Peregrine Breeding Log for March 25 – 26, 2019:
Monday, March 25th, started out chilly, but became milder as the day went on. The sun shone bright for most of the day and the wind strength was moderate. Our first indication of a falcon came at 5:40 AM, when the box microphone picked up Ares’ screeching from somewhere in the canyon. Five minutes later, the pair were together in the nest box performing a ledge display. The dance was about eight minutes long and they stayed frozen like statues for much of it. Ares came back to the nest at 6:35 and Astrid took that opportunity to go over to the hotel. Ares left the box and came back a little later with a substantial chunk of food. When she didn’t come over to take it, he took it to the hotel. He landed about 20 feet away from her on the upper ledge. Upon his arrival, she loped towards him and he loped towards her. He dangled the food in front of her and they gestured for a few minutes. It was a bit like a food dance. However, it was soon clear that she had no intention of taking the tribute. It just wasn’t appetizing. It was probably part of a Woodcock that Ares had stashed away on one of his pantry ledges. Of course, she really doesn’t like Woodcocks. The falcons abandoned the food and Ares returned to the box. While there he did some work around the box and, of course, on his mega-scrape.
At 7:10, Astrid was on a steeple perch and Ares was on the State Building. They mated on the steeple at 7:30. Twenty minutes later, Astrid did some fancy flying for her mate. He was at the box, calling out excitedly. When she was done with her display, she set down on the west face of the State Building. Fifteen minutes later, she did some more flying and then both falcons were out of view for a while. At 8:40, Astrid came to the nest. Ares showed up 25 minutes later and the pair did a ledge display. The dance was about six minutes long and ended with Ares doing his “cowabunga” dive out of the box. The pair mated on the State Building at 9:40. Ares stopped at the box afterwards. When he left, he simply opened his wings and let the wind provide all the lift. He was back to the box only ten minutes later, working on his crater. Both falcons (especially Ares) were in and out of the box quite a bit today. Obviously, as egg laying gets closer, they feel the need to guard it more intensely. Astrid was back on the steeple at 11:10. They mated there two minutes later. She flew back to the nest at 11:30 and Ares was right there with a food tribute. She wasn’t fast about taking it so he flew off with it. Never fear, he came right back and gave her another chance; this time bringing it right inside the box and not making her awkwardly scramble over the cross perch to grab for it. She took the gift and we think she ate it on a high ledge on the State Building.
While Astrid was on the State Building, Ares remained in the box and occasionally gave long calls. These seem to be territorial proclamations. He’s letting all other Peregrines in earshot know that Downtown Utica is occupied and will be defended. Just before 1:30, the falcons gave us the slip (or our cameras anyhow). With clear skies and good winds, we thought it likely they were doing some high flying over the territory and patrolling. Ares was back at the box at 1:45 PM. She showed up on a State Building perch at around the same time, but then was on the steeple at 1:50. A few minutes later, Ares let loose a loud cackle-type alarm call. He dove out of the box, flew low over Genesee Street and disappeared among some smaller buildings. We speculated that perhaps he saw a Cooper’s Hawk active in that area. The falcons mated on the steeple again at 2:20. Twenty minutes later they were doing another ledge display at the box. He was out in four minutes. Following the dance, Astrid did a lot of puttering around in the nest; biting the lip of the box and digging scrapes – the usual stuff. Ares appeared to be hunting. Deb watched him dive downwards toward the ADK Bank parking lot, slingshot back behind the building, circle the steeple, and swoop back up to the box to check on Astrid. Has she laid any eggs yet? Nope.
At 4:20, Ares had been at the box for little while. Suddenly he gave a harsh cackle call but stayed where he was. At that time Astrid was on one of the lower steeple perches. She wasn’t going anywhere either. Ares had food on the hotel at 4:45. We thought he might gift it to Astrid, but he resisted the temptation. A few minutes later he brought his food to the roof of the State Building. Astrid was on a high ledge on the same building. Suddenly another Peregrine appeared on the scene and dove at Ares (without making contact) a few times. Astrid didn’t move from her perch until the stranger had done three flybys. At that point, she rose quickly and initiated pursuit. They were soon out of view of our PTZ cams. At 4:50, she was back in the box. Ares showed up twenty minutes later and they performed a ledge display – one that was cut short when Astrid abruptly dove out of the box giving harsh cackle alarm calls. Ares soon followed. It seemed like the intruder was back, but we didn’t get a look at it that time. Ares was back to the box again at 5:50 PM and he was giving his long calls again. Occasionally he’d blast out and then come right back. Based on how he was acting, we thought it likely Astrid was nearby. Finally, at 6:50, we noticed her perched on the State Building – on a lower ledge than usual. They both left for their night perches at around 7:20 PM.
