It was another hot day in the canyon although not as extreme as recent days. Afternoon highs were in the low eighties. Astrid stayed on guard on the long perch Friday night through Saturday morning. Ares came to the box with food at 3:00 AM, 3:44, 4:30, and 4:30. In each case Astrid took the food and handled the feedings. The two larger chicks, which we now believe are both females, are beginning to get their dark masks. Today one of them was also seen flapping its wings. Their sheathed flight feathers are becoming more noticeable every day. At 6:00 Astrid appeared to be in hunting mode She went to the hotel and to the steeple in quick succession. At 6:29 Astrid came to the box with a starling. She probably got it from Ares since he is the one usually in charge of procuring non-Pigeon prey. During the feeding, once again, one of the larger chicks showed that she could feed herself. At 6:47 Ares brought more prey to the box. Astrid took it and began a feeding. At 7:08 the chicks had full stomachs and crops and were quiet in the nest. Astrid was on the steeple and Ares on the State Building – guarding from afar. This being Saturday, there were few people in offices and Astrid didn’t need to constantly monitor the office windows around the nestbox.
At 7:28 AM Ares came to the east veranda with food. Astrid scrambled over to get it. She first flew off with it only to boomerang right back. She then came into the box and started a feeding. At 7:46 Ares was guarding the nest from the long perch. At one point he gave a few long calls. Astrid was on the east veranda at 10:25. She wasn’t staring at the window but was instead looking out into the canyon. At 11:17 she was back to her steeple perch. Both parents were up at 11:38 – one stopped by the box for a quick chick-check. Ten minutes later Astrid came to the west veranda. At 12:22 Ares brought lunch to the east veranda. Astrid flew over to take it, flew into the canyon with it, came back, and started a feeding. The nestlings were all spread out in the box, but soon coalesced as mealtime got underway. At 12:23 we saw one of the females flap her wings a couple of times. The feather shafts in its wings were small but visible. Astrid was on the steeple at 12:53 and Ares was on the State Building. He was off hunting by 1:00 PM. Ares came to the box to do chick-checks at 1:23 and 2:13. At 3:15 he stopped at the long perch and got them all squealing. At 3:24 Astrid was in the box and feeding them. We’re not sure of the origin of the meal. The parents were not keen on shading the nestlings today. Obviously, it wasn’t as hot as it had been and the sky was more overcast. The wind speed picked up as the afternoon wore on and was quite considerable by evening. The wind helped to keep the box cool. Both parents seemed to be OK with watching the box from various perches around the canyon.
At 4:02 PM Astrid did come to the box to do a little shading. Five minutes later Ares landed on the east veranda with prey. It appeared to be a swallow. She took it and fed it out to the nestlings. At 4:52 Ares came to the nest with food. After plucking it he gave the chicks a few bites and then flew away with it. Astrid came to the long perch at 7:33. She was being buffeted by the wind. After a moment she floated off and sailed into the canyon only to come right back. At 7:37 Ares brought food to the nest, Astrid took it and served it out to the nestlings. For a moment, the chicks had a three-way tug-o-war with a piece of food. At 7:52 Astrid did some masterful flying around the canyon. She floated, hovered, kited, and darted by without flapping her wings. Ares came to the long perch at one point, and she buzzed by him repeatedly. It was almost like she was doing a flight display, or hazing, or doing a demonstration flight for the chicks, but it was none of those things. A couple of times she kited right by the box and in line with the 15th floor of the building. She finally ended up on the Long perch. We thought she was there for the night, but at 8:50 she was up again. She returned at 9:30. Was she there for the night? Goodnight all.
