The overnight was cool and dry. Astrid was on the nest through early morning. At some point Ares took over, but we’re not sure when. It was probably after 4 AM. She came to the box at 6:30 and had a conversation with Ares while standing on the crossperch. We noticed that she had a full crop, so perhaps she had taken something out of Ares pantry sometime earlier. She hopped into the box and the pair did some beaking. This seemed to be her way of nicely asking him to vacate the nest. It worked; he was out and she took over on the eggs. This particular kind of gentle persuasion was not something we remember happening during previous breeding seasons. He flew over and took a perch on the State Building. Ares was out of view for a little while and Astrid gave some chirping calls when he returned to the State Building at 6:45.
The next changing of the guard took place at 8:25. This time Ares took over on the eggs but made a complete circle around them before settling down on them. Astrid took a perch on the steeple. At 8:41, Ares gave an alarm call, but both falcons looked very casual right afterward. It was probably brought on by a passing raptor – one that didn’t come very close to the canyon. Deb said that Ares was snoozing and wondered if he was reacting to an intruder in his dream. At 10:21 Astrid came to the box, but then moved onto the east veranda. There she was giving her donkey-like calls and possibly asking to mate. At 11 AM Ares began chirping and came off the eggs, but we don’t know if they mated after that. Ten minutes later she was on the eggs and he was on the State Building. At 11:45 Astrid was upset about something. She was calling and came off the eggs. She flew out with purpose. One of the falcons was seen flying around the west face of the State Building and then gaining height and flying northwest over the ADK Bank building. Was she going after an intruder?
Two minutes later Ares arrived at the box with food but didn’t stay long. Astrid came to the nest at 11:50 and was agitated and calling. She soon settled down on the eggs. He was seen on the State Building shortly after, but then came directly to the box and requested a turn on the eggs. He wasn’t asking very nicely. In an attempt to make her leave, he crowded her behind her, but she didn’t budge. He gave up and left. The next switch took place just before 11:30. Again, Ares was pushy about getting his turn and this time it worked and she flew off. The switched again sometime around 2 PM but we didn’t see it. Astrid began calling from the box at 2:30. She was agitated again but remained on the eggs. Ares came to the box at 3:00 and, once again he crowded up behind her to shift her off the eggs. She went to the steeple as he made himself comfortable on the eggs. At 4:25 we noticed that Ares had come off the eggs for some reason. He soon returned and got right back on them.
Astrid next came to the box at just before 6 PM and was requesting her turn on the eggs. She crowded behind him but resisted the temptation to step on his tail and the tips of his primary feathers. As it turned out, he didn’t need much persuading. He left without complaint. He was back 15 minutes later with food. He stood on the long perch with some unrecognizable prey dangling from his bill. Astrid scrambled over the crossperch and tried to reach out and grab it, but couldn’t. She flew off without it but then came right back and tried again. This time she got it and took it over to the hotel. After cleaning his beak and talons, Ares got onto the eggs. She returned to the crossperch at 7 PM. They squeaked at each other for a few minutes before she hopped into the box. She again used only gentle persuasion to get Ares off the eggs – there was no tail stomping. She merely walked up alongside him and beaked with him. He then relinquished his place without complaint. Astrid got comfortable on her clutch while Ares flew to the State Building. He was there until about 7:25 before retiring to his night perch. Goodnight falcons.
