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
