Astrid was on the eggs all night long as expected. It was cool but temps rose quickly once the sun came up. Ares came screeching to the nest at 5:30 AM and the falcons switched quickly. Ares chirped for a while as he watched his mate fly around the State Building. She landed on the west face more than once as she searched Ares’ pantry for something palatable. The next changing of the guard took place at 7:23. Astrid took over on the eggs and Ares went over to the State Building. At 10:09 we located him on the hotel feeding on prey. Ten minutes later he screeched over to the steeple. Astrid called to him. At 11:10 Ares came to the box and the pair executed a quick switch.
At 11:39 Ares made squeaking calls as Astrid flew to a ledge on the State Building. She made occasional hunting forays from there and from the steeple during the next few hours. At 12:15 PM she was on the ledge of the hotel having a sunbath. With wings and tail spread she soaked in rays for a while. At 12:30 Ares began giving chirping alarm calls. There was a falcon intruder active in the canyon. Astrid was still on the hotel at that point. Ares came off the eggs and flew towards the State Building. His direct flight towards the roof meant the intruder was perched there, but we could not see it. As Ares pursued the intruder out of the canyon, Astrid flew to the nest box and got onto the eggs. They had been uncovered for only 3 minutes. At 1:06 Ares was back. He made a dramatic swoop up to a high perch on the State Building. It was one of his classic moves. Astrid called loudly to him when he arrived. At around 1:30 he made a few flights from the State Building. Perhaps he was hunting. At 2:39 Astrid was calling from the box again. She got off the eggs and quickly flew out of the box. Loud chirping was heard but we did not see what was happening. Ares came to the box and got onto the eggs less than a minute after Astrid had left. She was out of camera view for a while but showed up again on the State Building at 3:09. She was flying out on hunting runs after that.
At 3:29 the sun was flooding into the box and Ares began shading the eggs with his wings and body. It was the first time this breeding season that shading the eggs became necessary. He was moving the eggs around the box as well. At 4:55 Astrid landed on the steeple. She came to the crossperch a half hour later and gave Ares an opportunity to leave, but he did not want to go. She produced her impatient-sounding short calls, but those didn’t shift him. She then gave stuttered donkey calls, but that didn’t work either. Ares was entrenched on the nest. She gave up and flew out. At 5:38 she was on the steeple. She left there at 6:06 and then wasn’t seen again until she showed up on the State Building at 6:48. At 7:05 PM Ares decided he had put enough time in on the eggs and left the box. Astrid came in less than a minute later and settled onto the eggs. She was in place for the night. Goodnight falcons and all.
