Evening with the Fledglings

Dawn and I decided to take a trip down to the High Falls gorge to see the Peregrine fledglings, since they'll be going their own way soon, flying further afield, and being seen less and less in the coming weeks. Before we left, we gave Tessa and Quest some exercise. I took my camera with me, and found a couple of worthwhile subjects, including a dragonfly buzzing through the tall grass and and immature Green Heron (Butorides virescens) as it overflew us:
          

After dinner at Jimmy Mac's we joined a number of watchers on the Pont de Rennes bridge, including Carol P, Brian, Jeanne, Glenn & Cindy, and Carrie & Shaky. The evening began slowly, with blue skies devoid of Peregrines. As usual, we found other sights within the gorge while we waited to see if the falcons would put in an appearance. On the south side beneath the bridge, an industrius American beaver (Castor canadensis) hauled a bit of vegetation through the shallows, passing a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on the hunt:
          

Kacking announced Aura's arrival, this year's loud-mouth:
          

When Kaver flew in with food, Sabrina was right behind him, and the two sisters contested for the food. Sabrina was the winner, but she dropped it in the heat of the post-transfer chase. She flew around the BeeBee Station buildings, clearly agitated at the loss of her dinner:


She landed, but almost immediately began a nervous pacing along the edge of the roof:
          

Then she flew, a short hop nearer where she'd dropped the prey
     

          

She landed on the pipework, and took a moment to return my gaze between rounds of eyeing the food:
          

For a time it seemed like she might retrieve her dinner, but for whatever reason, she decided it was beyond her reach and she spent the rest of the evening sulking, moving around the building, but never venturing to the ground:


Aura sat nearby, no longer vocalizing, but smug, perhaps? Her crop was full, after all:


We ended the evening with a good look at Rhea Mae in full fluffage, who had landed on a railing in her customary place atop one of the High Falls Brewing Company buildings:


With the light fading, we left the remainder of the watch to others. It was a nice treat to see all three fledglings, a sight that's unlikely to be witnessed for very many more days.

An Audience of One

More often than not, watching the Kodak Peregrines is a communal activity; their enduring popularity almost guarantees it. Having fellow birders around provides companionship, an opportunity for conversation during lulls in the activity, and extra sets of eyes when tracking multiple falcons. Sometimes, though, solitude has rewards of its own; freedom of movement and the ability to devote all of ones senses to the task at hand amongst them. Thus, when I found myself alone at the east end of the Pont de Rennes bridge shortly after 7:30 this morning, I viewed it as an unusual fluke of good fortune, unlooked for though it was. The morning's serendipity began with this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) preening and sunning itself in a tree:
     

It was halfway down the bridge, and I'd likely have overlooked it had I not been scanning the snags beneath the bridge for signs of the juvenile falcons. As it happened, I spotted a fledgling buzzing over the east side of the gorge and the observation deck, my original destination. When it passed the bridge, I shot a few pictures:
          

Aura didn't let fascination with her talon hinder her flying as she zoomed back toward the falls. Up the path I jogged in pursuit, binoculars bouncing as I went. I caught a few shots of her along the way, but the backlighting from the sun ruined them. I found the light much improved upon the deck with the sun at my back:


She duelled with the gulls above the churning water that pitched over the turgid High Falls, giving spirited chase to one unfortunate juvenile:
          

After the pursuit, she rested for a time on the low building below the bridge:


Nature abhors a vaccuum, and falcon flying seems to be no exception. The raptor flight void didn't last long, and betimes I found myself tracking another juvenile that turned out to be Sabrina:
     

She too passed near the observation deck, casting her predator's eye upon me, and giving me a good look at her talons and plumage, which showed evidence of a recent meal:
          

Aura joined Sabrina and the two juveniles took turns chasing each other:


Their play featured some incredible aerobatics, including this inverted Immelmann-esque loop:
     

They made ample use of the nearby airspace for their playground:
     

     

The golden-crowned Aura took a break, leaving the sky to her smaller sibling:
          

After chasing a pigeon near the falls, Sabrina made a most unusual landing on the chain-link fence adjacent to the cataract, doing a passable impression of a woodpecker clinging to a tree:
     

She left her odd perch soon enough, preferring to cavort in the misty air:
     

Aura too, seemed to delight in the drizzly sky, returning to her preoccupation with her talons:
          

Then the two of them were back at it, renewing their chases:


The hour I'd allotted myself for watching drew to a close, and I left the pair to their pursuits through the gorge. Walking back down the path, I found the Kodak tower framed by the trees and stopped for a quick portrait:


Cool air, fresh breezes, bright sun and fantastic flying-- an excellent outing, and a wonderful way to spend some quality time on my own. Birding with a group is unquestionably fun and rewarding, but a solo session holds undeniable charm as well.

