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Rochester Home Page |
NEST SITE: Toronto's Cabot-Sirocco and his mate Mariah have been nesting in Rochester since 1998, successfully raising chicks each year under the watchful eye of the local community. In 2000 one of their female offspring, MaryAnn, was included in the Canadian Peregrine Foundation's Project Track-'em. In the spring of 2001, Cabot-Sirocco and Mariah again successfully raised a family of chicks, one of which was Bonnie G, who nested in Toronto in 2002. In 2002, Mariah returned to Rochester and mated with Kaver, an unbanded male.
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Rochester Nest Site Reports: |
Visit Kodak's Birdcam 2005 for the webcamera and news/discussion of the current nesting season
Monday February 7, 2005
Craig K. reports: Today I had a incredible sighting of Hafoc, one of the 2004 batch of Falcons from the Kodak tower nest in Rochester, NY. that was satellite tagged by Mark Nash from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.
At approximately 11:35 AM local time on Monday, Feb. 7, 2005, as I was
walking into the Media Play store located in Ridgemont Plaza on West
Ridge Road in Greece / Rochester, I spotted him picking apart and eating
a pigeon right in the middle of the sidewalk about 20 feet away from the
main entrance to the store.
I watched until he finished and flew away at 11:58 AM.
I believe this was Havoc because of the transmitter and antenna clearly
visible on him, and although his legs were partly obscured by pigeon
feathers, I am reasonably certain that the bands I saw were black over
green on his left leg, the black one possibly showing a "0".
What was especially amazing was that I was able to stand within 10 feet
of him for the 20 minutes or so while he ate. He occasionally glanced
at me, but did not seem irritated at all. Several other passersby saw
him, and as one car stopped to watch, the passenger asked me, "Is that
an eagle?"! I was glad I was aware of the Kodak Birdcam and followed
it regularly so I could identify him and answer questions from passersby
("What's that thing sticking out of his back?"). One consistent comment
was how beautiful he looked.
There was quite a mess of pigeon left behind, including undigested
kernels of corn (from it's crop?). I was surprised how small Hafoc
looked, based on my sightings of his parents. My guess is that he was
12 - 15 inches long, beak to tip of tail.
As he finished his meal, he stepped away, I could see him take a deep
breath, he picked off some feathers from his feet, hopped up and flew
off. He looked healthy with no missing feathers that I could see.
Sunday July 27, 2003
Mike reports:
We received word from the Airport that they had picked up a banded (dead) red-tailed hawk.
Upon review of the reported band information it turns out to be the only female of the peregrine
brood raised at Kodak this Spring. I believe we have the carcass as Steve was going to pick it
up on the way home Tuesday night. There was some confusion over the location of the bands, but
I will be working to resolve that if it hasn't occurred already. She is believed to be the
apparent victim of an aircraft strike.
Sunday June 22, 2003
Birdman reports:
Greetings! At the age of six weeks, Isaura, Tlohtli, Chayton, Edge, and Destiny are just
about full-grown. Feathers have replaced their fluffy down, and at any moment, one of the chick's
will leave the nest on their first flight. (In fact, it could have happened while this e-mail
was winging its way to you!) Fledging marks the chicks departure from the nest, and the chicks
have been working up to the big moment with hours of wing-pumping at the edge of the nest. In
the wild, many raptor chicks first become "branchers," working their way out among the limbs of
the nest tree, but returning to the nest at night.
Similarly, our chicks become "branchers" by hopping out to the ledge area around the nest box. Chayton and Edge have already taken that leap! The initial flight usually has a desperate, careening quality to it, as the chick battles gravity and clumsiness to stay aloft. Crash landings are common, but the fledglings usually master the art of flying within a week. Mastering the art of feeding themselves takes much longer, and Mariah and Kaver will supply almost all of the chicks' food at first. Staying around the airspace of Kodak Tower for several weeks, Mariah and Kaver will teach the fledglings to hunt -- play, mock attacks, pouncing, and the like -- are important parts of the learning process. And for those of us watching from the ground -- well -- we'll be treated to amazing air shows!
Thursday June 5, 2003
Loretta Morrell reports:
Our five little ones here
in Rochester are all banded, and Mariah can settle down again. It was hard to
tell if she was more angry at the people who stole her little ones or poor
Kaver who took the heat for letting her do most of the attacking. At least he
stayed near the tower this year. Last year he took off for one of the suburbs
at the first sign of trouble. It has been as interesting watching him learn his
role of being a provider as it is watching the eyases grow up.
Tuesday June 25, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Both Rochester chicks have successfully taken flight! Freedom made his
first venture away from the nest box yesterday afternoon just past 2 pm, and
Isis followed this morning. It is now thought that Isis is likely a male
as well.
Saturday June 22, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
This weekend Freedom and Isis are five weeks old, and their increasing level of
activity in the nest box, as well as their rapidly diminishing covering of down
feathers, suggest that it is only a matter of days until they take their first
flights. An article
("Fledgling falcons atop Kodak have human flight-security detail")
in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle today details some of what is to come for
them. The newspaper also has an article
about the banding available on its website.
