Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Wednesday, May 17th, 2023
The overnight was cold with temperatures down in the mid 30s. The day was breezy and cool with temperatures barely getting into the 50s. Astrid spent the night brooding. There were no overnight feedings for the first time in a while. At around 5:15 AM we could just make out that Ares was on the west face of the State Building. At 5:21 Astrid left the nest. She briefly landed on the north face of the state building but soon returned to the nest and to brooding. At 5:34 we heard some distant screeching calls from Ares. Moments later he landed on the long perch with prey in his talons. Astrid took it from him on the crossperch and proceeded to do a feeding. Five minutes later she flew out with the leftovers. We think it had been already picked over before it came to the nest and she decided to discard it. She was right back to the nest in less than a minute. At 7:00 AM the pair did a quick switch. Ares came in to brood and Astrid flew out. Three minutes later Astrid returned with prey and conducted another feeding. At 7:54 Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid took it from him, flew off, came back, and began plucking it. She then fed the nestlings. At 8:19 Ares arrived with more food. It was something small this time and, with a few sharp calls, Astrid sent him away. At 10:15 we heard Ares give a long call from somewhere in the Canyon. It likely meant that he caught something, but if he did, he did not bring it to the box. Perhaps he stored it.
At 11:20 AM Ares came to the nest, hopped inside, and requested a turn with the chicks. After a few minutes of conversation Astrid left. The nestlings were very vocal with Ares. He went about brooding but he was only really half brooding. Astrid returned with food at 11:28. She then presided over another feeding. At about 12:20 Ares withdrew some food off of one of his pantry ledges on the east face of the State Building and brought it to the nest. Astrid took it and started a feeding. At 1:30 PM Ares flew by the nest giving screeching calls. He landed on the State Building briefly and then took off again. He appeared to be on a hunt. At 2:23 he was at the nest and asking for a turn with the nestlings. Astrid did not want to leave, and he gave up. At 3:32 we heard Ares giving screeching calls in the distance. He then showed up on the east veranda with prey. Astrid came over and took it from him and then flew over to the hotel. The nestlings were alone while she was on the hotel and he was on the east veranda. Ares came into the box at 3:33. He had a small morsel of food in his bill, but he did not offer it to the begging chicks. In fact, he ate it himself. At 3:38 Astrid arrived with plucked and processed food. She then went about feeding the nestlings. At 5:26 Astrid left the box. We weren’t really sure why. Ares was on the east veranda at the time and there did not seem to be any emergency. It was only 51 degrees but the sun was flooding into the box so we were sure that the nestlings were warm enough. At 5:35 Ares came into the nest. Astrid returned to the box ten minutes later and Ares flew out. Astrid left the box again at 5:49. When she came back a couple of minutes later, she stayed on the crossperch for a little while before coming inside. She did not seem upset and was not hazing the building or even giving dirty looks to the office windows. She came back in to brood at 6:03. At 6:12 Astrid left the nest but came right back with food and conducted a feeding.
We’ve gone beyond the likely hatch window for the 4th egg and do not expect it to hatch. We have 2 nestlings in the box – possibly one a male and the other, a female, but it’s really too early to tell for sure. Next week we should be able to make that determination. Goodnight all.