Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, May 29th, 2023
It was cool overnight. The low temperature was in the mid 50s. The day was another hot one. By midafternoon the temperature was in the mid 80s. Astrid spent most of the night at the nest area but not inside the box as she had been lately. Ares was on the north face of the State Building until at least 2:00 AM. He came to the box with a small prey item at 2:42. Astrid took it on the crossperch and did the first feeding of the day. Six minutes later the meal was done, and she was back out on the long perch. At 5:44 Astrid moved to the steeple. At 6:30 she did a quick chick check at the box and then moved to the east veranda. At 7:00 Astrid was on top of the nestbox and peering into the office window. Obviously she was expecting someone to come into the office. It being Memorial Day, that was perhaps unlikely. At 7:12 the nestlings were squealing inside the box. We noticed that their voices were getting much huskier. Indeed, their begging calls were becoming quite shrill. At 8:50 Ares brought prey to the east veranda. Astrid took it, flew off, boomerang back, and then hopped into the box to do a feeding. We could tell that the nestlings were hungry because they were grabbing at the food. Both were feeding quite voraciously at first and then Amelia walked away leaving her brother to get more servings. After a few minutes she came back and joined the chow line. At 9:00 the meal was over. Niles walked away and did some wing flapping in the corner. Ares was on the east veranda at that time and Astrid got back up on the roof of the nestbox. At 9:30 Astrid moved to the West veranda and then, 30 minutes later, to the crossperch. At 10:05 Ares came to the box for a chick check and Astrid took off. At 11:49 Ares brought prey inside the box. It appeared to be a Starling. He immediately began tearing off pieces and feeding it to the nestlings. Astrid had been on the roof of the nest box but left several minutes before Ares arrived. We didn’t know where she had gotten to. There was an opportunity and Ares seized upon it. Halfway through the meal, Amelia turned away and ceded the floor to Niles. Just like during the last meal she came back for more before it was completely served out. Ares was able to feed out the entire thing without interruption from his mate. When he was done he left the nest and, along with Astrid, was out of view for on extended time.
At 12 58 PM Astrid came back into the canyon, arrived at the nest and did a chick check. We wondered where she had been all that time. At 1:15 she was on the State Building but then darted out after something. Ares came to check on the nestlings at 1:44 PM. At around 1:50 Ares was on the crossperch. Suddenly he looked up and was watching something in the distance. He darted off and came back with the bat. Why a bat was out flying in the afternoon is open for speculation. Also, we don’t often get midafternoon feedings on hot days but that’s what occurred. Astrid took the bat from Ares and handled the feeding. It would be their last meal for a while. The afternoon became very hot in the nest – so hot that both Ares and Astrid took turns providing shade. Of course, the nestlings weren’t taking advantage of it, but it was there if they wanted it. Ares came in at 2:32. Amelia did some beaking with him. She bowed and swiped her open bill against Ares’ bill in a manner similar to what Ares does when beaking with Astrid during a ledge display. The chicks were somewhat uncomfortable and frequently switched from one back corner to the other. They were also being very vocal – sometimes begging right into Ares’ face. At 4:36 Astrid arrived at the box, hopped in and started shading. Ares took that as his cue to leave. For the most part Astrid was just as ineffectual in her shading as Ares was, but she was far more proactive than Ares. Flushing the nestlings out of their corners and looming close to them. She also jostled them and, one time, the egg as well. The nestlings kept going from back corner to back corner, passing by Astrid each time – sometimes stopping to unleash shrill begging calls in her face. At 6:00 Ares arrived with prey. Astrid took it and did a feeding. The meal was over in less than five minutes and Astrid went out to the long perch. It was still close to 85 degrees, but the sun wasn’t flooding as much of the box’s interior, and the chicks weren’t as uncomfortable. Astrid came back in to shade at 6:32. After a few minutes of trudging around the back of the box, both huddled in a corner and let Astrid stand over them. At 7:04 PM Astrid went out onto the crossperch. It was finally beginning to cool down a little. At 7:36 Ares brought a hunk of food to the east veranda. Astrid skipped over, took it, and did a feeding. The nestlings were quite intense about getting this meal. Astrid left the box at 7:46. That would probably be the last meal for the night. Goodnight all.
Little Falls Peregrine Update:
The four Little Falls Nestlings and their parents are doing well. The Clutch appears to contain two males and two females.