Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Sunday, March 12th, 2023
It was cold overnight with a low temperature in the low teens. It remained chilly through the morning but the afternoon brought some warmer temperatures. The high for the day was in the evening when we reached 40 degrees. Ares screeched to the nest box at 6:30 AM. With then time change, it was still pre-dawn. Astrid landed on the State Building 5 minutes later and Ares became very excited about it. He went inside the box and started chirping. Once again, the crows were very noisy in the pre-dawn hours. We saw a few of them flying by the bank building. The Falcons paid no attention to them nor did the crows seem overly concerned about being in the Falcons realm. At 6:51 the falcons mated on the State Building. A few minutes later Ares was on the lookout post on the roof of the State Building. It seemed like he was in hunting mode. At 7:55 there was a food exchange at the nestbox. Astrid brought her gift over to the hotel. At 8:19 Astrid came to the east veranda and the pair had a conversation. They mated again on the east veranda at 8:24. Five minutes later Ares was on the steeple. He left just before 9:00 o’clock. At 10:38 Astrid was still on the east veranda. She was tucked in close to the window. At 10:46 she came to the crossperch. Ares came over and hopped right into the nestbox, hoping for a ledge display. Astrid declined his invitation and went back to the east veranda. At 10:56 Astrid was on the steeple.
Just before noon Ares came to the nestbox and did some work on his mega scrape. Indeed, it’s coming along very well. At 12:12 PM the falcons finally had their ledge display. Ares was out after 5 minutes and Astrid remained to do some housework. She did some digging behind Ares’ scrape. At 12:36 Ares brought some food to the east veranda. Astrid flew over but then decided not to take it and flew away without it. Ares left to store the food and then he came back to the box. At 1:52 Astrid was on the crossperch and Ares was out of view. At 2:08 Ares arrived at the box, hopped inside, and asked his mate to come in for another dance. She didn’t want to, and after a few minutes she left. At 3:46 Astrid was back on the crossperch and Ares was nowhere to be seen. Ten minutes later he was up on the lookout post. At 4:40 Ares was at the nestbox and Astrid was up. It was possible that he gave her something. A few minutes later she was on the steeple. She stayed there for about 15 minutes. The 5:20 Ares was at the box. He was giving squeaking calls in reaction to Astrid landing on the State Building. At 6:22 one of the Falcons, we think Ares, was back up on the lookout. He was there until about 6:25. Astrid showed up on the west veranda at 6:31. At 6:44 PM Ares brought food to the box. It appeared to be the wing of a Blackbird. Astrid took it on the west veranda. By 6:55 both falcons were out of view and presumably off to their night perches. Goodnight to all.