The overnight was dam and cool. Astrid spent most of the night on the eggs (now three). Ares relieved her at some time before 4 AM. At 5:30 she was back; She was giving her trademark donkey calls on the perch of the west veranda. She was calling to mate. Ares complied and then, minutes later she took over on the eggs. Their changeovers at the nest were virtually seamless today – although not that quick. Neither seemed willing to get off the eggs when the other one came in to switch. The 7:00 switch was like that. Ares came into the box and Astrid didn’t want to leave. They did some beaking over the eggs and then Ares did his best to convince but she wouldn’t leave and he was out again. At 7:38, he came back with food and she accepted it on the east veranda. She went to some secret spot to feed – we couldn’t find her. After taking a few minutes to wipe his beak and pick clean his talons, Ares got onto the eggs and made himself comfortable. Astrid returned at 8:30 and, after some spritely conversation and beaking, they switched again and she was on the eggs. He was heard screeching up to his pillar perch a little while after that.
The next switch took place just before 10 AM and it was Ares turn to incubate. At 11:14, She was back in the box trying to convince Ares to vacate, but he really didn’t want to leave. She wasn’t too pushy with him this time but stood behind him and waited until he decided to move. Her shift on the nest ended at 12:17 PM when Ares came back with food. They did a good transfer but then, once again, she took it to somewhere we can’t see with our PTZ cameras. We weren’t sure if Ares could see where she was. He didn’t seem concerned though (he wasn’t chirping and getting antsy). After a few minutes he got onto the eggs and had a nice long incubation session. At 2:00 Astrid came into view on the State Building and Ares let us know by chirping, but he didn’t budge from his post. At 3:15, she came to the east veranda and two minutes later the pair mated there. She was on the eggs again by 3:18. The next switch took place about an hour later. She took some convincing to leave the eggs. She was next seen on the State Building at 5:10. Ares left the egg to mate with her a half hour later, but it was an aborted attempt. She flew to the box to resume incubating at 5:47 – only a couple of minutes after Ares had left.
Just before 6 PM, she started calling while sitting on the eggs. We thought perhaps Ares was dealing with an intruder but that was not the case. We finally glimpsed him landing on a west facing ledge on the State Building. We caught him in the act of stocking his pantry – something we rarely get to see. He then landed on a north facing ledge but didn’t stay there for long. At 6:30, he showed up on his pillar perch above the box. He stayed there for about a half hour and then likely went to his night perch. Meanwhile Astrid was all settled on the eggs and would remain there for the rest of the night. Goodnight falcons and all.