Stakeout At The Erie Canal

Some of you may recall that I've been on a kind of low-key quest to photograph the Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon). I had some luck last year during a trip to the Montezuma NWR, but closer to home we have kingfishers living in the bank of the Erie Canal. They are usually skittish and its tough to get close to them without triggering their flight response, complete with their unique rattling alarm call.

You can imagine my surprise when I encountered one of them at the fairly close range of 20 yards while walking Tessa and Quest along the oxbow trail that shadows a canal overflow bay near our house. I've passed by the birds at such ranges before, but they invariably flee as soon as they see me. This time rather than fleeing immediately, the kingfisher kept its perch. Another sat nearby too. Without a camera, I couldn't take advantage of the situation, so I finished the dog walk and headed home. I'm pretty sure I heard the soft knocking of an opportunity right then, and I hoped that I hadn't passed it up.

I returned on Sunday afternoon sans Malamutes, but carrying my camera, tripod and binoculars. The partly cloudy sky provided sufficient, if variable light, though much of it was blocked by the heavy foliage on the banks of the outlet. I walked slowly up the path, moving from cover to cover. I approached a broad willow with a sweeping canopy and through a break in the cat-tails I spotted my quarry:
     

I took a long series of off-hand shots, afraid that it might fly before I had a chance to set up my tripod. I don't think the bird saw me, though. It moved around on the old snag sticking out of the far bank, but never called out. I tried to make gradual movements, setting up the tripod and connecting the camera with smooth deliberation and avoiding any action that might spook my subject. To my relief the juvenile kept to its perch. It was good fortune such as I'd never before enjoyed with these birds. With the steady platform afforded by the tripod I snapped more shots.

The bird sat there for several minutes, then flew away toward the canal. I stayed in place for a while longer in case it decided to return, but after a couple minutes I decided to follow it. I found another clear area on the bank a few dozen yards farther up the trail and reset my camera gear. There were no birds nearby, but to my amazement there was a kingfisher close to the position I had just left. Even better, it had apparently just caught itself a late lunch:


A bit more looking revealed yet another kingfisher perched in the shadows near this one. Whether one of these pair is the bird I had originally seen or a different one is uncertain, but I think there are three of them out there. They all display the incomplete rufous breast marking of juveniles, but I didn't see any adults.

I went back to my original position and set up again, since the kingfishers weren't moving around very much. A couple of kayakers paddled by. Screened by the cat-tails and other vegetation I'm sure they didn't see me. I expected the kingfishers to flee, but they surprised me by staying put. Pehaps these youngsters are a bold bunch or maybe it's just due to their inexperience, but these birds seem to be a lot less skittish than the others I've seen in the area previously.

The paddlers made a short circuit of the inlet and returned to the canal, and I moved forward a bit for a better view of the water. The kingfishers had both flown to the near bank but they were some way down stream and perched higher up in trees. I was considering whether to move closer to them when one flew out of its tree, skimmed low over the water then, amazingly, landed on a snag right in front of me:
          

I was stunned by this sudden turn of good fortune, but only for a second. I adjusted my camera's aim and started shooting. When the kingfisher hopped up to another branch on the same snag I followed it with ease:
          

It kept moving its head, looking toward the water-- clearly a bird on the hunt.
     

The light was low enough that I was shooting at faily slow shutter speeds, so I wasn't able to capture the actual moment when it dove into the water. I did get a shot of it with its fish, though:


It didn't take long for the kingfisher to devour its catch, water droplets flying:
          

After swallowing the fish it hopped up to its higher hunting perch where it took up watch again:
     

     

Within a minute or so it dove again, and came up with another fish, which it took to a tree some distance away, out of good camera range. Its sibling had flown farther away too. I'd spent about ninety minutes watching and shooting, and I figured I wasn't likely to get much better shots, so I packed my gear and returned to my car. On the way up the gravel oxbow path to the street I passed over a drainage culvert. Standing in the mud I was surprised to find this young bird:


I'm not well versed in shorebirds, but after consulting my Sibley's guide, I'm pretty sure this is a juvenile Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria), most likely a migrant. It's a lifer for me, so I had doubly good fortune on my stakeout. There's nothing better than answering opportunity's knock and finding a welcome guest at the door!

