ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The peregrine falcon family in Rochester just got bigger.
Earlier this week, one of the falcons followed by Rfalconcam, a website that has five cameras for an up-close view of a nest box high above the streets of Rochester, laid her first egg of the year.
The mother of the new egg is accompanied by an unbranded tiercel. The two began calling the nest box located at Times Square their home on April 6, and since then they’ve been busy.
Well, just before the clock reached midnight Thursday, the new parents welcomed their second egg to the world when the unbranded falcon laid her second egg:
The staff at Rfalconcam believe the two falcons are a young pair and anticipate this is the first time the falcon is laying eggs. They first spotted the two together on April 10th.
A full timeline of their arrival to Rochester can be seen on the organization’s Twitter.
Rfalconcam has been around for decades, with the nest box placed on top of Kodak Tower in 1995. In 2008 the nest box was relocated to the Powers Building for a three-year repair program at Kodak Tower, and a second next box was placed at the Times Square Building.
Peregrine falcons are famously known for reaching top speeds of 240 mph. The species is originally from the eastern portion of North America and usually habitats shorelines.
To date, the local team follows more than 76 total offspring from the downtown Rochester nest boxes. It recently announced the loss of Beauty, a falcon that had been in and around Rochester since 2007.
The organization is sponsored by the Genesee Valley Audobon Society (GVAS) and focus its resources on promote environmental conservation in the region.
Officials say eggs do not start full time incubation until the next to last egg is laid. So, it may be a while until we see the area’s newest falcons hatch, but the future of peregrine falcons remains strong in Rochester.