Fledge Watch: Aconcagua's Chance to Shine

Sometimes it's the "runt of the litter" who ends up standing out. If today's flying was any indication, Aconcagua is carrying that legacy for Mariah and Kaver's 2005 family in grand style. She (it's all but certain to me that Aconcagua is no male, as you'll soon see) treated us to a fantastic show this morning, with some very close flying and opportunities for a lot of pictures. I took full advantage, as you might guess, and I'll share them with you below.

First though, I haven't updated my blog in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd share some pictures from recent days. Here's a picture of Kaver (whom I have seen more of than Mariah) sitting on the gorge wall:

I didn't have my scope with me on this noon day, so the shot is pretty far off, but you can get a good idea of how well Kaver stands out against the rocks of the gorge.

At midday, the fledglings have been spending much of their time staying out of the hot sun. Here are three of them, only two of which are clearly visible:

Skye is to the right (below center) in this picture; her back is to us. One of her sisters is above her to the left, facing the camera. The elusive third sibling is partly obscured by the leaves, sitting on the branch just below the second juvenile. When they're not in the trees, sometimes we find them under the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge:


Falcons aren't the only animals worth watching, either. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) like to spend their time feeding in the gorge, or just relaxing:


And there's always a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) or two vying for our attention:


Occasionally, an aerial subject of a different nature presents itself. Here's a nice gibbous moon that was setting in the west this morning. I digiscoped it, then shot a picture with just the camera for comparison:


OK, enough of the distractions-- On to the flying!

The morning was relatively sedate until shortly before 8:00. After a falcon free watch, I had wandered out onto the observation deck to check the bridge's substructure for perching Peregrines, when I was surprised by a juvenile streaking by me. I didn't see where she came from, but I followed her as she made sport of chasing a pair of crows low over the island beneath the bridge. Then she found a more interesting target, a Rock dove, and the pursuit kicked into overdrive:

She chased the poor pigeon through the length and breadth of the gorge, sometimes getting so close I was sure she would reach out and snatch breakfast from the air. A look back at the bridge showed me that no-one else had seen the action. Fellow watcher Larry O'Heron hadn't noticed, Carol and Jean had left the bridge to check on other possible perching spots, and Lisa McK and Joyce had driven downtown on a similar mission. Since I had left my radio at home, I was incommunicado, so I hoofed it back to the bridge double-time to let Larry know. He spread the word over the airwaves, and we watched while the juvenile made a valiant effort at catching a meal. Alas, it wasn't to be, and she ended up back over the falls and the east side of the gorge. I ran back to the observation deck in time to see a bit more flying, and make an ID!


Aconcagua was quite obliging as she circled, and the light was perfect for spotting that bold red tape on her US Fish and Wildlife band. Her circling ended abruptly, though, and she streaked past me heading upriver. Another falcon entered my binocular-augmented view, and there was a meeting accompanied by a lot of kacking:

I shot this just after Aconcagua took the food drop from Kaver (that's him to the rear). This shot is why I'm pretty firmly in the "Acon-is-a-female" camp-- Look at that size difference. Even were Acon a "big boy", I don't think he'd be that much larger than Kaver. So, for my money, Aconcagua is a she.

Anyway, Kaver headed back downtown while Aconcagua circled with her meal. However, another fledgling appeared, and followed Kaver upriver, where they both disappeared amongst the downtown buildings.


After her circling, Aconcagua set down on some rocks in front of the observation deck. The area was still in heavy shadow, and pictures weren't easy to get, but I managed a decent shot:


Thankfully, she was back in the air before long. She headed for a tree to enjoy her catch, and I was able to get a nice view of her as she passed by:


While she broke her fast, I took the opportunity to rejoin the watchers on the bridge, the ranks of which had now expanded to include Dana and Lou. When Aconcagua finished her meal, she wasted no time getting airborne again, so once more we made the trek to the observation deck. Dana and I ventured out onto the working railroad trestle (owned by CSX Railway, I think) over the falls to check on a sighting of Acon and another juvenile on one of the buildings closer to downtown. It's a sturdy structure, but definitely dangerous to be on, since if a train comes, there's not a lot of room for us fragile, soft humans to get out of it's way. We stayed only long enough to get a quick look, then back to the deck we headed. It was a good move, too, because Aconcagua decided to fly back for more wing work:


She was joined by one of her siblings. I think it's Esperanza, but I couldn't quite get enough light for a positive ID:


They played some talon tag and did a wicked job of tag-teaming a gull all over the gorge, before breaking off and flying separately through the area. Acon played near the observation deck for quite a while:




And another shot of Esperanza:


Aconcagua's full crop was easy to spot as she flew:


Here's a nice close pass, and my best shot of the day:


She treated us to more flying before settling on one of the bridge's vertical supports:


I walked back to the bridge, intending to photograph her on the substructure, but she flew back into the gorge as I was approaching. The morning was wearing on, and I had work to do at home, so I packed up my scope left the watch in the capable hands of others. I'm pleased that I was able to see so much great flying up close, sometimes so close that focusing was impossible and even following the action was a dodgy proposition. It's great to know that the 2005 clutch are still out and about though, and treating us all to some really wonderful flying. And I have to say, for a "runt", Aconcagua has certainly turned out to be a marvelous Peregrine.

Skye Pilot - A Morning of Awe-inspiring Flight

This morning found many of the visiting watchers returning for another look. They were not to be disappointed, though the morning had an understated beginning. For me it was a combination of thrills and frustration. There was plenty of flying, but much of it was so close or so fast that capturing it clearly proved problematic. I couldn't even blame the weather, which featured crystal blues skies and clear bright sun low in the east.

I will say that this morning was Skye's day. She dominated the air, treating us to flights that rival the best we saw from Pride and Hafoc last year. This year's brood has been a precocious bunch, leaving the nest box and taking long flights early, and they've continued that trend with a lot of feather work over the gorge.

Here's an early shot of Skye as she took off from the Bru and flew toward one of the Kodak buildings:
          

After she landed, all was quiet in the parking lot, so we walked out to the bridge. Initially we saw nothing, but that was soon to change. From beneath the bridge this juvenile emerged (Esperanza or Ihteram was the consensus) and flew near the High Falls Brewing Company:


That brought Skye off her perch on the Kodak tower, and the two siblings chased each other as we watched from the observation tower:


Skye passed back and forth on the east side of the gorge, skimming the trees. In her talons she clutched a small leafy branch as she flew:
     

Here's Skye's sister turning for another run up toward the falls as watchers look on from the bridge:


As I said, much of the flying was close, and fast. Fishermen often talk about "the one that got away". For me, this next shot is the missed opportunity of the year:

A little faster (or slower) panning my camera would have made all the difference between the best picture of 2005 (for this photographer) and a throwaway. I couldn't bear to delete it, despite its obvious flaws. I've resolved to use it as a learning experience, and hope it will push me to become a better photographer.

Luckily, Skye was nowhere close to being finished with her flying. She must have spent ten minutes (it seemed like more) plying the moist breezy air over the gorge while our human eyes drank it all in, and our human hearts could only wish our bodies were capable of such grace and ease. Here she is dodging the cascade of the High Falls:
     

She did some flying above us as well:


On at least two occasions, she landed on a rock shelf just below the observation deck:


She didn't tarry there, though. The air was her home this morning:
     

And once more across the falls...


Other juveniles were out as well. Here's Ihteram showing she's no slouch in the flying department, either:


She landed on the north side of the bridge. I hurried over for a perched shot:

---

Is there redemption for the shot that got away? I'd like to think so. The signature shot for this watch may have eluded me, but then again, perhaps not...

The morning sun's refraction through the mist rising from the falls created a specatcular prismatic backdrop for Skye's delightful flying. I'm not given to quoting others in these pages; I usually find my own words more than adequate to the task of describing what I'm seeing. Today, though, the words of fellow fledge watcher Larry O'Heron are so aptly suited to this moment that I'll let him speak for me:

We slip the prism of red and blue,
hanging on the falls' mist ...

...When we go, we'll leave behind your memories,
Our future lies ahead ... on the wings of peregrines.

