Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for June 1, 2018 –
Astrid remained on the long perch at the nest box for much of the overnight period. Ares brought something small to the box at around 4:20, and Astrid did the feeding. At 5:50, Ares came to do a chick-check at the nest. Astrid arrived while his check was still in progress and she sent him out. It was like she was telling him to go and fetch breakfast. She found a scrap of food in the box and fed one of the chicks. Finally at 8:20, Ares was seen plucking prey on the ledge at Hotel Utica. He proceeded to take his share off the top and then brought the rest to the nest. Astrid took it and started feeding the young. One of the chicks grabbed a substantial hunk of it and turned away to eat it on its own. The raucous feeding ended only five minutes after it had begun.
Ares brought something else to the nest at 10:43. The food exchange took place on the west veranda. The meal wasn’t large and was gone in only four minutes. That would turn out to be the reoccurring theme of the day – small, quick meals gobbled up fast. Ares had perched on the steeple following his food drop. When Astrid finished with the feeding, she went over to an adjacent steeple perch and Ares left. Perhaps he was spurred on to do more hunting by his mate. After that, Astrid was keeping watch on the box and on the canyon. She did quite a few chick-checks through early afternoon. At 11:19, Ares screeched up to the box to do his own chick-check. The sound of his call got all three nestlings activated. Obviously they were still hungry. By noon, we couldn’t find either adult with our cameras. Twenty minutes later, Astrid began doing frequent checks at the box. At 12:44, she took a break from her incessant chick-checking to get in some sunbathing on the hotel ledge. On that wide ledge she stretched out her wings and lay flat as could be. A few minutes later she was back to the nest box and checking the nestlings. At 1:26, Ares showed up with food at the box. Astrid grabbed it from him and began to conduct a feeding. The female middle nestling grabbed the prey away from Astrid. Astrid pulled it back – all except for a hunk of it, which stayed with the chick.
By mid-afternoon it was getting very hot and uncomfortable in the nest box. Astrid didn’t seem to be in shading mood today so it was up to Ares to shield the chicks and to check on them periodically. Ares brought food to the box at 6:16. Astrid came over to do the feeding. The next meal came in at 6:57. It appeared to be a cuckoo. Table manners were pretty bad with this one, Astrid left with it well before the chicks had their fill. She stored the leftovers on the ledge at the hotel. She really doesn’t like eating cuckoos, or apparently, feeding too many of them out, so she’s unlikely to retrieve one any time soon. At just before 8 PM, Astrid was on the ledge at the hotel again. She was plucking a freshly caught pigeon. After she had her share she flew over to the box and started a marathon feeding session. After the feeding Astrid spent some time on the steeple while Ares was up on the State Building. It seemed like the falcons were in place for the night – or nearly so. Astrid eventually came back over to the box and stood guard on the long perch.