Linn's Lunchtime Treat

I got out of the office at the bottom of the lunch hour and headed for the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. The span was full of people today, tourists to judge by the big red charter bus parked near the Center at High Falls. I wound my way past them and headed for the east side of the gorge, where I noted a knot of watchers assembled.

Lisa McKeown pointed out a juvenile sitting in one of the trees hanging over the gorge. She was well hidden behind the foliage, making identification a futile exercise. Luckily, she decided to fly our way:
     

Even luckier, she landed on the portrait tree and gave us a nice look at her red band:


It was Linn, and she brought lunch!
     

While she ate, a trio of House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) watched from some nearby branches:


Here's a 30-second video clip of the meal that I took :

1.9MB WMV file

She was not at all shy about eating in front of us, and for a good fifteen minutes or so we had a perfect view while she tore the prey into little pieces and devoured them all:
          

I was surprised that we saw no signs of the other fledglings. Usually when one of them has food the others are near by, hoping to get a few scraps for themselves. The whole lunch hour was a solo show, though. Good for us, and for Linn, who ended up with a nice full crop. After eating, she sat on the bough for a few more minutes, watching other birds flying in the gorge:
     

Near 1:00 she took off, dove beneath the bridge and followed the river north and out of sight:


It was a perfect segue, and I left the bridge as well, returning to my afternoon's work.

---

For the past couple of days Dawn and I have had the good fortune to be graced by a female Pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) and her two offpsring. She brings them to the suet feeder in our back yard, and they perch on the tree trunks while she fills up on peanut suet, which she regurgitates for them. Unlike the adults, the juveniles have brown rather than yellow eyes, and their red crests are shorter and not as bright as the adult's:


Their short crests remind me of the tonsures favored by celtic monks during the Middle Ages. This one decided to try its luck at our seed feeder:


It's weight triggered the anti-squirrel cagework, which closed off the feeding ports, so it had to wait for mom to get its meal.

They've been showing up several times a day. On one feeding trip I shot some video. in this clip, the female is at the suet feeder, while one juvenile moves down a nearby tree:

1.8MB WMV file

Speaking of videos, I took both of these with my newest camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3.

I can hear the screaming already: "What, not a Kodak camera?!?!?!"

Well, in a word, No. I love Kodak, as you all know, and I especially appreciate the fact that every couple of weeks their payroll department makes a well-earned deposit into my bank account. But sometimes I need a camera that Kodak just doesn't have, and this is one of those times. Popular Photography magazine voted the DMC-TZ3 one of their "Cameras of Summer" for 2007, and I can see why. Leica optics, 7 megapixel resolution, 10x optical zoom, image stabilization, and high-def video in a pocket-sized camera for around $300USD street. How can you go wrong? Oh, did I mention it has Leica optics??? It has a raft of features aimed at travelers, and I'll definitely be keeping it close at hand when Dawn and I head to the Bahamas later this summer!

Dynamic Watch for Dr. Dawn

Dawn's been dealing with a torn ligament in her knee (the left MCL for those who need to know) since March, so she's been a no-show downtown this year. Her physical therapy is coming along though, so we decided to take a trip to the bridge on Sunday.

When we arrived there were already a number of watchers present. Barbara had been there since the morning. She reported occasional flying, but nothing extraordinary. Marcia pointed out one of the juveniles sitting one one of the Pont de Rennes' support beams:
     

The consensus was that this was Grace, but she didn't look quite dark enough. A bit later she turned and gave us an unmistakable look at her red band:


A pair of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) had kept up a steady harrassment while she perched. Linn took it in stride for the most part, ducking and dodging as necessary. It looked like she'd had enough when she got airborne:


She only went a little way as it turned out. Landing on a small diagonal member, she kept watch on the annoying robins:


Her position under the substructure made photographs difficult so I turned my attention elsewhere. This passing Cormorant caught my eye just before it disappeared:


