Utica Falcon Update — March 28, 2025 Ares Dances with Yet Another New Female!!

We are not sure if Ares will successfully breed this year, but he does seem to have opened a reasonably successful catering service, and dance studio for traveling females.

For a time this morning, it looked like things might be stabilizing at the Utica nest. Serena was present, sharing a ledge display with Ares and even accepting a food gift—signs that the pair might be back on track. But after that moment of apparent harmony, Serena disappeared once again. Ares returned to his lookout post on the roof of the State Office Building, seemingly awaiting her return. Then, in midafternoon, a new twist: an un-banded yearling female arrived—one we hadn’t seen before. Over the next couple of hours, she and Ares engaged in three separate ledge displays at the nestbox. Ares even brought her a food gift, which she accepted and calmly consumed on the edge of the box. She seemed quite at ease at the nest area, and notably, Ares showed no hesitation in welcoming her.

We don’t know if this new female encountered Serena—though we suspect not, as Serena was likely nowhere in the area during her visit. Whether either of them returns tomorrow remains to be seen. At this point, the only thing we can count on is that something unexpected is just as likely to occur with each new day.