Overnight was cool with temperatures dallying around the 40 degree mark. Rain was falling by mid-morning and the wind started picking up. Astrid came to the nest at 2:22 AM. She was vocalizing on the long perch – perhaps for Ares’ benefit, but we didn’t see him. She sat in the box for a while afterwards. By our reckoning it was her third “still sitting” event which is an indication that we are getting closer to egg-laying time. Astrid was up but then returned to the nest at 4:49. Ares flew to the box but then abruptly darted off again – possibly on a hunt. At 5:17 AM they did a switch at the box just as if there were eggs on the scrape and they were sharing incubation duties. At 6:40 Ares came to the nest with prey. She accepted it on the crossperch and then flew to the hotel. He went there to guard her while she fed. At 7:00 after she was done with her meal she moved to the northeast corner of the upper ledge on the hotel. There she spent time preening and watching the local Pigeons. At 7:40 Astrid moved to the steeple and there was a failed mating attempt shortly after her arrival. Ares flew to the box directly afterwards. At 9:02 both falcons converged at the nest for a ledge display. There was no beaking that time, and it was more of a standoff than a dance. After he left, she stayed in the box and did more than the average amount of house chores. She made several scrapes and bit at the lip of the nest box for a while.
At 9:27 AM Astrid went over to the west veranda. They mated there at 9:51. At 10:11 Ares was at the box and giving squeak calls. He brought prey to the nest at 10:21. He stayed at the box giving light squeak calls until she flew over to take the gift. She then took it to the hotel. At 10:43 Astrid was done with her meal and Ares was on his lookout post on the top of the State Office Building. At 10:49 Astrid had moved to one of the lower steeple perches – someplace we hadn’t seen her in a while. At 11:28 Ares was back to the box and vocalizing; trying to get his mate to come to the nest. Rain had begun falling at that point. The pair mated on the steeple at 11:40 and he screeched back to the nest. There was an aborted mating attempt at 12:22 PM. At 1:00 PM Ares brought prey to the nest. When Astrid didn’t come to take it right away, he buzzed by her on her steeple perch. He then brought the food to a west ledge on the bank building. Astrid flew over and took it. She did some plucking and had a few bites before taking it over to the hotel and making a meal out of it. Ares came over to the hotel and guarded her briefly; he then returned to the nest. When she finished at 1:14 she flew through the canyon and Ares called to her. His calling reached a fevered pitch when she landed on the long perch. At 1:30 we heard the falcons giving warning calls – high pitched chirping. Most probably there was a falcon interloper in the territory. Both falcons dashed out of view. Ares then flew up to his lookout post and from there sailed off to the north. He returned to the nest box right after 2:00 PM.
At 2:07 PM Astrid came to the nest and the pair shared a ledge display. He dove out again four minutes later and Astrid stayed to do some chores. At 2:51 the falcons switched at the nest; again, just as they would if they were incubating. At 3:03 she was on the steeple but left only six minutes later. At 4:00 he was at the nest and calling as if Astrid was in view, but we couldn’t find her with the cams. He flew and then came right back. He was looking up and sure enough, Astrid was flying through. She landed on the State Building. Five minutes later we heard them mate. It was raining by this point in the afternoon and as a consequence the falcons became somewhat less active. Astrid was on the steeple again at 5:07 PM. They mated there at 5:44. At 6:27 Astrid abruptly darted off after something and Ares launched a second later. At 7:10 Astrid joined Ares at the nest for a ledge display. It was only two minutes in when Ares dove out again. Astrid remained in the box sitting on the stone for a while afterwards. We thought she was going to spend the night but then at 10:12 PM she moved over to the west veranda and from there she flew into the darkness.
It was just confirmed today that the Little Falls Peregrines (Anna & Erie) now have 4 eggs on their scrape. That’s early to have a full clutch! Goodnight all.