Triumph and Tragedy : A Tale of Two Peregrines

She showed up last April out at the old Kodak Park site and was first known as 'Lady Pefa'. I was eagerly awaiting Beauty & Archer's 2nd clutch and not paying much attention to her. But then came the shocker - her male counterpart was none other than Beauty's Archer.  In early May she was finally I.D.ed as 'Unity', a pretty young thing who had seemingly caught Archer's eye. Her nest sight appeared to be nothing more than a pile of pigeon poop. Archer was flying back and forth between the two sites leaving Beauty alone for long periods of time. And she knew it, oh she knew and it was so very sad to watch her looking off in the direction of KP. And so it was at the end of May when none of Beauty's eggs had hatched that I admit I blamed Unity. There were other factors that could have contributed but it was Beauty's stressing over Archer's other woman that I believed - I did not want to like her. Unity also laid a clutch and although she was not very interested in them Archer spent more & more time with her. It was hard to watch. 2011 ended up being a very disappointing year here in Rochester with no hatches.
So the arrival of 2012 brought the promise of  new clutches but little did I know what awaited. It all started on Super Bowl Sunday when I saw a Rfalconcam FB post that Beauty was at the Nest Box. I got the cam up and there she was, quite upset about something in her territory but looking very beautiful and I was happy to see her. Archer would be home soon & I was looking forward to seeing him as well. I assumed that Beauty was just protecting her territory from some migrating falcons and didn't give it much thought at the time. But just days later Beauty was found on the ground by her favorite roosting spot near the Xerox tower, injured. She had been in a territorial battle and the suspect was none other than Unity. Unity had been downtown before and she had  been sent packing by Beauty last year after a scrap on the Kodak building which was photographed by a watcher who worked there. Had she been waiting and watching for the right time to come back. Did the migrating falcons trigger her into thinking Archer had returned or did she sense Beauty's vulnerability & decide the time was right. Whatever the case she made a move to take Beauty's territory and sure enough not long after there she was at the nest box. Quite clearly she had wanted the penthouse. Meanwhile my beloved Beauty was in rehab with injuries I didn't know if she would recover from. She is so special to me - the first falcon I ever saw on the cam & Mother my precious Jemison & Callidora. I was heartbroken. As reports came in on her condition it appeared she would make it after she healed and gained strength. I was relieved and kept the candles burning for her. Unity was a large female and I have to admit a gorgeous one.  She loved to preen and was quite the whiner, I called her the Diva falcon. I also had to admire her as a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it. But I was still not ready to like her. She first flirted with an unbanded tiercel and even mated with him as I anxiously awaited Archer's return. Archer came home on the 13th of March and when I saw that white feather I was overjoyed ! He was confused at first, unsure why Unity was in the nest box and wondering where his Beauty was. He promptly chased the other male out. Archer and Unity continued their courtship with him bringing her gifts of prey and they eventually mated. It wasn't exactly what I had hoped for but I wanted Eyas this year very badly. I was very concerned about Beauty's return now that Unity and Archer were at the nest box together but she was healing and would be released soon. And then just as it appeared Unity was about to lay a clutch, the unthinkable happened. On March 26th Archer showed up at the nest box and something was terribly wrong. There he lay flat out and motionless on the deck. Unity came into the box and that photo of her cocking her head looking down at him with such concern is something I will never forget. How could I not love her for loving him. He managed to fly off but it was his legs hanging down that told the story. But what had happened was uncertain - had Archer been injured somehow or was it an infection from an old battle wound. He lay low for the next several days and Unity did her best to attend to him. On March 29th she laid her first egg. I hoped and prayed Archer would heal and return to the nest box once again but it was not meant to be. On April 2nd a new male showed up and Archer was not seen again. Was he chased out by DotCa or did he realize he was no match for him due to his injuries and leave on his own. Whatever the case he was gone. DotCa, a very large and fast Canadian tiercel wasted no time in mating with Unity. He now believed the nest box was his. Unity's egg by Archer sat in the box alone and I hoped with Unity and DotCa mating there would soon be more. And then came the news that Beauty had been released at Montezuma. Only a few miles from where I grew up it is a beautiful wildlife refuge but I was certain she would make her way back to her territory in Rochester which is about an hour away. And then came Good Friday April 6th. Unity had appeared heavy with egg and I was expecting her to lay at any time. My son was coming home for Easter so I was preparing for his arrival. I left around 4:30 to have the usual Friday night soup & sandwich meal with my boyfriend. Unity was in the nest box preening. My son called around 6pm to say he was home so I came back and although I had the laptop on we were busy in conversation catching up on things so I wasn't paying attention. I could see a falcon at the nest box and assumed it was Unity but it was dark by then so I didn't get a good look. I hadn't read the social stream. But then I heard chupping and there was something about the sound of it that made me get up and run to the laptop - it did not sound like Unity. And then I started to read and they were telling me it Beauty ! I went to Rfalconcam FB and there she was - a bit disheveled but her special striped band crystal clear. But where was Unity then. Gone they said, she had been killed. Apparently while struggling with a pigeon she had taken to ground Unity was run down by a car near the library and killed instantly. To the irresponsible driver who took the life of this beautiful creature I say shame on you. It is one thing to deal with harsh realities of nature, it is another altogether to deal with human cruelty to nature. And so the falcon I had tried not to like but had grown to admire and  who had eventually won my heart was gone. Taken before her time by this reckless act. Rest in Peace Unity and soar with the Angels my Diva falcon. And  now Beauty who only knows that the nest box has been empty for several hours makes her triumphant return to what she considers her territory. I am so sad about Unity but so very happy to see her. But Archer is not there and she is confused. DotCa also not knowing what has happened returns to the nest box and finds Beauty rather than Unity in what he considers his territory. They are both confused and do not like each other. A new male shows up and mates with Beauty but DotCa chases him away. Beauty holds her ground as DotDa continues to harass her. He appears to be mating with another female at another location and I can only hope he will let Beauty be so she can have some peace. She is a most beautiful strong falcon and she is a survivor with a brave heart. And so the story continues.......


Unity

Beauty returns