Birding, Post-Peregrine

That's a bit hyperbolic, I suppose. They aren't gone, really; Mariah and Kaver are still around, and every so often someone spots the two of them on a downtown buiding, or more rarely in the sky. But the heady falcon-filled skies of June and July have passed us by. Sabrina, Aura, and Rhea Mae have wandered away, seeking their fortunes we know not where. We can only wish them the best, and hope that they'll beat the odds in the top level predator survival game.

That doesn't mean there's nothing to see, though. Even after the departure of the Peregrines, the High Falls gorge fairly teems with life. Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) seem to like the place:
          

We've also had a pair of unusual visitors in the gorge-- young Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus):
     

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Falcons are still around, and as long as you don't expect to see a Peregrine at close range the viewing is often quite good. The fledgling American Kestrels (Falcon sparverius) continue to make the gorge their home and hunting ground. Here are a pair that I found hunting and playing south of the bridge:
     

Last week this female treated us to some good views for the better part of an hour:
     

     

She made a couple of flights out of the trees, finally landing on a weathered and corroded stair rail attached to one of the BeeBee Station buildings. Carol, Dana and I followed for more photographs:
     

When she took off near the end of our lunch hour, I was ready:
          

It was about that time that Lisa McKeown directed our attention toward the Kodak Tower, where she'd seen a pair of Peregrines land. She informed us that she'd actually seen three of them flying downtown while we were watching the Kestrel. I'm fairly certain I saw Kaver fly off north of the tower, just before spotting Mariah in the nest box:


She moved up to the south side of the launch pad, then took off, eventually heading over the gorge. Her closest approach came as she circled high over the river north of the bridge:
     

Hardly my best shot of her this year, but given the paucity of Peregrine sightings lately I'll take it...

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Closer to home, an overflow inlet for the Erie Canal is a good place to do some birding. Dawn and I were surprised to see this Red-Tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) alight on an electrical tower while we were out walking the dogs a few days ago:
          

A pair of juvenile Belted Kingfishers (Ceryle alcyon) continue to elude my attempts to shoot them up close, but after a few hours of patient stalking on Labor Day I managed a couple of photos:
     

Not as close as I'd hoped, but I take my opportunities where I find them. Between bouts of chasing, the two Kingfishers perched on snags and branches over the water. Below one of them sat this juvenile Green Heron (Butorides virescens), also stalking his aquatic prey:
     

Heavy overcast made shooting difficult, but I was fortunate enough to catch him catching lunch:
     

     

He gulped down the tasty treat and resumed his stalking:


I found a few birds that weren't fishing too. These immature Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) took advantage of a small puddle to drink and bathe:
          

On my way back home I spied this Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus) clinging to a branch only a couple of meters away:


Autumn's just around the corner and before we know it another Birdcam season will be upon us. In the meantime, the Peregrines may have made themselves scarce, but there's still plenty to occupy a birder.