Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 1, 2018
Overnight strong winds developed and temperatures dropped into the high twenties. Rain and snow began falling and the higher elevations in the region were treated to an inch of snow. By afternoon, conditions had improved. It was still very windy, but the sun was out in a big way. Astrid and Ares had a very active overnight session. She arrived at the box at 7:30, Saturday night. At 9:36, she very abruptly bailed out of the box. She seemed to be watching something intently just before exiting, but we have no idea what she saw. We heard her giving some vocalizations about five minutes after flying. An hour later, she was back and settled in the box, but then the same thing happened again. She heard or saw something, and at 10:37 PM, she dove out of the box. This time she did a lot of vocalizing, but again, we couldn’t locate her with the cameras. It sounded like it was only her calling but we couldn’t be sure of that. Although her vocalizations conveyed agitation, there were no cackle-type alarm calls heard. Both falcons came to the box at 11:18 PM. She limited herself to the cross-perch while he came all the way in. In a minute, Astrid was gone again and Ares lingered for about 10 minutes. She returned to the nest at 2:07, he came a little while later, but she sent him away with harsh vocalizations. There was a really quick food exchange at the box at 3:43. The prey was small, but she took it just the same. We don’t know where she went to feed on it. At 7:42, the pair came to the nest box and did a ledge display. Lots of beaking took place during that display and Ares’ mating chatter was hear shortly afterwards, which is a solid indication that they mated. She left at around 8 o’clock. Twenty minutes later, Ares came back to the box with prey. Astrid grabbed it and flew off into the canyon. Both were back at the box 8:45 for an impromptu ledge display. It was an extra fast dance and neither falcon stayed long afterwards.
After spending some time on the State Building, Astrid flew over to the box at around 9:20. Five minutes later I checked the video feed and right after that she was snoozing in there. Twenty minutes later, Astrid and Ares performed a short ledge display at the box. She remained after he left and did some serious housework. She made at least four scrapes, bit at the lip of the box for a while, and then moved on to digging in the hole she started the other day. After a while she stopped her chores and went to the side of the box when she makes scrapes. She seemed somewhat anxious and unsettled, She shifted positions a few times before settling on a spot that had her facing the inner corner of the box. After a few barely perceptible contractions, at 9:55 AM, Astrid laid her first egg of the season. Initially we could only see a tiny bit of it, but its rich brown shell color was unmistakable. She immediately hunkered down on it. Ares came to the box at 10:20. This was his first opportunity to see the new egg. The pair did a sort-of ledge display – during which, Astrid kept in position over the egg. They did some beaking and then after about five minutes, Ares stepped around to the other side of the box. She turned right with him while straddling the egg and effectively keeping him from really getting an eyeful. He left after that and flew over to a ledge on the State Building. At 11:10, Ares returned to the box and this time Astrid had no problem with allowing him to see the egg. As a matter of fact, she got up and left the box, leaving the nest and contents all to him. He fussed with the egg for a little while and then carefully rolled it under his chest, but after a few minutes, he was up again and left the box. She flew back a couple of minutes later and took charge of the egg. At noon, they switched again. Ares spent only a few minutes with the egg and then he was gone. He was utilizing the high winds and soaring at great speed through the canyon. It seemed they were leaving the egg in charge of the nest. Twenty minutes later he was back in the box and guarding the egg. It’s important to point out that continuous incubation will not begin until at least half the clutch is laid. At 1:35, Astrid and Ares mated on the State Building. Afterwards, she came immediately back to the nest. She left at 1:43, and the egg was left unattended until Ares returned at 2:17. Seven minutes later he was speeding through the canyon again. He flew right up to Astrid’s perch on the State Building and they mated again. Following that, Astrid returned to the box. He quickly joined her there and the pair had a conversation in falcon-speak. They beaked one time and then she left. He left only minutes later and did some impressive wind surfing.
Astrid came back to the box at 2:47. The afternoon sun was flooding into the box at this point and she seemed to be appreciating its warmth. She napped for only a minute or two. At 3:30 they switched out and Ares was on duty again. She stayed on the State Building until about 4:50, and then she ventured out of our camera view for a short while. Ares was in and out of the nest, but at 5:05, he started giving excited vocalizations. He saw Astrid come back into the canyon and land on the State Building. He remained at the box for another ten minutes and then dramatically launched out onto the wind and sailed off to the north. He ended up on the roof of the State Building, but didn’t stay long. He dashed right back to the box, and then right back to the State Building. For around five minutes he was perched near Astrid on the structure’s north face, but then he vanished. Less than a minute later he was at the box with a large hunk of prey. Astrid glided down to meet him and accept the gift. She soon flew away with it, but we couldn’t find where she went to feed. Ares came back to the nest at 6:07 and Astrid showed up on the State Building at about the same time. They mated shortly after that. Astrid was at the box by 6:20, and that’s when she began her stewardship of the egg. She will most likely be guarding it all night long. She’s not beginning to incubate yet, but she’s also not going to permit it to freeze. She will most likely lay her second egg sometime Tuesday evening. Ares was last seen on the State Building at 7:40. He’s not expected to take any night shifts with the egg, but may bring food for Astrid at some point during the night.