I can’t seem to get away from the Jersey falcons.  My yearly Rochester Falcon Watchers’ Weekend happened in Elizabeth, NJ this year.  Cadence, hatched in 2015 in Rochester and pictured below as a juvenile, is now raising a family of four this year.  Her brood is learning to fly and hunt.  I do believe I saw or heard all four juvies at one time.

Cadence and her unbanded mate, Allen, were in their usual spots atop the Union County Courthouse antennae.  Seven o’clock on a Sunday morning is the best time to visit.  I heard falcon begging and hoped the kids had not eaten too much before my arrival.

I started on the NW side of the tower where the igloo is located, but decided the garage roof would give me the best view.  Yup!  I spotted one of the young to the west on a building nearest the tower.

All of a sudden, as is falcon custom, brunch arrived courtesy of Cadence and so did the kids who didn’t look all that hungry.  Guess who came in first?  Too easy, of course it was the young female, Akira, who didn’t look willing to share.

I heard more begging and thought I saw a third or fourth youngster on the satellite dish behind me.  A kestrel was pretending to be a peregrine.

But, lo and behold!  For sure a third juvie wanted to help me photograph the gang on the courthouse tower!  He kept getting closer and closer to me.  I definitely do not look like Kathy Clark, the NJ biologist who medicated and banded him.  He definitely looked like he had just had a meal.

Allen joined Cadence and Akira to finish off the huge pigeon meal.  But he had to sneak up on Akira or she may have injured him.  Both adults watched her to continue to gorge.

Two of the boys joined each other for a game of hide and seek and tag on the building across the train tracks to the west.  Cadence went back to her post on top of the antenna and Akira was left alone.