It aint true! KathyQ is alive and well. I sent Laura the picture I captured above that I originally thought to be Sesenta, then Arles corrected me. She was able to read the B/C* band and confirm.
KathyQ is just being a woman of mystery! Kris G. wrote:
This was posted on the KathyQ FB page today-
For the past two years, we falconheads haven’t had the joy of watching little falcon babies grow up before our eyes. The resident female, KathyQ, is almost 19 years old. She is likely infertile at this point in her life.
Her mate is her son, named Sesenta. He arrived two years ago – back to the nest box where he was born, son of beloved Kinney.
It has been a long two years for many of us who each spring eagerly anticipated when we would anxiously wait for eggs to be laid and hatch and to watch the little falcons grow up before our eyes. It was always a tense but joyous time of year.
So now to September 2016. What I know is that Sesenta is definitely still in residence. I have identified him in the box all summer long by noting the band on his left leg, 36/R. What I don’t know is what may have happened to KathyQ. I haven’t seen her in the nest box for months now. What this signals to me is that she has either retired or has been ousted by another female. That may or may not mean she is dead. We may never know what has happened and she may yet show up in the next box. But I am strongly inclined to believe that we will never see her again.
I have had two reports from folks that three falcons have been sighted over the skies of Downtown Indianapolis in the last couple of months. Two falcons were spotted doing the aerial courtship dance at one point. There were no signs of aggression. So there may be falcons passing through on their migration and there may be some looking for a new home. Only time will tell.
If KathyQ is truly gone, I am truly sad. She and I didn’t always get along but she was a magnificent falcon mom and we both had the same goal in mind – the safety of her precious falcon babies.