Peregrine Breeding Log for April 14 – April 15, 2019:
Sunday, April 14th began on the chilly side with temps in the mid-forties. Overcast skies threatened rain, but conditions remained relatively dry until afternoon. Temps peaked in the mid-50’s. Astrid incubated all night long. Ares made an especially loud appearance at the box at 5 AM. He screeched and gave a short cackle and then left. I looked around with PTZ cams but couldn’t find anything amiss. Astrid didn’t seem to be outwardly anxious. He was seen leaving the hotel at 6:05 and heard screeching through the canyon. She gave a few of her famous donkey calls when he landed on the State Building. Seeing him was her cue to leave, just as her leaving was his cue to come to the nest. He took over incubation as she landed on the west face of the State Building. The next switch took place at 7:30. It was another quick and down-to-business changeover. While Astrid was back on the eggs, Ares was on a perch mid-way up on the north face of the State Building. Another fast switch happened at 8:52. This time Ares was on nest duty and Astrid was the one perched half-way up the State Building.
At 10:15, the birds did another switch, which meant that Astrid was back on the eggs and, interestingly, Ares again took a mid-level perch on the State Building. Why were they doing that today? Ares returned to the nest at 11:45 and this time Astrid balked at leaving. Attempting to encourage her, he tried some beak swiping with her. When that didn’t shift her, he went behind her and started stomping on her tail and wing tips. Again, he was using the tactics she sometimes resorts to on. They changed again at 1:26. Fifteen minutes later, Ares was heard screeching a few times. Perhaps he had prey? If so, he didn’t show it to us or to his mate. He briefly put down on the west face of the State Building. Perhaps he was storing something. He flew to the box at 2:37. When he saw that Astrid wasn’t ready to switch, he went over onto the west veranda. He stayed there for quite some time, or at least until Astrid was ready to let him have a turn. About fifteen minutes later he did get his turn. Astrid was next seen perched on a window pillar west of the nestbox. At just before 5 PM, she came onto the west veranda perch and seemed ready for the final switch of the day. Rain had been falling for about two hours at that point. She came inside the box and began convincing Ares to leave. They swiped bills a few times as she crowded up to his front side. She was being very nice about it again. He left without being too rushed.
After leaving the box, Ares was seen on the State Building. An hour later, he was on the southwest corner of the upper ledge on the hotel. About a half mile behind him, the Utica Marsh was visible. The rain had let up and he appeared to be hunting. He made a foray out and then returned to nearly the same spot. At 6:13, he was up again and that was the last time he was seen that evening. He was probably off to his night perch after that. Astrid remained in the box and we fully expect her to be there through the night.
Monday, April 15th began with some heavy rain and thunderstorms in the early AM. Some of the thunder rumbled on and sounded like bombardments of heavy artillery. Temps were in the 50’s early on but dropped during the course of the day. By noon it was in the low forties. Astrid Stayed on the eggs all night. Ares appeared on the west face of the State Building at least by 4:50 AM. He came to the box at 6:12 and the pair executed a quick switch. After leaving the nest, Astrid flew back and forth in front of the west face of the State Building several times. She then she did some relatively low flying just to the south of the building. She may have been looking for stored food or perhaps she was trying to stir up some local birds. We thought there was a chance she was hazing another raptor, but we couldn’t confirm that and neither she nor Ares seemed upset. At 7:25, she made a quick visit to the box – it was only a check-in, and then she was out on the town again. At 8:35, Astrid was on the hotel with a decent sized meal, possibly a Pigeon. Just before 9:00, she landed on a steeple perch and we got to see her large crop. At 9:13, she flew to the box and the pair did yet another smooth and efficient changing of the guard.
Ares brought a bat to the box at 9:30, but Astrid (still full form her earlier meal) sent him off. After spending some time on the State Building, at 12:34, he came to the nestbox and the pair did another lightning fast changeover. That time Ares took over on the eggs and Astrid went to the State Building. While incubating, Ares took the opportunity to get some sleep. The next switch was at 2:27. That time Astrid took over on the eggs. Rainfall became more constant and a blustery wind was kicking in. Temps dipped to 38 degrees. Ares spent quite a while on the State Building while Astrid stayed tight on the eggs. He became active at 6:10 – about the time the rain had lessened. He was probably hunting. He spent some time on the hotel and then on the County Building. At 7:11 PM, he flew again and likely went to his night perch. Astrid most likely will not be relieved on the nest until Tuesday morning. That will be a long sitting!