The overnight period was relatively mild with temperatures in the high 30’s. By morning the wind kicked up and rain was threatening. Temperatures continued to rise and hit 46 degrees by noon and 63 degrees by mid-afternoon. Astrid was on the nest until 1:13 AM when she moved to the crossperch. A few minutes later she flew into the darkness. Ares arrived moments later and was highly excited. He checked on the egg before stationing himself on the crossperch. He flew off at 1:35. Astrid came back a little after 3:30 AM. He flew up to the west veranda or a west ledge. He may have had prey in his talons, but we couldn’t confirm that. He didn’t seem to have anything when he hopped into the box moments later. She flew out as he came in. Again, he didn’t stay on the egg for long and left the box at 3:50. Astrid came back to the nest three minutes later and just in time for Ares to arrive with a small prey item. She accepted it on the crossperch and flew off. After she left, he remained on the crossperch calling for a while. Astrid was back to the box at 4:05 and she got right onto the egg. Ares came back to the nest a little after 5:00 AM. He held a woodpecker (probably a sapsucker) in his talons. He sat out on the long perch for quite a while waiting for Astrid to take an interest in his gift, but it wasn’t happening. She flew out of the box at 5:17 and he spent some time plucking. He flew away with it five minutes later.
At 5:34 Ares screeched to the box with something quite small – not the woodpecker. At 5:44 she came to a west ledge, and he responded by hopping over to the west veranda. It was clear that she had a full crop and she didn’t want his latest gift. Finally, at 6:13 he went over to her west ledge and managed to give her his tribute. She took it and flew over to the hotel. She either ate it in one bite, stored it, or lost it, but she had nothing in her talons only a minute after she had taken it from him. She floated off on the high wind and we weren’t sure where he went. Meanwhile, he hopped into the nest and stood over the egg. At 6:24 she landed on an east ledge. He called to her, and then tucked the egg beneath himself, but soon he was out again. The falcons mated at 6:27 and afterwards she hopped to the east veranda. She then went into the box and got onto the egg. Only two minutes later Ares was back and the pair were doing a combination ledge display/changing of the guard. Despite having only been in the nest for a few minutes, Astrid decided to leave and flew over to the State Building. At 7:48 she flew over to the west veranda. They mated there at 7:52, 8:15, and 8:29. At 8:43 Ares was on his favorite pillar perch and Astrid was out of view. Although, Ares probably knew where she was, otherwise he would not have been acting so blasé. At 8:50 Astrid and Ares were back at the nest. She then moved over to the west veranda. At 9:00 AM both falcons were giving harsh alarm cackles. Some non-falcon raptor or vulture must have been passing through. It wasn’t concerning them too much since only a minute late the pair mated at on the west veranda. At 9:32 Ares was on the east veranda and Astrid was in the nest. The did a ledge display/changeover at 10:00, after which she left. Five minutes later she was on the west veranda. They mated there at 10:12. At 10:40 the pair appeared like they were guarding the box – stationed on either side of it. They mated again at 10:56 AM, but only after he first went into the box to check on the egg. After mating he returned to the box and to the egg. The pair mated again at 11:17,
At 11:28 AM Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid accepted it on a west ledge and then flew over to the hotel. She was done feeding at 11:41 and sailed to the State Building. There she remained until well into the early afternoon. At 2:06 Astrid arrived at the box. After staying out on the crossperch for a while she settled onto the egg. The pair did a quick switch thirty minutes later and then Ares was at the nest. By 3:00 PM it was raining. The pair had been on the State Building but then were out of view for a little while. At 3:57 Ares flew out of the box giving alarm chirps. He came right back with prey. It was a bat. At first, we thought he was going to try to feed the egg, but he was just holding it inside the box. Astrid came to the east veranda and was exceptionally vocal. She wanted to mate, but he wanted to give her the bat. Of course, at the top of Astrid’s least popular menu items are Woodcocks, Cuckoos, and Bats. He hopped over onto the east veranda and tried to give it to her, but she flew away when he brought it too close. Finally, he started eating it himself. Moments later she reappeared on the west veranda. She tucked in on the platform as if to hide from the guy with the bat. At 4:17 she had moved to the State Building and was vocalizing a lot. We don’t know why exactly, but she was calling off and on for over ten minutes. By 4:45 she had returned to the west veranda. They mated there three times in the subsequent hour. At 5:56 he came to the box with prey (not the bat). We couldn’t see clearly what it was, but she didn’t want it. She flew off and he flew after her. She was on the hotel after that and obviously had no prey with her. Ares kited by her on the strong wind. Both came to the box area just after 6:00 PM. She was on the east veranda and the pair mated there five minutes later and again at 7:00. The rain picked up in the early evening. Astrid was still in the box – most likely for the night and Ares was on the State Building until at least 7:35. Astrid will most likely Lay her second egg after daybreak on Friday morning. Goodnight all.