Extended Freakout by Astrid & Niles Pulls Prey Away from Ares

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, June 5^th, 2023

It was cool overnight with a low temperature of 45 degrees. It was mostly cloudy and breezy during the day with an afternoon high of 72 degrees. It became very hazy in the afternoon as smoke from distant wildfires infused the air. Astrid stayed in close proximity to the nest for most of the night. Once again, the moon was very bright overnight. There were no overnight feedings. Ares brought prey to the long perch at 3:08 AM. Astrid had been on the east veranda but then scrambled over the crossperch to get the food. However, instead of starting a feeding, she flew off with it and didn’t come back. Astrid returned to the long perch at 5:31, but she had no food. The nestlings began squealing – they were asking for their breakfast. At 5:58 Ares brought more prey to the nest. Astrid took it and hopped into the box. Niles pulled the food away from Astrid but then she grabbed it back and began the meal. After a few moments Amelia joined in. At 6:13 Amelia Walked away while her brother continued to feed. She then did some wing flapping. With Niles losing interest as well, Astrid began ripping into what was left and eating it herself. A few times the nestlings came up to her and begged, but by then she was determined to finish it on her own – and they both already had their fill as was evident by the size of Nile’s crop. At 6:22 Astrid left the nest. At 6:38 Ares came to the nest ostensibly for a chick-check. He picked up a food scrap on the floor and handed it to Niles. Astrid came for a chick-check thirty minutes later. At 8:09 Ares was on the east veranda and Astrid was on the roof of the nestbox. Suddenly they both blasted off. Astrid started cackling and hazing the fifteenth floor. For the nest several hours Astrid continued freaking out about activity in the office near the nest box. She gave long cackle calls. She abruptly flew away and came right back over a dozen times. She cackled and then cackled some more. She cackled until her cackler was sore. The nestlings stayed calm during all of Astrid’s freakouts. A few times they began squealing, but that was because Astrid came to the crossperch and they wanted to be fed. At 10:49 Ares arrived at the nest with a small prey item. One of the nestlings grabbed it away from him. Astrid then came to the box, recovered the prey, and set about feeding it out. At first only Niles was being fed, but then Amelia joined in. At 10:54 the meal was finished, and Astrid was out. However, she came right back with another item – this time one from the pantry. She then proceeded to feed the nestlings once more. At 11:11 Ares got involved in the frenzy and started cackling too. They kept this up for about twenty minutes and then Ares seemed to get over it.

At 1:06 PM Ares was back to check on the nestlings. They seemed fine and he was out again. Two minutes later he came to the east veranda with a Black-billed Cuckoo. Astrid took it and fed it out to the chicks. After the feeding Amelia and Niles did some impressive wing flapping. At 2:22 Astrid came to the nest with another Black-billed Cuckoo. It’s a safe bet that Ares procured that one too. She proceeded to serve it to the nestlings. Niles was first in line to be fed. A few minutes into the feeding, Astrid moved the prey to the middle of the box and started feeding Amelia too. She left at 3:33. Ares came to the nest at 3:56. He picked up a scrap of food from the floor and fed it to Niles. At 4:20 the nestlings became very active in the box. Astrid came to the crossperch at 4:46. Ares arrived with prey on the east veranda at the same time. Astrid took the prey, flew out with it, came back, and started a feeding. As usual, Niles was first up to be fed. Amelia waited near the corner and preened. She finally walked up and got a few bites, but then walked away again. She came back for another helping before it was gone. At 6:43 the nestlings were calling from the box. One of the parents was flying around the State Building and, apparently, they were reacting to that. At 6:57 Astrid had left the hotel and was up on the north face of the State Building. Ares was up on the lookout post – most likely in hunting mode. In the nest Amelia was doing a fair amount of wing flapping. At 7:03 PM the nestling started squealing. They were reacting to Astrid taking off after something. At 7:09 Ares brought a Starling to the nest. Astrid grabbed it and started a feeding. This time Amelia was a contender from the beginning. At 7:34 Astrid was back on the north face of the State Building and Ares back on the lookout post. The nestlings were sacked out by 7:44. Niles reclined with his head resting on the lip of the box and looking out into the canyon. Goodnight falcons.