San Francisco Falcons: 2011

ljames · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 8:42 pm

All 5 in view for a couple of seconds, when prey was brought in.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Fledge watch has officially started in SF & SJ. I can't believe how quickly they grew.

Thanks for capturing that picture Ljames.

For the record, their names were announced today:

Ayah - 52/D female (which means falcon in Hebrew)
Hajari - 67/P male (which means flight somewhere in Africa)
Phoenix - 56/P male

ljames · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 9:11 pm

Thanks for the name information mwplay.

catwoman, I got a picture of your falcon. Since seeing people over there on banding day, it looked more like the bldg was smaller.

obxbarb · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2011 9:50 pm

Wow, I can't believe its fledge time. Crossing my fingers for safe first flights.

catwoman · **Posted:** Sat May 14, 2011 8:48 am

Love that picture of all the falcons on the ledge! :loveshow:

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

2 Fledges this morning.

Reported by Ann Greiner on the Yahoo group:

7:55 both males were in the ninth bay. Hajari (67/P) came off and made a nice figure-eight flight, pulled out over 135 Main, and landed on the SW corner of the PGE building, escorted by the adults, and there he remains.

8:05 Phoenix 56/P made a straight shot fledge to the rooof of 201 Mission. He was delivered breakfast at that location at 8:20.

Both are still in these locations, flapping, siting and checking out their new vantage points.

Ayah (52/D) is flapping away on bay three, she is preparing herself for new adventures!

Exciting day.

ljames · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 11:43 am

I'm so happy that the juvie males have had successful first flights. This picture was from yesterday evening.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Here's a link to YouTube video of Phoenix practicing on building directly across street. Lil is there eating breakfast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4KYJCxg ... e=youtu.be

I just hope sister stays put for a few days, but I'm sure she can see Lil and Phoenix.

obxbarb · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 12:42 pm

That is a great farewell photo ljames!!

ljames · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 1:10 pm

What a cool video.

they still have the camera aimed across the way right . :loveshow:

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

12:40pm local time update on kids on Yahoo group from Teague of SCPBRG

As of now we have Phoenix (57/P) on the NE facing side of the 201 Mission roof... he has had a few meals today so hopefully he stays put.

Hajari (67/P) is being watched on the N side of the PG&E roof. At about 1225, he flew from his spot on the west side, all the way around the building, counter-clockwise, to his current position.

Ayah (52/D) is still in the nest ledge area, bay 5 of the south side of PG&E. Currently flapping away, her last feeding was at 1106.

- Teague

ljames · **Posted:** Mon May 16, 2011 9:29 pm

I think Dad was in the nest looking for scraps when Ayah came running .

Then I can see somebody still over there.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Fledge report from SF Yahoo Group:

Just when we thought it was safe to pack up for the night...

If you remember the last report, CHeryl and Teague on the ground - locations for both fledglings... Hajari, decided to pillar hop along PGE northside towards the east, again. At the same time, Phoenix who was on the northside of 201 Mission headed west. Cheryl kept an eye on both birds, while Teague repositioned for a point on Hajari.

At 20:00, as twilight began to wane, Phoenix decided to fly. He sited, flapped, and launched beautifully back across Mission towards PGE. Cheryl saw his flight from her OP just south of the Train Park on Beale. She did not see him round the building. Alexea and I, from the Fledge Watch HQ headed out to the street to help locate Phoenix. Alexea ran a scope over to Teague for Hajari while I met Cheryl to locate Phoenix.

The darkness deepened. We headed back up to HQ to get a closer look at the top of PGE, and Cheryl spied a bird on top of the third column PGE roof! Through our binoculars, we could identify it as a juvenile. It then launched again, crossing back over Mission back to the NE corner of 201 Mission. Hearts beating double time. We got a scope in it, and could see the band, but could not make out the number. Based on the trajectory, timing and location, we determined that this wasPhoenix.

Why would that be in question, you ask? Well, during this entire episode, Hajari was not in sight. Teague could not locate him on the north side of PGE, and since he has almost circumnavigated this building (on foot) it was conceivable that this was Hajari.

We got a radio call in from Teague advising of a visual on Hajari at NE corner of PGE, and the supposed night perches of both adults. I checked the feather bed for Ayah, and it appears that the falcon family is all settled in for the night.

Since it is now dark, full dark, we expected Phoenix to settle down, but as of this writing, he is still moving from column to column.

Well, we can't see now, so are packing up for the night.

Sweet dreams. More excitment to follow tomorrow.

~Fledge Watch~

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 2:18 pm **Posts:** 64479

Just catching up here...thanks for the great pics and posting the fledge reports...Loved the video and watching Phoenix hop/flap across the roof...great area to practice!!!

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Here's the update from Yahoo Group for today at approx 5:33PM PT

It has been a fun afternoon, often having all five falcons in view - currently, Ayah is in bay 5. We are pleased that she has not yet flown, as she needs to grow her feathers out a bit more. She will have much better success with the additional length gained by a few more days in pre-flight training.

