Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, February 20th, 2023
It was yet another gray overcast day with temperatures in the 40’s. There was some intermittent light rainfall in the morning. Ares arrived at the nestbox at 5:00 AM sharp. He had a Woodcock dangling from his talons. It was the first one of the season. He spent about two minutes calling into the darkness for Astrid to come and take it, but she didn’t show up. She still doesn’t like Woodcocks, but Ares will never understand that. He flew off with it and probably stored it on one of his pantry ledges on the State Building. He was back at the box at 5:45 – that time with empty talons. At 6:54 She showed up on the west veranda. They mated there five minutes later. At 9:17 Ares brought prey to the east veranda and handed it off to Astrid. She flew off with it. At 9:31 she was back and on one of the steeple perches. It is possible they mated there as well, but we couldn’t confirm it. At 9:37 Ares was at the box and we noticed he had a large crop. Perhaps he partook of some Woodcock. At 10:58 the pair converged at the nestbox for a ledge display. As it happened it was more of a standoff than a dance. There was no beaking nor was there much fancy footwork. It was possible that Ares did a flight display after leaving the nest. Something was causing Astrid to look all around like it was raining Pigeons.
At 11:46 AM the falcons did a switch at the nestbox – was it a practice incubation changeover? Regardless, he came in and she went out. While he was in the box he picked at stones with his bill and kicked a couple of gouges in his mega-scrape. It’s looking more and more like he’s excavating a basement. At 12:42 PM Astrid landed on the west ledge perch (AKA Deb’s Perch). She started bowing and asking to mate. Instead of complying with her request, Ares stayed in the box and gave excited squeaking calls. He wanted her to come for another dance – perhaps a good one this time. She left instead and there was no dance and no mating. It had gotten increasingly windy by this time – just the kind of conditions that falcons like best. It means free flying. At around 3:30 Ares brought a food tribute to Astrid’s perch on the State Building. She took it over to the upper south ledge on the hotel. He flew over to stand guard while she fed. At 5:21 PM Ares was calling at the box as if he saw Astrid, but we couldn’t locate her with the cameras. He flew up to the lookout post briefly and then he was out of view too. They probably were off to their night perches. Goodnight Falcons.