Astrid was in the nest vicinity for part of the overnight period. Ares dropped off a cuckoo at the nest at around 4:30 AM. Astrid wasn’t there at the time. Had she been present, she probably would’ve taken the cuckoo out and disposed of it. Freya was working on some scraps in the corner of the box. Gary hopped up to her and grabbed her with his foot before he started biting at the cuckoo. At 5:20 AM we heard Ares characteristic screech call. Gary ambled over to the west veranda at about that same time. At 5:22 Ares brought a cuckoo over to the west veranda, Astrid took it and then nearly lost it to Gary. She brought it to the box and immediately lost it to Freya. At 6:19 Ares came to the box, got the nestlings’ attention and then danced across to the crossperch and down the east veranda perch. At 6:58 Ares brought food to the west veranda. He fed Gary for a little while until Astrid showed up and took his prey from him. She took the food to the box where Freya stole it. By 8:00 AM it was raining in the canyon. That served to dampen the activity level of the falcons. At 9:08 one of the parents visited the nest box, eliciting squeals and screeches from Kendra and Freya. At 9:25 Astrid and Ares were perched close to each other on the State Building. They were on two different ledges but perhaps less than a foot apart. At 11:01 Ares screeched to the steeple perch. By that time light rain was falling; the two girls were in the box and Gary was on the west veranda. At 12:05 PM Gary rejoined his sisters in the nest. Astrid flew to her steeple perch and Ares went to his pillar. Gary gave loud begging calls in response to his parents’ movements. Astrid came to the box and Gary screamed in her face. He returned to the west veranda at 12:25.
At 12:30 PM Astrid came to the nest to do a quick chick-check. A half hour later she was up on the roof of the box looking at a blocked off office window. At 1:35 the chicks were all snoozing in the box. it was warm in there but not nearly as warm as it had been in recent days. At 2:48 Gary made his way back to the base of the crossperch. From there he decided to go right back to the west veranda – now his home away from home. At 4:21 PM Ares was heard calling in from somewhere in the canyon. He must’ve have brought back prey; Astrid met him somewhere, took the prey and headed to the west veranda. When she landed Gary immediately snatched the food from her. Astrid grabbed the prey back and took it to the box where Kendra immediately grabbed it and dragged it to the back corner of the box. Astrid thought about getting it back for a second but then gave up and left the nest. At 4:33 Astrid was at the box again. Gary came in too; he headed straight to the corner to feed on leftovers. Kendra took her turn feeding at 5:00. At 5:05 Astrid was on the long perch. Gary stepped onto the crossperch and stood near Astrid. She then made a show of opening her wings and flying to a west window ledge. Gary looked into the box and cocked his head as he watched his sisters flap their wings. At 5:48 Astrid was back to the box to do a chick-check. She stayed relatively close to Gary for a few minutes before sailing off to the steeple. As for Gary, it was back to the west veranda for him. At 6:51 Astrid flew to the box again. The two girls screeched at her while Gary began to make his way over. Astrid soon left, and Gary stayed on the near corner of the veranda for a while. At 7:42 the two girls were waddling around in the box and taking turns stretching their wings. Gary Joined them in the nest at 8:07 PM. For a little while he was snoozing with his head draped over the lip of the box. At 8:56 Astrid arrived at the box with food. Freya tried to take it but Astrid held it fast. She proceeded to feed the two girls. Gary stayed behind her, not vying for about five minutes and then he got in the chow line. All three youngsters had a good long feed. Astrid left the box at 9:09 PM. She was seen on the steeple after that. The steeple seemed to be her guard post for the night. Goodnight falcons and all.
