Artemis my 'Golden Girl'

   Downtown Rochester high atop the Times Square Building is a nest box for peregrine falcons. The cams which monitor the site 24/7 along with a group of dedicated falcon watchers on the ground are known as Rfalconcam. This year 2023 was the 25th Anniversary of this endeavor which originally began on the Kodak building. Three peregrine pairs and many offspring later current pair Nova & Neander are in the midst of raising their 2nd clutch of eyas. As part of this years celebration the watchers were given the privilege of naming this years clutch with silver anniversary themed names. Each watcher submitted a name and they were then voted on by the watchers with the top three names being being chosen for the 3 chicks that hatched. As thrilled as I was to be given a chance to name another falcon the loss of Freyja in 2021 was still fresh in my mind but I couldn't pass up the chance to name an offspring of Nova and Neanders' who also bear my names. My name choice was Artemis. 'Silver is the balance of black and white, the colors which represent a peregrine falcon. It is the color of the Greek Goddess Artemis. She was the goddess of the hunt and she carried a silver bow and arrows. These were given to her on her 3rd birthday from her father Zeus and she became known as a fierce huntress.' My name choice came in 2nd place and was given to a big female on Banding Day May 30th. She had a sister named Jubilee and a brother named Sterling. All three had successful fledges and parents Nova and Neader were kept busy teaching them the way of the falcon. While her siblings seemingly left to go off on their own Artemis hung around the city. On July 15th she was spotted by watchers in the High Falls gorge. A hallowed place where falcon generations before her had spent their days hunting. It was a thrilling sight that brought tears to the eyes. On August 1st she showed up at the Times Square nest box. To see see my golden girl up close in her juvenile plumage was amazing. That would be the last sighting of her and I was happy to think she had finally began her journey out in the world. It felt like it had been a very successful 25th anniversary season for our falcons.

   On Friday night Sept. 16th I was attending a caching event out in Spencerport at Splitz Ice Cream. Caching friends of mine from Ontario had given me a ride and we were sitting there enjoying ice cream and chatting with other geocachers. My phone started blowing up and after checking I saw it was my falcon watchers text group. And then I read the text saying Artemis had been found deceased on the First Federal Building. Her identity was confirmed by her bands and it appeared she had been there awhile. I was in shock. The irony being that my other named falcon Freyja had been found on the same building by the same security officer two years prior. I walked some distance away from everyone to to scream, to to cry, to curse in light of this devastating news. I was so sure she had made her way safely out of the city but once again the deceptive glass of tall buildings took her life. I am so thankful for my friends that gave me a ride for getting me back home and checking in on me the next day as I was heartbroken. 

   The importance of banding allows watchers to identify a falcon. As much as it can cause pain when one is found deceased it can also cause joy when one is seen at a location establishing its own territory. I will always be an advocate for it regardless of the news it brings. So losing both my named falcons just two years apart in exactly the same manor has taken a toll on me. I admit I struggle with my PSTD when I'm downtown now. Being face to face with the building they died on is inevitable and makes it very hard for me to be down there now. 

   I placed a cache in her memory on a new trail system in Webster called Herman Road Forever Wild Forest. It is a beautiful wooded area. It was originally placed in a fallen tree that looked like a falcon head and eye. But unfortunately someone stood on it and broke it. I replaced it in the hollow of a nearby tree but that also disappeared. So it is now in a more remote location in a moss covered lock-n-lock on a cliffside not far from the original location.

In Loving memory of my Golden Girl Artemis. She has the other half of my heart.

Braveheart

The Story of FREYJA

   It was a year ago today they found her, her life barely just began when it was abruptly cut short. So it seems fitting that I choose it to share her story now. It cannot be the long storied legacy of her parents but rather a much shorter version of her precious life.

   I waited a long time to name a falcon. It is the highest honor given to a falcon watcher to do so. I was afraid I might not get a chance as Beauty was getting up in her years and I so wanted to name one of my falcon mother's offspring. Then COVID hit in 2020 and the eyas were not banded so I decided to put it off. In 2021 it was still uncertain as to whether the eyas would be banded but I decided to risk naming one regardless. It tuned out I made the right choice as Freyja & Golden would be Beauty's last 2 offspring. 