Entertainment at Eight

Hoping to see the falcons before the weather got too oppressive, I stopped by the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge at 8:00 this morning. Joyce was the only other watcher there, a bit of a surprise given the activity to which we've been treated by this year's fledglings. Of course, when I arrived, there was almost no activity from the falcons. Joyce pointed out one juvnenile, probably Rhea Mae, busy with breakfast on a roof of the BeeBee Station:


Finding no more falcons, I sought other sights, and found a few; The High Falls, engorged from yesterday's diluvian rains...


A Great Blue Heron perched on a building below the bridge...


Fawns stretching after a night's rest:


Urgent kacking was our first indication of other peregrines in the area. A fledgling flew northward into the blue morning sky to meet Kaver for a well-executed food transfer. Right on its tail came another, challenging the first for the meal. They both landed on some of the BeeBee Station's pipework:


Size difference soon made it clear that Sabrina held the food, mantling over her prize against the other bird, which we decided was Aura based on the light coloration of her head. After a few seconds of their uneasy detente, Sabrina decided to seek a more isolated mess, and she carried her food to another part of the building:


Undeterred, Aura jumped aloft and followed her sister:
          

Sabrina would brook no interference, though. She dropped below the edge of the roof and kept on eating despite Aura's intrusion.

Rhea Mae flew from her rooftop rest to the railing of the brewery building at the east end of the bridge. Joyce and I headed that way for a few pictures:


I spotted another heron on a thick wire and took a moment to photograph it's unusual pose:


Then it was back to Rhea Mae:
     

She gave us ample opportunities and seemed in no hurry to vacate her spot. I stayed until the hour was nearly up, then left Joyce on the east side to continue watching while I headed into the office. Joyce's shout alerted me to new activity, as Rhea Mae jumped down into the gorge for some flying. She circled the building below the bridge and made sport of harrying the herons:
          

Leave it to the falcons to spring into action when I have no time to watch! After a few more strafing runs, she flew directly toward me and landed on one of the bridge's supports. Lucky me. I leaned over the railing for a few photos:
     

     

With the minutes ticking away, I left her beneath the span and continued toward my car, grabbing a few quick shots of Sabrina as I went:


Near the west end of the bridge I was startled by loud kacking as Aura made a spectacular flight right next to me:
          

It was a great way end to an hour of watching, and I left before the Peregrines could throw any more temptaions my way. Their flights continue to impress and entertain, and I'm looking forward to witnessing more of them.

Rhea Mae Rules the Gorge

I took some time to check out the action in the gorge this morning, since I haven't had many chances to get out in recent days. Bad weather and other commitments have conspired to keep me off the bridge, so I welcomed the opportunity. Fortunately, it wasn't a wasted trip.

We've been seeing a lot of the Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias), which seem to be a lot more active than in past years. Here's one that flew across the island beneath the bridge on its way to the water:


Elaine pointed out a pair of Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon) on a wire. As I started shooting, one of them darted toward the water:


The other birds were certainly interesting, but what I came for was Peregrines. Rhea Mae didn't disappoint. Brian was the first to point her out, flying near the observation deck, where I headed without delay. Rhea Mae stayed nearby-- good news for me:
     

          

There's a simple kind of power and grace that's epitomized by the image of a falcon against a clear blue sky, but I love to be able to put a bit of context into the shots as well. Unfortunately, shooting a speeding Peregrine against a backdrop is often an exercise in frustration. Even a sophisticated camera like the Canon 20D tends to lock its focus on the background, relegating the falcon to blurry obscurity. It takes persistence, and more than a little luck, to get clear shots, and it's always a pleasant surprise to find quality images when I get them onto the computer:
     

