer access for the fledgeling watch!
thanks so much to all who have been so diligent keeping us all posted.