Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Wednesday, June 7th, 2023
It was cool again last night with lows in the mid 40’s. The sky continues to be hazy due to Canadian forest fires. The sunlight is noticeably dimmer because of it. The day’s high temperature was in the low 60’s. Astrid was close to the nest area for most of the night. There were no overnight feedings. We heard Ares give a long call at 4:50 AM. He was on the steeple shortly after that. Astrid was on the hotel at 5:00 obviously in hunting mode. She came to the box to check on the nestlings at 5:35. Ares was up on his lookout post at 5:42. Meanwhile, in the nest, Niles was flapping his wings and the nestlings were just generally restless. No doubt they were eager to have breakfast. At 6:03 Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid took it and started a feeding. By 6:18 the meal was over and Astrid was out. Ares brought more prey at 6:30. Astrid grabbed the food and fed the nestlings. The meal was done and she was out after five minutes. At 6:50 Ares was back up on his lookout post – hunting again and Astrid was on the steeple – probably also hunting. At 7:41 Ares was back to the box with prey. Astrid took it and handled the feeding. It was a small meal and she served it out in only four minutes. By 8:15 Astrid was declaring war on the offices around the nestbox. She proceeded to cackle up a storm on and off for the next four hours. When Ares landed on the crossperch at 9:45 the nestlings got very excited and shrieked and squealed. Meanwhile Astrid, checked both verandas for better views of what was going on inside of the offices. Since they had been blocked she went back onto the roof of the nestbox to glare disapprovingly at that office window. At 11:45 Astrid made a few quick stops on the crossperch – I guess just chick checks. She seemed to launch after prey after that. Most probably a Pigeon. At 11:54 Astrid was having another one Peregrine cackle-fest.
At 12:04 Ares came to the nest with prey. Astrid broke away from her mania to take the food and do a feeding. Niles tried to grab it away from her, but she tugged it back. The nestlings fed in a fairly orderly way. The meal was over at 12:12 and Astrid was out. Amelia and Niles then did some wing flapping and interacting. By 12:18 Astrid was back on the roof of the nestbox. Astrid did a lot of complaining in the afternoon – lots of cackling and dashing back and forth in a state of outrage. The nestlings alternated between siestas and active periods of flapping and strutting around the box. At 3:47 Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid took it and carried out a feeding. When it was done and Astrid was gone, the nestlings did a lot of flapping. Niles cocked his head while watching his sister do some good wing flapping. At one point the two got quite rambunctious and were thrashing at something on the floor of the box – maybe the egg. They then bit at the new nest cam. At 4:17 Astrid was back up on the roof of the nestbox but didn’t seem to be freaking out. Ares had been on the long perch for quite a while, but left when Astrid came down from the roof and to the box at 4:51. At 4:53 Ares got some food out of the pantry and brought it to the nest. Astrid grabbed it and did a feeding. At first only Niles seemed interested, but Amelia eventually joined in. The meal lasted over nine minutes and both nestlings seemed to get their fill. At 5:14 Ares was on the steeple and Astrid was on the State Building. Twenty minutes later she was back on the roof of the nestbox. Apparently, she was expecting afterhours office workers. She stayed quiet so we don’t think she saw anyone. At 6:30 PM Ares was up on the lookout post – most likely watching fore prey. At 6:34 Ares brought something small to the nest. Astrid took it and served it to the nestlings. Ares was right back up on the lookout and hunting directly afterwards. Thirty minutes later he was plucking prey on the hotel. When he was done processing it, he brought it to the nest. Astrid came in just behind him, took the food and handled the feeding. By 7:15 PM it was raining. Astrid came to the long perch not long after and Ares was on the State Building. Both nestlings were for the most part settled down for the night. Goodnight falcons.