Day # 31 of Incubation – No Pip but a Chick May Be Calling Inside an Egg

It was cold and rainy again today. In the early morning the temperatures were in the low 40’s and they moderated little as the day progressed. The first changing of the guard took place at 5:24 AM. About ninety minutes later Astrid was seen feeding on a fresh kill (pigeon) on the hotel ledge. She appeared to eat nearly the entire thing. At every one of the quick changeovers that took place today we inspected the eggs for pips, but none were identified. At 11:07, Ares was seen on the hotel with a small scrap of food (probably the scant leftovers from Astrid’s meal). While he was there a particularly fearless pigeon first buzzed by him and then perched only two feet away on the same ledge. We’ve seen this behavior before in recent weeks and we believe it’s an example of a pigeon protecting its own nest site. During the late morning Astrid may have been reacting to sounds emanating from an egg (or eggs). She called and adjusted the eggs in response. For a minute I thought I could hear some light peeping sounds coming from the eggs, but at the time the audio feed was cutting in and out and so I couldn’t be completely sure of what I was hearing. Ares came to the box at noon, obviously intending to take over on the eggs. She sent him away, but at 2:26 she was ready to leave and he got his chance to incubate.  The final switch for the day happened at 5:24 PM when Astrid returned to the box. Ten Minutes later, Ares was feeding on fresh prey on the hotel. The falcons have now completed 31 days of incubation. If things proceed as expected, Monday or Tuesday should bring them their first hatch.