As you already know, the boys had a few great flights earlier today, and have been spending most of the afternoon on the NW corner of the PGE building. Cheryl, Mary, Roy and Ann just made a trip outside and found a great observation point in the Embarcadero at the end of Mission.

We had both fledglings in view, an adult a few columns over (cleaning up their leftovers), and a second adult on the Spear Street Tower near the screens at the top of the window columns. Roy had his smartie phone, so we were able to view the camera that just happened to be pointed at Ayah. That is FIVE!!

A couple of highlights that we neglected to mention earlier today - first thing this morning when we had not had a visual on Hajari for some time, Cheryl and Ann ventured out and ended up on the Drumm Street bridge. Just at this moment, we had a communication from Geri, who advised that she had a falcon in sight at the base of the railing on top of 201 Mission. We had this sliver of a view of that particular building, and had been focusing most of our attention on the north side of PGE. We looked through our binos and were able to locate it.

We could not tell if it was an adult or juvenile, so we radioed HQ, and Teague ran over with a scope. We were able to determine that this was Hajari. Thank you Geri for being so vigilant! This particular location is not visible from HQ, and, as it turns out, is not visible from many places, save Geri's office, and our lucky landing spot on Drumm St.

Aonther fun observation was the two boys interacting with each other just an hour ago - one was laying down, the other started pecking at it, and eventually grabbed it with a talon, which roused the lazy one to its feet - they stood shoulder to shoulder and beaked each other a bit. Super cute.

The day is coming to a close so we are at heightened alert; it seems that our young like to fly in the dark. (yikes). We will keep you updated and new information is available.

UPDATE - Ayah in the corridor at bay four having supper. On cam. 17:33

Bye.

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

Just posted at 7:20AM on Yahoo Forum.

Phoenix had a great adventure last night - details to come. He is being re-released on the nest ledge soon and should be on camera with Ayah, shortly.

Here's the story:

We just returned Phoenix the nest ledge - he is currently on the ledge in the ninth bay, preening and sunning as he dries off.

Last night at about 7:30 pm our crew on the ground - Roy, Alexea, Stefanie, Barbara - watched as Phoenix took flight from 333 Market (Beale & Market) after a feeding. He attempted to land atop a window ledge on the east side of PG&E but unfortunately could not stick the tricky landing. With Dan following in close watch, he fluttered down a few floors to try again, but was a little disoriented and continued having trouble finding his way to a perch. Phoenix went to ground - directly in front of Roy and the rest of the crew on Main street between Mission and Market. As the others gathered in the road to slow traffic Roy picked up the bird. Ann and I rushed in with the box and we secured the tiercel. Smooth rescue!

Glenn Stewart was on hand this morning to give the tiercel a check-up and everything looked A-OK. He had a quail breakfast, but was not too ravenous - he had quite a large meal last night before his adventure in the box. We gave him a thorough spray down in the PG&E lobby to make sure he would not make any sudden movements once back out on the ledge. The PG&E building engineers escorted us up to floor 33, and were happy to hear the tiercel was safe and sound. After a final spray down we cracked the door so as not to disturb Ayah, and set Phoenix out into the scrape corridor. Cheryl was monitoring the bays on the south side of PG&E and soon after his return he was seen up on the ninth bay ledge.

- Fledgewatchers

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

9:20AM update from SF Yahoo group

Phoenix made an excellent flight from bay nine out to the west and was next seen on 45 Fremont. At the same time Ann and Cheryl were down on the road checking out another juvenile on 333 Market - they got a positive ID on Hajari. Next Phoenix flew to meet Haj. on 333 Market.

With the two tiercels reunited and Ayah on the nest ledge, we have all three juveniles accounted for.

- Fledgewatchers

catwoman · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 5:07 pm

Glad everyone here is doing well & that Phoenix "knew" where to go for help. Our dear Red Girl in Wilmington did the same thing during one of her fledge attempts. She landed on the sidewalk in front of where the watchers watch the fledglings! Our own Jane rescued her & put her on the roof of the Carson Building. :sunsmile:

mwplay · **Joined:** Sun Feb 28, 2010 12:15 am **Posts:** 10250

3:33 PM PT update from Yahoo group:

Wanted to send out a quick report - we have all five SF birds located - two teams have visual on all! HQ has:

Ayah - Bay Four
Hajari - Atop PGE South face (above nest ledge)
Phoenix - on the Jungle Gym (Radio towers on roof of PGE)
Lil - Bay One - NEst ledge
Dan - West side of Spear Tower

The boys are flying well and high, even chasing a parent and attempting food transfer. What a precocious bunch! (Well, most of 'em ;-)

They are flapping very professionally and even soaring at times; and are sticking landings perfectly.

We are a happy bunch right now!

~Fledge Watch Team~

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San Francisco Falcons: 2011

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