Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 10, 2018 –
It was another chilly spring day. The skies were very changeable today, but probably more sunny that cloudy. Scattered light snow flurries occurred on and off throughout the day. Temperatures were close to the freezing point in the early morning, but then peaked out in the mid-forties at mid-day. After Astrid retuned to the box at 6:26 Monday evening, she remained tight on the eggs all night. Ares arrived at the box with food at just after 5 AM. After she left with the prey, he began his shift incubating the eggs. We couldn’t find where Astrid went to have her meal, but at 5:27, she was seen flying into the canyon from the east. She then took a perch on the State Building. She remained there for a half-hour, after which, we lost track of her for a little while. At 7:04, Astrid arrived at the box. Ares was happily incubating and he balked at leaving. She crowded up against him with her head up, leaned over him in an almost menacing way; Then they did some beaking. She began emitting her strange “donkey-like” calls, but he wasn’t shifting. She moved in behind him and seemed to be threatening to step on his tail and/or the tips of his primary feathers. He still didn’t want to leave. She started giving rolling “tut” calls, and he still wasn’t convinced. Finally she did step on his wing and tail feathers and even then it took him a couple of minute to finally relinquish the eggs. Ares flew over and perched on the State Building. He came and left several times; he was probably hunting.
The pair switched out again at around 10:15; Ares took over on the eggs and Astrid was soon out of view of our cams. Forty-five minutes later he began making chirping calls, which meant he had visual contact with Astrid even if we didn’t. She landed on the State Building right after that. A few minutes later at 10:56, Ares left the box and flew through the canyon. He went to his root-top look out on the State Building and she flew over to the box. With only a two minute interlude, Astrid was again on the eggs and incubating. Ares soon moved from the roof to a high ledge. He was off the building by 11:30. Twenty minutes later he was on the Hotel. He still seemed to be in hunting mode; he made several forays from the Hotel ledge. By 12:30, he was on the Southeast corner of the State Building roof. At 1:20, Ares brought prey to the box and Astrid took it and flew off. Somewhat out of character, she took the food calmly and politely this time instead of grabbing it away like it’s the last meal she’ll ever see. Has Astrid been taking dining etiquette lessons? It wasn’t a big meal and ten minutes later she was up on the State Building preening. She remained there for a few hours. At 3:50 the falcons switched at the box and it was Astrid’s turn to incubate. Ares arrived at the nest at 5:20 and requested a turn on the eggs, but Astrid didn’t want to leave. He used all of the same tricks that Astrid employs to dislodge him, but nothing worked. He even ventured to step on the tips of her primary feathers, and it still didn’t work. Finally he gave up and went over to perch on the State Building. By 5:50, Ares had left. Possibly he was out hunting. When he came back he perched at his lookout spot on the roof of the State Building. At 7:25, Astrid got off the eggs and sailed into the canyon. After about a minute, Ares took over on the eggs. It was late for a changeover but not unprecedented. She remained invisible to our cameras until she returned at 8:02. At that time they switched and Astrid settled on the eggs for the night shift. Ares presumably went off to his own night perch.