An Evening of Fledge Watching

Having missed the annual Falcon Watch breakfast for local fledge watchers and out-of-town visitors on the morning of July 9, I thought I'd go downtown to catch some evening flying. There wasn't a lot of flying to be seen, but the falcons were all in evidence for much of the time, and they gave our visitors quite a good view. Here's Skye and Ihteram picking over the remains of a bird that had been breakfast earlier in the day. As you can see, there is little more than bones left:
     

Both of the birds were perched on top of the Bru restaurant. The sun was falling in the west, and it cast them in an agreeable evening glow:
     
In the picture on the left, Skye's transmitter harness is clearly visible, thanks to the blowing wind which ruffled her feathers allowing a good view.

Here she is turning around and vocalizing as Kaver flew overhead. I think she's hoping for something fresh to eat:
     

Shortly after he flew by, she took off and followed him:


Ihteram followed her off the Bru building, leaving no fledglings nearby, so I headed out to the bridge with Dana. There were some other watchers there, and we radioed to see if any of them had seen any fledglings, but the report came back negative. We were therefore a little surprised to find this fledgling perching in a tree beneath the north side of the Pont de Rennes:
     
It took a bit of watching to get an ID, but my persistence was rewarded when he turned on the branch and I spied Fulmine's blue band.

As the evening grew darker, we were able to account for all five fledglings perched on various buildings or in the gorge. Near 9:00PM, Kaver flew in again, and all the fledglings took to the air with him. Here's the first shot I've ever taken showing all five in the air at once!


The juveniles settled on the Kodak office complex as Kaver perched on his lily overhead. As I headed home, a sliver of moon was visible low in the west. I thought it made an a propos end to the evening watch:

Fledge Watch: More Gorge-ous Flying

The weather finally cooperated today! Moderate temperatures, bright blue skies interspersed with white clouds and plenty of sun provided the perfect backdrop for photographing the fledglings. They didn't disappoint, either. Up to three were in the air at once today, cavorting through the Genesee river gorge, skimming the trees, and darting amongst the girders beneath the Pont de Rennes bridge. The only thing wanting was my photography skills, which weren't always equal to the task of following their frenetic antics. Nevertheless, I do have a few pictures to share...

Cathy Zummo and another watcher whose name I have regrettably forgotten were monitoring the area around the bridge when I arrived. I let them know that Kaver had recently taken off from his perch near the nest box, and had made a shallow dive over the gorge as I was walking out to the bridge. I didn't see where he went, but out on the bridge, I scanned the gorge wall, and located him without undue difficulty. His stark white breast was easy to pick out against the grey stone, even without binoculars. The faint kacking of a juvenile reached our ears. My theory was that there was a fledgling under the bridge. Cathy said she'd checked recently and found nothing, but I decided to head out to the east end of the bridge to have a look for myself.

Along the way, I ran into fal-Kenn Martinez and his lovely wife Jenn (get it? Kenn & Jenn???) who were enjoying lunch on one of the bridge's benches. I pointed out Kaver to him and to Art, a member of the Birdcam Team who was out for a mid-day stroll. After a bit of pleasant conversation, I continued my eastward peregrination as Dana and Lisa McKeown were arriving. At the east end of the bridge, I scanned the substructure with my binoculars, but found no sign of falcons. There was, however, a family of American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) perched in the verdant vegetation near the gorge wall:


After a few photos, I headed for the observation deck near the falls for a reverse angle on the bridge. Along the way, Dana radioed that she'd spotted one of the fledglings on the gorge wall near Kaver. I found a gap in the thick leaves along the path to the observation tower and was able to frame both juvenile and adult in this shot:

The penguin-esque Kaver stands out easily. The fledgling is perched in the sharp rocks above him and to the left in the picture, with it's back toward me and its head in profile.

