It was another cool evening with some light showers overnight. Ares brought food to the nest box at 3:58 AM and Astrid swooped in to do the feeding. At 5:20, Astrid was back, but this time seemed to be feeding out only some scraps that were already in the box. As soon as it was light enough, we could see how the appearance of the nestlings continues to rapidly evolve. Their primary and secondary flight feathers have grown out significantly, as have their tail feathers. Beneath their black face masks the chicks’ tan cheek patches are now quite obvious. Dark contour feathers are just starting to poke through their downy white body plumage. They will soon have a salt & pepper look. The nestlings (particularly eldest one) are doing much more exercising. Now when the parents show up at the box they can expect to be greeted by a riotous mob – all screeching, crowding and grabbing. It’s just going to get more intense as we move closer to fledging time. At 7:30 AM, Astrid was very upset. She was standing on the nest box’s main perch and giving long cackle alarm calls. Just like yesterday morning, she did this for several minutes, and again, like yesterday, we don’t know what triggered it. Ares was perched on the State Building at the time. All four chicks were snug in the nest. No intruders were seen (by us anyway), and since it was Saturday there were no people in the offices adjacent to the nest box. What was her issue? At 8:45, Ares came to the box with prey. This time it was a freshly caught Great-crested Flycatcher. Astrid took it and did the feeding. Only fifteen minutes later, Ares was back with more prey – something that had already been plucked and wasn’t easily recognizable. Astrid barreled into the box, snatched the prey away from Ares and did the feeding. After that medium sized meal there wasn’t any other feedings until 3:40, when Astrid brought in what looked like an immature starling. Before that the nestlings did a lot of sleeping, exercising and watching the world outside of the box. During that long spell between meals, Ares did visit the box once. When he came inside the chicks rushed him and pecked at his bill. His initial reaction was to retreat back out onto the perch, but then he jumped back into the box and tried to feed out a whole cuckoo wing first to one chick and then another. Each in turn would take it and then drop it to the floor – leaving it for Ares to pick it up again and give it to another. It was a good game to pass the time until a real meal came in. At 5:08 PM, we saw A&A soaring around the canyon on the PTZ camera. They were using the steady winds to glide around the State Building, pick up speed and then dart off to the north, presumably in search of prey. The nestlings watched their parents’ stunts and screeched in response. At 6:53, Astrid returned to the box with something small and apparently picked-over. Chick # 4 immediately grabbed it away from her. For a minute it seemed like Astrid didn’t know what happened to it and she began feeding out a truly minute piece that was still in her talons. Finally she realized what had happened, snatched the food back from the thief and began a proper – if short feeding. At 7:30 PM, Ares came to the nest with another starling. This time he conducted the feeding. This was while Astrid was still out of sight. She came back to the State Building about 5 minutes later and then flew over to the box. Since Ares was deep into the feeding, she restrained her urge to grab the food away from him – or at least she held back for a few minutes. Finally she dove in to take over. His response was to take what remained and leave! At 8:00, Astrid returned to the box with the leftovers from the last meal and finished the feeding. About half way through, Ares screeched by the box and then landed on the church steeple. What the meaning of that is anyone’s guess.
