Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for May 15, 2018 –
It was relatively warm overnight. Light rain in the early morning gave way to some showers by mid-morning. Temperatures were in the 60’ but Temperatures rose into the 70”s by days end.
Probably the rarest feeding time for the Utica falcons has been in the hours between 9 PM and midnight. I think there was only one feeding in that time frame last year. As for this season – we had one the other day and then last night at 10:45, Ares brought food to the box. As it turned out Astrid didn’t accept it, but it’s interesting that they’re even considering feeding at that hour. As it was that particular feeding was only postponed until 12:27. Ares brought food again at 1:45. While Astrid was engaged in that feeding, he came back with more prey. He hopped into the box and stood next to the brood. The chicks were between Astrid and him, but the chicks’ attention was firmly focused on their mother as she chirped and doled out bits of meat. All Ares could do was to hold a strip of meat to the back of their heads, which was not very satisfying for him. When she finished feeding out the first meal, Astrid came over and took the prey Ares was still holding. At that point he decided to leave. Another feeding took place at 3:17. That’s all pretty amazing since there were no feedings at all the night before. After sunrise, the falcon parents began providing intermittent coverage only to the nest and young. They apparently decided that the chicks are relatively safe just are and that the chilly air and winds are not a a concern.
At 7:15, Ares brought prey to the box. Astrid scampered over the cross perch to take it from him. She awkwardly grabbed it and then jumped back into the box to do the feeding. When she was done, she stayed in the box with the chicks for a while. Like yesterday, she did some digging in the corner. She’s still searching for the treasure. Rain came by mid-morning and so did another a meal, At 10:23, Ares brought prey to the box, Astrid grabbed it from him and got right into a feeding. Following the meal and the rain shower, the parents were very active in the canyon – changing perches often and even diving after prey. At 12:17, Ares brought a starling to the box. Astrid took it, plucked it for a little while and then tried to coax the chicks to have some. They were pretty uninterested. One put up its head and unenthusiastically gapped its bill, but that wasn’t enough for Astrid; she flew off with the prey and put it into storage somewhere. After that the parents spent time on the State Building and on the steeple. Ares came back to the box at 1:20. He did some brooding, some walking around, and then some more brooding. He seemed to be getting much better at the brooding thing.
At 1:42, Ares gave a harsh cackle call. It seemed to be in response to a Turkey Vulture flying high overhead. Neither parent left their posts. At 1:48, he left the box swiftly and without a sound. It was another intruder! And this time it was a falcon. Our pair chased after it and all three soon rose out of our camera’s field of view. The stranger looked to be bigger than Ares so it probably was a female Peregrine – and therefore Astrid’s problem to deal with. Ares soon came back to the box while Astrid was presumably ushering the other falcon out of the territory. At 1:54, Astrid returned. She came to the box and relieved Ares. He then flew through the canyon and out of view. Was he taking over the pursuit? Probably not. At 2 PM he reappeared on the State Building. Astrid came to the box about 15 minutes later and started brooding the chicks. It was raining and overcast. By 3:40, the chicks were alone again and both parents were watching the box from their respective perches on the State Building. At 4:00, Ares pulled some food out from somewhere and gave it to Astrid at the box – or more like she tugged it away from him. Next up was a feeding session that lasted about 12 minutes. Astrid took the leftovers away and then afterwards returned to the nest. Ares was on the steeple at that point. At 4:41, she displaced him on his perch and he came up to the box. Only a minute later they carried out another switch; and then she was at the box and he was on the steeple again. Ares brought more food to the box at 5:45 and Astrid carried out the feeding. All three chicks were packed until their little crops were bulging. After the meal Astrid shaded the nestlings from the sun (now making a late day appearance). Ares was on the State Building. At 5:53, Astrid began giving loud cackle alarm calls from the box. Ares was still on his perch and neither falcon was taking flight. Nothing was seen on camera. A couple of minutes later she did leave, but she was swooping around in the canyon. There didn’t seem to be an intruder this time. She must have become upset by people in a window or on a roof. We saw nothing. She returned to the box three times and each time she repeated her alarm call. Ares still remained in place on the State Building. By 6:05, she had calmed down and was back in the nest. Ten minutes later she had flown off and Ares took over at the box. We next located her on Hotel Utica. She looked like she had been drinking from a puddle on the ledge, but then she had flown off. We didn’t see her again until 7:10. She was on the steeple. Five minutes later she relieved Ares at the box. He went over to the State Building. At 7:50, he stopped back at the nest with a very small piece of food. Astrid took it and dolled it out quickly. They were probably settled for the night at that point, but then again, we never know for sure.