Tuesday, March 26th, started out cold with temperatures in the high teens. Temps rose into the twenties by mid-day. The falcons came into view between 4:45 and 5 AM, Astrid was at the box and Ares on the State Building. This is the date that Astrid laid her first egg back in 2016 (her earliest ever), so we were interested to see what she was up to. Mostly she was standing on the cross-perch and occasionally making light vocalizations. Ares could be also heard giving long calls from his perch across the canyon. By 5:40, she had moved into the box proper and was sitting in Ares’ uber scrape. However, no egg was forthcoming. Ares came to the box at 4:25, and the pair had their first dance of the day. It was short and sweet and he dove out of the box after only a minute. He went back to perch on the State Building. At 6:48, he was plucking prey on the hotel. Ten minutes later, he dashed to the nest and handed the food to Astrid. She took it to the hotel and ate heartily. Meanwhile, Ares was becoming anxious at the box. He was giving long calls and flying in and out. It looked like he was checking on her at the hotel. There’s nothing quite like an expectant father falcon.
Upon finishing her meal, Astrid flew in an took a steeple perch. She had a very full crop – as if she had a pillow in her throat. Ares chirped excitedly when she flew in. He always alerts us to her movements. At 7:24, they mated on the steeple. She came to the box at 7:48, and they mated there shortly after. Ares then went to the steeple perch that Astrid had just vacated. They mated at the nest again only 10 minutes later. After spending a little time on the State Building, Astrid was back in the box doing housekeeping chores. She also stood in Ares’ prize divot for a while. At just before 9 AM, they mated on the west veranda perch. They were both up after that, but Ares returned to the box in short order.
At 10:45, it was Astrid in the box. Ares joined her there at 11:25, and the pair shared ledge display. It ended eight minutes later with both diving out of the box. They were both out of view for a little while and then at 11:40, they both came back to the nest area – him to the box and her to a ledge west of the veranda. They did some lively conversing. She was asking to mate and he wanted her to come into the box. He retreated back into the box and stood on his scrape for a while. At 12:20, the pair mated on the west veranda. They were both out of camera view for a while after that. At 1:15, Ares came to the nest. He was highly animated and chirping loudly. Astrid joined him there 5 minutes later and they shared a spritely dance that featured lots of beak swiping. After he dove out, Astrid did some housekeeping chores. At 1:40, she was giving loud “chur-up” calls. Ares screeched as he passed by the nest with prey. He landed on a window ledge west of the veranda and began plucking. He brought the processed meal to box a few minutes later – but he didn’t give it to her. Instead he took it with him over to the east veranda. Astrid was very animated and calling, but he didn’t come back in. Instead he flew off and probably stored the food. At 2 PM, Ares came back to the box, this time without the prey. The pair shared yet another ledge display.
At close to 3 o’clock, the pair switched at the box; she was out, and he was in. They mated (possibly on the steeple) 20 minutes later. Following that, he enjoyed an extended stay at the nest, and she remained out of view for much of that period. At 5 PM he was on the hotel with prey. After plucking it for a couple of minutes he brought it to the nest. Astrid came over to accept it, and this time he gave it to her inside the box instead of out on the cross perch. It’s certainly easier on Astrid when it’s done that way. Again, she brought the meal over to the hotel to eat. When she was finished, he flew over to the church steeple. They mated there at 6:15. He was on the State Building for a while after that. As it got dark, she came to the nest but didn’t stay long. She left at 7:30, Ares left at least 15 minutes earlier. As I’m finishing this write up at 9:45 PM, I just noticed that Astrid had returned to the nest. Will she lay her first egg of the season tonight? Probably not, but stay tuned!