Some flying raised our expectations for action. Here's Ananta skimming over the eastern edge of the gorge wall:
     

She made a dramatic landing in the portrait tree, giving Dawn her first close-up look at one of this year's fledglings:


As soon as she was settled, Ananta began picking at the bark on the branch, peeling it back and wedging her bill beneath the woody sheath:
     

Then in an unexpected move, she climbed up the limb and disappeared into the vegetation on the gorge wall:


She returned before too long, and after a bit more picking at the bark she settled in, allowing for a few posed shots:
     

She gave us plenty of time for photos, then dropped off the branch and into the air:
     

She landed in the river, or so we thought, but when we checked we found it was Linn again, out for a dip in the water:


I walked west on the bridge for a better look. After cooling her talons in the refreshing Genesee, Linn hopped onto the rocks. Her audience of mallards seemed unimpressed with the top-level predator in their midst:


A preparatory crouch preceeded a short flight:
          

She landed on one of the RGE buildings below the bridge. The lull in flying lasted for a while, and Dawn and I considered calling it a day, but we decided to walk out to the observation deck instead.

The best opportunities often arise on a whim, or out of pure circumstance. If you had asked me a few days ago, I'd have said the best flying for the season was over. Usually by this point in July the fledglings are getting scarce, flying furthter afield and spending relatively little time in the gorge. Having missed the terrific close-range wingplay over the Watchers' Weekend, I had resigned myself to nothing more than the odd shot of a falcon at long range. Fortune was about to smile upon us, though. Hardly had we arrived when a fledgling passed low overhead:
     

The fly-by came courtesy of Grace, but the best flying was to come from her sisters. Linn followed, passing so low over that I missed many shots even at minimum zoom:


For the next several minutes she treated us to a close range show unlike any I'd experienced so far this year:
     

     

Dawn proclaimed our good fortune with gleeful shouts as a second juvenile joined Linn for some up close talon tag:
          

Fantastic! It was Ananta, and she made a few close passes of her own:
     

          

Linn ended up flying away to the east, rising high on an updraft until she passed out of sight. Meanwhile, Ananta settled for a perch on the shady tree. Once again, all was quiet.

Ebullient at the amazing flying we'd just witnessed, we headed back toward the bridge. About halfway there, an adult flew into view. It was Kaver, and he came with dinner!


A fledgling flew in, kacking madly:


Another came close behind:


She was too late, though. The one in the lead took the food as Kaver dropped it:
     

The chase was on!
          

Curiously, the pursuing juvenile broke off after a short chase. It turned out that Linn had been the lucky recipient of the prey, with Ananta coming up short. Linn circled over the gorge, and favored us with another close pass, vocalizing madly as she landed in the trees on the gorge wall:
     

Needless to say, we were thrilled. Especially for Dawn, who'd been itching to see the falcons this year, today's action exceeded all expectations. Our 90 minute stay featured everything a falcon fan could hope for-- flying at arm's length, talon tag, close perching and a food exchange to boot! I couldn't have planned it any better had I tried. I can only hope we'll see anything half as good again before the girls really do leave the area.

Food Fights and Fledgling Flights

The middle of July is typically the time that the young Peregrines begin asserting their independence. By now all four of the girls have been flying well for a couple of weeks. They've even begun making flights downtown, and farther afield from their "home base" near the nest box.

Mornings are still good times to catch them in the gorge though, so I wasn't surprised to find a pair of them chasing each other near the falls:


These two turned out to be Ananta and Linn. After watching them for a while at the observation deck I followed them back to the bridge, where both had landed on separate piers. Ananta watched with intense interest while Linn began tearing into breakfast:
     

It didn't take long for Ananta to realize she wouldn't get any food sitting so far away. A short deft flight brought her next to her sister:
     

Not surprisingly, Linn wasn't in a mood to share. She spread her wings, mantling over the food despite Ananta's protesting wail:


Ananta bided her time, edging closer as the minutes passed, until she got close enough to partake in the feasting:
          

For a while they both ate together, but these girls are definitely competitors, and the sense of sorority soon gave way to squabbling:
          

The struggle featured a lot of shoving and wing flapping. Linn must have decided she'd had enough, because after some time she withdrew, leaving the carcass to Ananta:


I've seen a few food fights between fledglings before, but this one lasted quite a while, and it was the most interesting by far.

