Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Tuesday, May 16th, 2023
It was chilly overnight with temperatures in the mid 40s. The sky was hazy during the day, it was windy, and the high temperature was in the mid 70s. Astrid was on nest duty all night. Ares came to the box at 1:14 AM with prey in his talons. He actually hopped into the box to give it to Astrid which was nice so she didn’t have to make her usual perilous scramble across the crossperch to get it from him. Astrid then carried out a feeding. At 3:40 Ares screeched to the nest with another small prey item. Once again, he brought it into the box and handed it off to Astrid. She conducted the feeding. At 5:34 Ares brought yet another meal to the nest. This time Astrid had to do her crossperch scramble to get it. The nestlings were quite full already so this feeding didn’t last very long. Astrid flew out with the leftovers only 5 minutes later. At 5:47 Ares was on the steeple. Astrid hopped out onto the crossperch at 7:35, but it was just for a moment and then she was back in and brooding. At 8:00 Ares screeched over to the box with more food. He hopped into the box with it and handed it to Astrid. She did the feeding. At 9:41 Astrid left the box. We could hear Ares giving long calls from somewhere in the canyon. A minute later he came to the box and he was giving chirping calls. Perhaps there was a falcon intruder? He stood over the nestlings and they were begging to him with bills agape. A few minutes later we noticed that Astrid was on the east veranda perch. At 9:52 she came into the box, Ares left, and she began brooding. At 10:42 AM Ares brought a fully feathered Blue Jay to the nest. Astrid accepted it on the crossperch and then brought it into the box. She did some plucking and then some feeding. At 11:06 Astrid was doing another feeding. We think it may have just been leftovers in the box from the last meal. After that feeding Astrid did some housework. She dug around in the stones for a little bit. When she came back to brood she tucked the egg beneath her and then walked forwards to tuck in the chicks as well. However, in doing so she left the egg behind her and uncovered.
At 1:48 PM we heard Aries screech from somewhere in the Canyon. Astrid took that as a cue to leave the nest. A minute later Aries arrived at the box with prey. Astrid wasn’t there so he hopped in and began feeding the nestlings. He was doing a good job but only three minutes into it, Astrid was back and she took over the feeding. At 2:44 the nestlings were alone in the nest. We weren’t sure why Astrid left. She was back only two minutes later. The Falcons switched at 3:25 PM. Ares enjoyed a very short brooding session. Astrid returned and the Falcons switched again at 3:29. At 4:50 the Peregrines did yet another quick switch. Ares was was on duty. Astrid arrived at 4:55 and Ares was out again. Astrid had brought food with her, and she started feeding the two nestlings. At 5:17 Ares had left his perch on a State Building and Astrid was feeding the chicks. Ares came to the box with another meal at 5:48. Astrid took it and handled the feeding. After the meal she went back to brooding. Ares was on the State Building and remained there until just before dark. Goodnight falcons.