I continued on to the observation deck and scanned the bridge again, but the results were the same. I turned to scanning the gorge wall, when Kaver took off, headed north. More kacking accompanied his flight, which took him under the bridge and northward out of sight. Soon Dana exclaimed that two fledglings had taken off from the trees along the gorge. I found them quickly enough, and shortly they were joined by a third! They darted up and down the length of the gorge, tagging each other, strafing trees, ducks and gulls at rest in the placid waters below. They moved so fast, with quick, unpredictable turns, that no sooner would I line up a shot than the subject zig-zagged out of the frame. The flight went on for a couple of minutes, during which Kenn and Jenn joined me on the observation deck. At some point, two of the juveniles headed for the bridge, leaving the third to continue its flight alone. All this time, Dana noted that the fourth juvenile on the gorge wall hadn't moved. I managed to shoot a few pictures of the solo flyer, though they're nothing spectacular:
          

The juvenile landed in the trees (I think-- my memory's not quite clear), so we left the observation deck. Lisa let us know that there were two juveniles perched under the bridge, so when I arrived, I got right to the photography. A rusted cable proved inconvenient, but after some wrangling for position, I managed to get a mostly unobstructed shot:

From Lisa's position she identified this one as Ihteram. While I photographed her, another juvenile flew into view and landed on a nearby tree.
     
With all of her hopping around, it was easy to identify Esperanza.

This sleek-looking bird, perched farther out on one of the bridge supports, didn't want to show us its band:


It wasn't until it flew to a tree to join its sister that Lisa saw a blue band. Fulmine's at the left, Esperanza's above and to the right in this somewhat overexposed shot:


Fulmine took off under the bridge again, leaving Esperanza alone on the tree:


After that, it was time to get back to the office. With these fledglings putting on such terrific flying shows, I'm going to have to get back into top motion-tracking form in short order if I'm to have any hope of catching these falcons in the midst of their wild, wonderful flights. Luckily, the practice is its own reward!

Fledge Watch: Gorging, Flying, Bridging

Pleasant temperatures in the 70s were offset somewhat by high thin clouds that made photography difficult, but after hearing that the fledglings were back in the gorge area, I couldn't let a little backlighting stop me from trying to get some pictures. It was an active watch, that began with Dana pointing out Skye on the catwalk of the middle RGE smokestack:


She alternated between the railing and the floor of the catwalk, then moved around to the east side. That was my cue to migrate to the bridge, where the view looked like this:


I met Lisa McKeown along the way. Meanwhile, Dana headed toward the Kodak tower to photograph one of the juveniles on the 17^th floor ledge. On the bridge Lisa and I found Kathy G and Greg watching Skye. While we waited for some action, Dana informed us that a couple of the fledglings had landed on the communication tower. After a few minutes of inactivity, Skye took off and headed downtown:


Kaver accompanied her back but he didn't stick around. Skye treated us to some more flying over the bridge, though:
          
You can see how the strong backlight worked against good photos. Distance did, too. Skye soon headed out again, where she joined two of her siblings for some group tag:
     

The three falcons disappeared among the buildings south of the bridge. The flying wasn't over though. Rather, we were surprised by a falcon flying through the gorge. It strafed the trees on the east wall, and at one point it flapped up to a near landing on the bridge railing! Only passing pedestrians kept it from alighting, and instead it flew to the other side, no more than 6 feet (2 meters) high. I was several dozens of yards away, and so surprised by the bird's audacious move (I expected it to go under the bridge) that the only picture I got of it is the one in my mind. We ran across to the north side of the bridge to follow its progress as it continued harassing the plant life on the side of the gorge. Our enthusiasm must have been infectious, becuase a few passers-by joined us in our bridge-spanning back and forth.

The falcon came to rest on the railing of the old railroad trestle, but it didn't stay there long. Back into the gorge it went, where it was joined by another fledgling, which seemed to come out of nowhere! They chased each other through the gorge, then disappeared beneath the bridge. Greg and I ventured to the east end to see if we could find and identify them. While Greg crept north onto the rickety, vine-covered trestle bridge, I went south. There, I found Esperanza taking her ease:


Greg joined me and pointed out where another fledgling (later he saw Ihteram's yellow band) sat with its back to us. The angle was no good for pictures from the south side, so I joined him on the trestle:
     

Here's a look at the two of them perched under the bridge:


The hour ended and I needed to return to the office. I'll leave you with another look at Esperanza from the trestle:


The fledglings are flying like experts already. Hopefully they'll stick around the gorge area, and if the lighting cooperates, perhaps some close flight shots are not out of the realm of possibility in the next few days.