A sudden appearance by Mariah attracted notice from the fledglings as well as the watchers:


The fact that she came without food wasn't lost on her offspring. It didn't win her any sympathy, particuarly from Grace, who gave us a nice close-up view while she squawked in protest:


Her flight took her out over the gorge and we hastened back to the observation deck when she landed on the rocks nearby:
          

She got airborne again in a few minutes, treating us to more close passes:
     

When she alighted on a snag below the bridge we went scrambling back to the Pont de Rennes:
     

I had work waiting for me, so I headed in, leaving the morning watch to others.

Lunchtime brought another opportunity for photos and observation so out to the gorge I went. Grace was in the air again-- good news for me! She'd shown her predator's heritage soon after she had fledged, so when she chased after a couple of Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) we were hoping to witness a successful hunt:


She missed, but it was a thrill to watch, regardless. Grace must have a thing for the paparazzi because she wasn't shy about circling close while we shot our fill of photos:
     

My favorite of the day was this spectacular approach shot:


After she passed by, Grace headed for a landing on a branch sticking out from the eastern gorge wall:


To the collective amazement of the assembled watchers she mangled the landing, and ended upside down, clinging precariously by one taloned foot. It took a supreme effort on her part, and plenty of flapping, to right herself:
          

Of course no one was really worried about her. I guess it's true that landing is the hardest part of flying!

Linn showed up too, swinging over the water and landing on the small building south of the bridge:


Grace joined her there, eschewing the unsteady branch for more solid footing:


It wasn't long before Linn decided she preferred to perch on the power cable stretched across the river:


Grace hopped over too, displacing her sister. Linn's short hop ended in a bad landing for her as well!
          

She regained her composure after a moment, and the two falcons set about having a contest to see which one could look more aloof:


I guess Linn decided she'd won the contest because she left Grace on the wire and flew over to the west bank of the river, where she executed a masterful landing on an iron railing:
     

The action slowed down after that and since the noon hour was coming to an end I packed up and returned to work.

What a terrific morning and afternoon! Great flying and lots of action. A falcon watcher could hardly ask for more.

An Hour of Flying Fun

Having only an hour to get out at lunchtime today, I was hoping to see some action from the fledglings. I'm happy to say that they didn't disappoint me. As soon as I got to the Pont de Rennes, I was informed by other watchers that Sacajawea was sitting on one of the bridge supports:


I got a few shots of her before Ananta caught my attention by flying low overhead. Close on her tail was Grace, engaging her sister in a bit of tag. In this shot, Ananta spun her head 180° to keep an eye on Grece as she moved in:
          

Then Linn got into the act, and suddenly it was a free-for-all with three of the girls:
          

          

They broke up after a rousing chase up the river, but continued to needle each other in pairs. Here's Ananta and Linn flying together...


...while Grace circled nearby:


Sacajawea decided she'd had enough sitting around and grabbed some air time in fine style:


During a lull in the action Joyce and I walked out to the observation deck. As the minute hand on my watch crept toward the top of the hour I thought we'd end on a low note. Not so, as it turned out. As has been the case in past days, Grace gave us a memorable show. She started with a run at a Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus):
     

She missed, but not for lack of trying. Undaunted, she dropped into a shallow dive:


She lined up on a group of Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis). Skimming over their heads, she made a tight inverted turn then ran up river...
          

...with a final swing near the observation deck. Joyce and I struggled to keep her in our viewfinders as she zipped by:
     

We couldn't have planned a better opportunity. It was a great way to end the hour, so I headed back to my car. Rainy skies and work at home may keep me from the bridge tomorrow, but I hope to get back out for more pictures as soon as I can.

Four in the Morning

That's not a start time-- I'm dedicated, but not that dedicated.