   Her name was never in question. It had been in my head for several years and I had submitted it a couple of times for the naming contest as my female name choice. Freyja was a Norse goddess of love and fertility. She used a a falcon feathered cloak to travel between the mythological worlds, taking the form of a falcon. It seemed like a perfect name for a peregrine.

   Beauty laid 4 eggs in 2021. It was a rocky incubation period as an intruder attempted to take over the territory. Because of this stressful situation it took Beauty double the amount of time she usually takes between egg laying. Finally after some 114 hours the 2nd egg came followed by two more as things quieted down and the intruder moved on. Beauty and Dot.ca took turns at incubation with several stand offs along the way. On May 10th around 9:19pm the 1st egg hatched and on the 11th at 1:45pm just as DC arrived with food he witnessed the hatching of the 2nd egg. As for the other two eggs, one was thought not to be viable due to the stress Beauty had endured and had been pushed aside and the other egg cracked. 

   On June 2nd the eyas were banded by the DEC. Freyja received 33/BW black/green with no tape and her brother Golden received 32/BA  black/green with green tape. Banding has always been important I was so happy to finally have my girl officially banded and named.

   The eyas continued to thrive under the watchful eye of Beauty and the awesome hunting skills of DC. Freyja was a big girl with a big appetite and was always begging for food. As they started to explore their world 'wall walking' began as did the rise in watcher's blood pressure. Watching them run/hop along the wall with wings flapping is not for the faint of heart. This is a nerve racking time for watchers as we await the eyas taking to the skies safely. On Father's Day June 20th Golden fledged in the morning successfully and then flew back to the nest box to reunite with with Freyja. She loved being out on the north wall and leaning way over which made me so nervous. I was down on watch that day and all of a sudden she went off. I don't think she meant to it was more of an accidental fledge but she headed North and then circled back towards the TSB flying quite well. We ran out to look for her. It looked like she had landed on the back of the building but we couldn't locate her. Later that evening though watcher Joyce found her back there and she looked fine. But the next day she was nowhere to be found again. On Tuesday am the 22nd there was still no sighting of her but once again watcher Joyce located Freyja on the Ellwanger and Barry Building that pm. I was so excited that she was ok that I drove down to see her. I am so glad I did as that would be the last time I would lay eyes on her. She continued to do well and even landed up on the metalworks of the TSB wings the following day Wednesday the 23rd. But that would be the last sighting of her. Watchers continued to search but she was not to be found. I was down watching again on Sunday the 27th. It was hard watching Golden doing so well and knowing in my heart that something had happened to my girl.

   You never want to get the news that a falcon has been lost, especially if it is a falcon you have named.But after Freyja's disappearance I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her. Was her early accidental fledge to blame, was she just not quite ready to be in the skies. Is it better to know what happened to give some closure to such a loss. And then on July 12th I got just that closure as Carol texted me with the news that Feyja had been found. A security guard on the OCSR building had found her body on the top of the building where the old restaurant was. Her bands positively identifying her. She was recovered and returned to the DEC.

   I did what I always do, I went the place where I go to in happy times and in sad times. I grabbed a couple flowers from the garden and I went to the lake. And I poured out my pain to the place I love more than any other place. It takes whatever I need to give it without question. I played Eric Church 'Never Break Heart' on repeat in my car. In Dec. of 2021 I placed my 1st hide as a geocacher out on the Webster Park pier - Fly Free Freyja. Unfortunately I had to archive it in May of 2023 as it kept getting muggled but thanks to someone giving me an onshore space I was able to bring it back later that month. Fly Free Freyja Redux (GCA94VJ) is placed in her memory.

   My beautiful girl only touched the skies for a few short days. But she touched my heart forever. She will always have half of it. Fly Free Freyja. I will love you always.

* This blog was originally written on June 22,2022 but was never officially published. After a few additions it is now official.