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.