I was able to get out this morning for some early watching and again at lunch time. On both occasions watchers were treated to some outstanding flying by all four fledglings. The morning began with more sun than yesterday-- a good thing for a photographically-minded falcon fan. Ananta kicked off the action with a low pass over the bridge:
     

The highlight of my morning hour was a spirited fledgling mass pursuit. It began in grand style with three fledglings near the BeeBee station-- Grace chased by Linn chased by Sacajawea-- their primary color leg bands easily visible:


Not to be left out, Ananta flew north to join her sisters:


They zoomed through the gorge near the power plant, engaging each other in games of tag, before disappearing around the north side of the station. In the meantime, this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) skimmed low over the glassy river, then turned for a landing on the eastern shore north of the bridge:


The girls put in more flight time, passing in front of the pedestrian walkway west of the High Falls...


... and playing more talon tag near the BeeBee station:


I headed to work then, leaving the field to others. I intended to get out later in the morning, but even a pre-vacation light workload can stretch out longer than anticipated.

As a result, the noon hour was the next opportunity that I had to get outside. Arriving on the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge I found myself watching solo. Was I worried about the lack of other watchers? Not a bit, thanks to the wonders of technology. I announced myself on the official Rochester Falconcam Fledge Watch FRS radio channel and received an almost immediate reply-- from watchers eating lunch at Jimmy Mac's. No problem, thought I (though my stomach grumbled a bit-- I was skipping lunch for the falcons. Dedication points for ME). I proceeded to the observation deck where I met Joyce and her husband, falcon fans from Ottowa, Ontario Canada. As it turned out, we had a front row seat for a brief but intense period of gorge flying. This fledgling didn't want to show her colored leg band, but I think it was Ananta:
     

Truthfully, it was nearly impossible to keep track of which juvenile was flying when. All four of them flew by at one time or another, with as many as three visible at one time. Rather than trying to ID them, I'll just let you see the action. Here's one flying near the Center at High Falls on the west side of the gorge:


I'm pretty sure this is Grace, passing right in front of us before diving low to challenge some gulls:
     

     

One of the other fledglings skimmed over the river above the falls...
     

...before becoming another target for Grace's chases:
     

A rare clear shot of a juvenile passing close to the cataract:


This one looks well fed, to judge by the bulge in her crop:


Grace and her sister landed on a branch of a tree that dangles over the gorge about halfway between the falls and the bridge:

There are actually three fledglings in this shot. The third is on the branch to the right of the other two, camouflaged behind the verdant canopy of leaves.

In the river below, herons, ducks and gulls went about their business:


Even a few carp congregated near the muddy shoreline:


I returned to the bridge, joining Larry O'Heron, Shaky, Jeanne and Carol, who had finished her lunch. The well-fed fledgling got back into the air, then swung around for a landing on the "portrait tree":
     

At close range it was easy to identify Sacajawea by her yellow leg band:


She stayed for quite a while, occupying her time by following the darting of Chimney swifts (Chaetura pelagica), or by giving us enigmatic looks:


Having stayed out longer than I intended, I ended my lunchtime watch with this shot of Linn on final approach for a landing on the eastern gorge wall:


Clouds, rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the rest of the week, which may impact my watching activity, to say nothing of the negative effect on photography. I'll have to see how things play out, and take my opportunities where I can find them.

Cool & Cloudy Can't Keep Peregrines Down

Arriving just after 6:30AM, I was hoping for bright skies, but the sun was dogged by thick banks of clouds for most of the morning. The fledglings were out in force, flying up and down the length of the gorge throughout the morning. I was often not equal to the task of following them, unfortunately. It took me an hour to figure out that I hadn't activated the image stabilizer on my camera lens, an oversight that contributed to a great many unfocused or otherwise blurry images.