Rhea Mae landed in a tree for a little rest, and I headed back to the bridge, but when she took off again I ran back to the deck for more shots. On one of her passes she came so close I could likely have reached out and touched her. Of course, she was much too fast for a picture. I did catch her with something in her talon, though:
          

I have no idea what she was holding, but it seemed to interest her a great deal. Rhea Mae strikes me as an especially curious girl. I hope her curiosity doesn't bring her grief. Her flights took her the length and breadth of the gorge and beyond:


After one circuit, I lost sight of her behind some trees, so I walked back toward the bridge and the other watchers. On my way, this young rabbit hopped onto the path:


As I approached the Pont de Rennes, a pair of juveniles rose into sight from lower in the gorge:


They made only a brief flight before settling on the High Falls Brewing Company's railing. By the time I made it back to the bridge, one of the pair had hopped down to the roof, out of sight. It wasn't immediately apparent which one was left:


Since it was nearly 9:00, I left the bridge, meeting Roger and Marian on my way. I also stopped for a better angle, and caught Aura's blue band:


There's no better way to spend an hour of the morning than watching the falcons in flight. Poor weather is forecast for the next couple of days, and in the back of my mind I'm beginning to realize that we won't have the pleasure of these peregrines for too much longer. Mariah and Kaver's 2006 brood have proven to be some of the most entertaining that I've had the honor to observe, and I'm hopeful that before they depart for the uncertainty of life on their own, I'll get a few more chances to photograph them as they careen through the skies of Rochester's High Falls.

Fledgling Flights and Portraits

I took three trips out to the bridge today; morning, noon, and afternoon. Each time, the fledglings obliged with plenty of activity. The morning began with meeting Carol, Robin and Brian. After many falcon-less minutes, this juvenile male American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) dominated our attention when he landed on a window sill, then flew to a nearby rooftop on the BeeBee Station:
          

We finally spotted a Peregrine in a tree just south of the bridge:


When she turned we were able to see Aura's bright blue leg band in the morning sun. She didn't tarry in the tree, but headed east:


During her flight through the gorge, I took break from watching her to shoot this Great blue heron against the sparkling backdrop of the Genesee:


When Aura had her fill of flying she landed on the brewery:

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Noon brought sightings of no fewer than four herons. Here are a pair of them perching on the retaining wall west of the gorge:


Carol let me know that two of the fledglings were keeping to the shadows in the 'shady tree', which has two long boughs that thrust out over the east edge of the gorge. Only one was clearly visible, though:


Carol also noted that the morning hours had seen repeated flights by the fledglings, so I was prepared for a quiet lunch hour. The fledglings had other plans, though. They spent much of the hour in spirited aerial pursuits. Their flying often carried them near the observation deck adjacent to the eastern edge of the High Falls where a pair of workmen were installing some new safety fencing. The falcons paid them no heed, but did manage to catch their attention:


The flying was fast and furious, with short breaks in between. Aura and Rhea Mae did most of the chasing:
     


Rhea Mae was the star of the hour, though:
     

     

When she landed on the old concrete below the observation deck, Carol, Cathy Zummo and I hurried down the path to get a look. The workmen were there, being intently watched by Rhea Mae, and they cautioned us unnecessarily as we approached. A few more careful steps brought her into full view:
     

I walked up to the deck for a different look:
          

Rhea Mae sat for a couple of minutes, with no apparent concern for our presence. Then as easily as she had arrived, Rhea Mae headed back into the air for more chasing:
          

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After work I walked out to the bridge one more time. I found the span bereft of watchers save for Brian H who was standing (you guessed it) at the eastern end. On my way out, I spied this Kestrel hunting from a streetlamp below the bridge:


Brian pointed out two of the juveniles in the shady tree. While we were waiting for them to do something other than perch, Rhea Mae landed on a dead tree nearby:


Curiously, she grabbed the end of a branch in her bill and broke it off, then took off with it clutched in her talons:


She held onto it even when Aura came out to chase her:


They both landed, with Aura settling in the same tree that Rhea Mae had vacated. She didn't stay there for long either:
     

After circling the gorge a few times, she pushed Rhea Mae off of her rocky perch:
     

Sabrina finally decided to join the fun as well:


When Aura landed in the dead tree again, she decided to try getting a stick of her own to play with:


Her effort met with little success though. Before long she was back in the air, and this time her playmate was Sabrina:
     

For a moment it looked like they both might land on the arched bough just south of the bridge, but Aura fell away, leaving Sabrina in the perfect position to pose for a few portrait shots:
          

So, three trips to the bridge today, and three fun-filled watches. This year's fledglings seem to have no end of energy. It's a perfect situation for their many fans.