Thursday June 13, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Yesterday Mark Nash and I had the privilege of representing the Canadian
Peregrine Foundation at the banding of the Rochester peregrine chicks, thanks to
our many friends at Kodak. The two chicks were banded by Mike Allen of the
New York Department of Environmental Conservation, assisted by Barbara Loucks of
NYSDEC and Dennis Money of Rochester Gas & Electric. Both were healthy
and in good voice as they were banded. The first was determined to be a
male, and was named Freedom; a leg gauge measurement of the second bird
suggested it was a female, and she was named Isis. Prior to the banding it
was raining heavily, and it appears that Kaver may have taken shelter somewhere
as he did not appear at all throughout the banding, despite Mariah's
vocalizations. Both adults were back just outside the nest box late in the
morning though, once the weather cleared up.
The two unhatched eggs were collected from the nest and will be taken into labs for analysis. A few food scraps were also taken, including the head of a starling, and some pigeon feathers. Within the past week their diet has also included yellow-billed cuckoo and more cedar waxwings. On Monday the two adults chased away a Red-shouldered Hawk that was flying over the Genesee River nearby.
Friday June 7, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
First an update on the current Rochester nest: the other two eggs never
hatched, but remain in the nest box, and can hopefully be collected for analysis
when the chicks are taken out of the box briefly for banding next Wednesday,
June 12. The two chicks are growing well, and are being fed an eclectic
diet of pigeon, starling, waxwing, blue jay, and orioles, among other birds.
Now an interesting bit of news about one of last year's offspring - the only female in the 2001 brood, Bonnie G, has been confirmed as the female at Toronto's new Yonge/Eglinton nest this spring - see the Uptown Toronto page for full details.
Monday May 20, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Over the weekend, the first two Rochester chicks hatched. Mariah continues
to incubate the remaining two eggs while brooding the young chicks. As is
typical around hatching time, she has been very protective, and Kaver has spent
very little time in the nest box since Friday.
Tuesday April 16, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Late this morning Mariah laid her fourth, and likely final egg of this
year. She and Kaver are now taking turns incubating, and a hatch is
expected around May 17.
Saturday April 13, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Mariah laid a second egg on Thursday evening, as visible on the Kodak
Rochester Birdcam, and chances are good a third egg will arrive later
tonight.
Tuesday April 9, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
As of this evening, Mariah has laid the first egg of the year, after weeks of
anticipation! Her new mate, unbanded and therefore of unknown origin, has
been named Kaver. For more details, visit the Kodak Birdcam, linked above.
Tuesday March 19, 2002
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Activity at the Kodak building in Rochester has picked up lately. This
year both of the adults are unbanded. The female is assumed to be Mariah,
as in past years; the male is new to the site, and appears to have replaced
Cabot-Sirocco, who was raised in Toronto in 1997. Click on the Kodak
Birdcam 2002 link above to view the Rochester nest and access more information
about their nesting activities.
Thursday November 29, 2001
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
Earlier this week we received a report that a peregrine wearing a transmitter
had been spotted in a tree on the grounds of Rochester Divinity School.
Unfortunately, the leg bands were not seen, so we don't know who this might
be. Obviously given the location the long lost Maryann is a possibility,
but it could also be one of the other birds from Project Track-'em that may have
gone silent due to battery problems with the transmitter. Please keep an
eye out for this bird, and if you see it try to get a look at the leg bands if
at all possible (even colour and position will help us a bit).
Tuesday June 26, 2001
Brad Carney reports: Come
12:35 or so ALL FOUR youngsters were flying around the tower for a good solid
TEN minutes! What a sight. Locking talons, playing tag, two on two, one on three, three on one, hide and go seek, king of the hill, etc, etc. Seems that
during this playful period, they must have all landed and launched from the
"attic" ridge a good 6-8 times apiece! I'm here to tell you all that
their flying/landing skills are exceptional. Mariah and Cabot-Sirocco are going
to have to keep a sharp eye on their backsides and be prepared for unexpected
participation in a game of tag!
Yesterday, June 25, 2001, we confirmed ALL FOUR youngsters "stacked"
together on the north-west facade of the Kodak tower during lunch! At the same
time, we were able to witness Mariah & Cabot-Sirocco flying together on the north side in full view of the
four "kids". Truly an AWESOME sight!
Friday June 8, 2001
Marcel Gahbauer reports:
In past years, some of the young peregrines in Rochester became trapped inside
the abandoned Rochester Gas & Electric smokestacks near the Kodak Building
nest site. Efforts had been underway since a while to try to cap the
smokestacks, but this has proven to be very difficult. Instead, the bottom
will be opened this year, so that at least if the peregrines fall inside, they
can escape (hopefully relatively unscathed) at the bottom.
In addition, Kodak and Rochester Gas & Electric are joining forces this year to organize a street watch for the young peregrines to quickly rescue them if they do end up getting into any trouble. The Canadian Peregrine Foundation congratulates them for stepping up the efforts to help improve the survival rate of these peregrines.
© Canadian Peregrine Foundation