The day was far from a washout, though. With so many opportunities, I was bound to get a few good shots. Grace was a reliable subject today. She was the first fledgling I found, and she made herself available for photos on several occasions. Almost as soon as I arrived she flew up the river, landing under the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge. I couldn't get much of a picture there, but when she moved to a branch on the east gorge wall, I had better luck:
     

She stayed for less than a minute before taking off for more flying:
     

Her sisters were out too, though it was often hard to tell them apart. No matter, the fun was in the watching:
     

     

A small tangle of branches juts out from the east side of the gorge wall, within twenty feet of the bridge. We like to call it the Portrait Tree, because it makes an excellent spot for taking pictures of the fledglings. Here's Ananta taking her turn:
     

After sitting for a while she took off and chased one of her sisters (Grace, I think) through the gorge. Grace had grabbed a leafy branch from a tree:


She trailed it behind her during the pursuit, eventually landing under the bridge. This time I had a good angle for a picture:


After she left, I joined Lou out on the observation deck. He informed me that Grace had flown in with a bit of food, landing nearly at his feet where he was able to get a number of very flattering shots. She'd left by the time I arrived, but Mariah, sitting nearby, made a nice alternate subject:
     

There was plenty of other activity in the gorge other than flying falcons. The fledglings spent quite a lot of time engaging the dozens of gulls, both in the air and by buzzing them low over the water. Along with the gulls, herons and ducks was this troup of Canada Geese:



Lou and I found this bunny while we were walking back to the bridge from the observation deck:


The falcons were the stars, though. After a short flight, one of them landed on the rocky gorge wall near Kaver, who had found himself a small niche in which to relax:
     

More flying out near the falls brought Dana, Lou and me back to to the deck. My flight pictures didn't turn out very well, but the sun found a rare gap in the clouds and threw a picturesque rainbow in the mist from the High Falls:


We also got a good look at Grace perched on a chain link fence next to the falls:


She took off, headed back toward the bridge...
     

Dana and I followed when she landed with another fledgling on the portrait tree. It's a significant walk back to the bridge though, and by the time we arrived, only Grace remained, peeking out at us from behind a bunch of branches:
     


After she left I began heading back out to the deck, but stopped when I saw a trio of fledglings chasing each other north of the bridge:
     

          

Linn & Grace were certainly involved in the fray. The third might have been Sacajawea, but I couldn't be sure from the pictures. When the fracas broke up, it was Grace who once again grabbed my attention:


One of the relatively few good approach shots I was able to take was this one:


It was Ananta, coming in for a landing on, you guessed it, the Portrait tree:


She stayed only a few seconds before taking off for more chasing with her sisters and a landing on the gorge wall:
     

The highlight of my morning was when Linn flew upriver from the north and landed on the bridge railing! Dana and I worked our Canon cameras as she fought for balance on the rounded steel:
     

She gained her composure after a few mincing steps and some wing flapping, then sat for a few pictures before taking off again:
     

Linn is my favorite of this year's brood. Whether because she's the youngest, or because she's memorializing a wonderful naturalist and Peregrine advocate, Linn Pierson, who passed away this spring, I'm not sure. What I do know is that she seems the most engaging to me, if not the boldest of the fledglings. In any event, I was thrilled to have this opportunity to observe her up close.

Workers began an engineering survey on the Kodak tower this morning. You can see a block of masonry has been removed at the corner of the 19^th floor.


I'm told that there hasn't been much structural maintenance on the building in the last ten years, in part due to Kodak's concern for not disturbing the falcons. Unfortunately, the situation of disrepair has advanced to a point that some work is now inevitable. The good news is that the engineering firm hired to do the assessment have experience working on buildings where falcons and hawks nest, and they delayed their work until the fledglings no longer need the tower as a perch. Today's work was preliminary; the real work gets under way beginning July 16.

Meanwhile, there was more falcon watching to be done. Kaver came off his stony perch, pursued by his daughters. He passed overhead before circling high into the sky:
     

When the girls realized he didn't have any food they left him alone. Grace returned to the Portrait tree one more time, offering an unrivaled view for the many new watchers who had arrived:
     

Grace did some more flying and with the sun finally shining brightly, I was able to catch a handful of good shots:
     

     

I ended my watch around 10:00 with this shot of Kaver flying near the falls:


The girls are progressing fabulously. They're beginning to develop their hunting dives, and they're not shy about flying. It's a great time to be a fledge watcher!