An Evening With Sabrina and Rhea Mae

Dawn's been wanting to see the fledglings in action for a few days now, but circumstances have repeatedly conspired against her getting downtown. Finally yesterday she was able to accompany me, so we had an early dinner and headed for the pedestrian bridge. We found many watchers there including Diana R, Jeanne, Dana and Lou, Greg S, Carrie and Shaky, Joyce, Kathy O, Lisa McKeown, Robin and Brian from New Jersey and Carol P.

The action began when one of the adults (I think it was Kaver) arrived with food. Aura and Sabrina headed east to meet him and the transfer occurred at a significant distance. It was so far away in fact, that we couldn't tell which eyas got the food, but both began grappling for it, plummeting through the sky as they struggled:
     

     

The fledglings fell behind the buildings of the High Falls Brewing Company, out of the sight of the astonished watchers. The next sight we had was of the victorious Sabrina, who flew nearby with her prize and landed on one of the brewery buildings:
     

Aura passed to the south of the bridge, her talons empty:


We've noticed that the Kestrels that share the gorge with the Peregrines are especially aggressive this year. One of them pursued Sabrina and made repeated attempts to steal her dinner. She was forced to guard against the thief the entire time she was eating:


Aura nursed her pride by chasing Rhea Mae up and down the length of the gorge. Much of the pursuit took place near the falls where the thick spray and falling light made good pictures hard to get. When Aura gave up the hunt, Rhea Mae continued flying, grasping at leaves as she skimmed the treetops. The highlight of the evening came when she flew up the side of the gorge and passed over the bridge at close range, greenery clutched in a talon:
     

     

          

Another, even closer flyover by Sabrina followed, and so awestruck was I by the sight that I didn't even try to take a picture. We ended the evening with this Great Blue Heron which flew beneath the bridge before touching down in the river to the north:
     

Amazing flying and action packed into just a little over an hour! This year's fledglings seem to provide endless excitement. One needs simply to show up, and look up, to enjoy the spectacle.

Early July Magic

The first few days in July always seem to bring some great flying with Mariah and Kaver's broods. Last year it was Skye and Aconcagua who provided a cornucopia of aerial excellence. This year, Sabrina seems to be the standout. One thing many of the watchers have noticed is how much time Sabrina and Rhea Mae are spending together. Rhea Mae, it seems, is Sabrina's playmate of choice. If there was any doubting their filial bond, this morning's activity put it to rest.

I had scarcely taken a dozen steps on the Pont de Rennes bridge when a pair of fledglings flew over my head toward the BeeBee station, Aura in hot pursuit of Sabrina, who clutched breakfast in her talons:
          

Their chase wound through the power plant's buildings and out of sight, but Rhea Mae filled the void, landing atop the station:
     

First time watchers Chris and Mary Ann joined me and we located Mariah on the catwalk of the middle smokestack. Aura had landed on the High Falls Brewing Company, where she spent much of the morning. Dan, Jeanne and Kathy O were my fellow witnesses for the action, though Jeanne left almost immediately after my arrival, and Carol and Yvonne showed up a bit later.

The pattern of activity for the morning alternated between chases & talon tag, and individual fly-bys. Rhea Mae provided the first close pass:


Sabrina pursued her, both of them flying low over the path that leads to the observation deck. By timing my shots I was able to catch them in relatively good light despite the cloudy skies and hazy morning air:


Nearly effortless in her flying now, Sabrina disdains proper aerodynamic form at her pleasure:
     

Before long, it was back to the chase. While Sabrina is clearly the better flyer, Rhea Mae keeps up well with her smaller sibling:
     

Sabrina crossed low over the bridge, an excellent viewing opportunity:


Dropping into the gorge, she and Rhea Mae danced along the rock wall and strafed the treetops, grasping at leaves along the way. Sabrina landed under the bridge, while Rhea Mae took a perch on one of the brewery buildings next to the observation deck path:
          

     

After sitting for portraits, Rhea Mae joined Sabrina on the bridge's substructure:


We were surprised by the unexpected arrival of Mariah, who settled close to her children:


When she took off again, both of them followed her out into the gorge, and even the aloof Aura joined them for a time. Mariah surprised us again by joining in a game of talon tag before flying back to the smokestack. On the way, she passed in front of the High Falls, and I was able to catch her majestic flight as she went:


Since most of the flying was taking place near the falls I headed out to the observation deck. It was a fortuitous choice which put the sun at my back as the fledgling chases continued. Yvonne and Carol had some good viewing as well:


The chases were incredible and sustained:
     

At one point I was nearing the capacity of my camera's 2GB CompactFlash memory card, so during a break in the action I swapped it out for a fresh one. I was glad I did, because some of the best flying was still to come. Rhea Mae buzzed the observation deck to my delight:
     

Sabrina showed off too, keeping an eye on me as she passed by:
     

     

Another round of chasing ensued before the fledglings took a break. Rhea Mae landed under the bridge, while Sabrina chose to perch on the rocks near the falls:
     

I could have stood out there on the deck and shot these birds all day. Their flights and chases are so engaging that it's easy to lose all sense of time. Before I knew it, 10:00 had come around, and I was well into my second memory card. I had yardwork to get to and over 800(!) images to review, so the break in the action gave me an excuse to head home, though not without some reluctance.

The next weeks should supply some real magic for those of us who appreciate and admire these peregrines. I can hardly wait to get back out there again.

A Windy Day for Sabrina and Aura

Thunderstorms at home and a too-comfortable bed dissuaded me from heading downtown at 7:00 as I'd intended, but by 8:00 I had made my way there, despite mostly overcast skies and a brutal wind that made photography with a long-barreled lens a study in frustration. Perseverance is a watchword of mine though, so in spite of the conditions I made the trek out to the observation deck on the east side of the Genesee river gorge. On my way out I had just missed some energetic flying by two of the fledglings near the gorge wall, and I was hoping for more. Hope doesn't always translate into reality though, and up on the observation deck all was quiet. Not one to waste an opportunity, I grabbed my Tamron 17-35mm wide angle zoom for some scenic shots:
          

Now, sometimes what's bad for me is good for the falcons. The wind jostled me without surcease the entire time I was on the exposed platform and to a lesser extent out on the Pont de Rennes bridge, but it created ideal conditions for the fledglings to dart and zoom through the sky. So even though a majority of the several hundred images I shot this morning were spoiled by the wind, I couldn't complain too much. Sabrina was the first to get back into the air, and my choice of vantage turned out to be excellent, as she made one pass after another near the observation deck:
          


     

Durning one of her flights over the trees she snagged a leaf, and apparently it held great interest for her, because she examined it quite closely while she flew:
          

She made one more flight over my head then flew off toward the Kodak tower:


Aura was active too. She and Sabrina chased each other up and down the gorge repeatedly. I went back to the bridge to join the other watchers including Jon and Joni, Brian, Liza and Song, and Kathy O. When Aura landed atop one of the buildings of the High Falls Brewing Company, I walked back up the path toward the observation deck to get the light at my back. I readied my camera just in time to see her taking off:


My choice of position again proved fortuitous as Aura circled around the edge of the gorge:
          

Sabrina appeared for another game of chase:


Aura alighted briefly on the brewery again, but she didn't stay long before launching into the gorge once more, this time flying low:
     

My camera's autofocus let me down here, preferring to lock onto the rocky gorge walls or the relatively contrasty trees rather than the flying falcon. As a result, most of those pictures showed little more than out of focus blobs. I'll need to hone my technique, and perhaps forego the autofocus for a manual approach. The good news is that I have plenty of time to learn, and if the falcons continue in their present habits, I'll have opportunities in plenty as well.