Overnight, persistent rain showers gave way to persistent snow showers in the predawn hours. Temperatures remained around the freezing point and slightly above throughout the day, Of course, it was windy too. Astrid stayed tight on the eggs all night long. Ares wasn’t seen until 6:25 AM, when he arrived at the nest with prey. He was giving a cackle warning call when he flew in and continued giving it while on the the long perch. We weren’t sure what provoked the alarm calls. Ares didn’t wait for Astrid to even try to take it; instead, he took his fresh catch to the hotel where he proceeded to pluck it. The fact that he was somehow able to catch this blackbird during a snowstorm and in the pre-dawn darkness was amazing. It certainly led us to speculate on how he got it. I think he must’ve flushed a roosting flock of blackbirds and snatched this one out of the air as it was scrambling. As for why he gave warning calls upon his arrival – we are not sure. Maybe there was another non-falcon raptor in the canyon. At 6:44 AM, Ares brought what was left of the meal to Astrid. She snatched it and, predictably, took it to the hotel to eat. Twenty minutes later, she flew over to the State Building to perch. Ares had taken over on the eggs as soon as Astrid left to have breakfast. At 8:42, Ares came off the eggs, moved to the front of the box and began giving long calls. They mated on the State Building less than a minute later. Two minutes later, Astrid came to the box and took over incubating the eggs. Ares was perched on a high ledge on the State Building.
At 10:39 AM, the falcons switched again. Ares got on the eggs immediately, but then hopped off and started giving long calls from the box lip. He stopped calling and settled back onto the eggs within five minutes. It seemed like he got serious about incubation. At 12:21, Astrid came to the crossperch. The two carried on a subdued conversation; Ares was very comfortable on the eggs and showed no sign of wanting to leave. She was OK with that and floated off on the wind. She remained out of our view and likely out of the driving wind and snow for a while after that. At 1:58, Ares either heard or saw Astrid come back into the near-canyon. He got off the eggs and started giving long calls. A minute later, he flew off to the west. Astrid arrived at the nest moments later and resumed incubating. Ares flew to the west face of the State Building, drew some prey from his pantry, and headed to the hotel to pluck and process it. At 2:15, he brought to food to the crossperch and Astrid took it. She flew to the hotel to eat it while Ares got comfortable on the eggs. She finished her meal and left the hotel at 2:36. When she came into the canyon, she sailed leisurely between the County Building and the State Building for a minute before landing on the latter building. Ares made light squeaking calls as he watched her fly, but he didn’t come off the eggs.
At 3:37, Ares got off the eggs, gave a long call, and flew out of the box. Astrid arrived precisely as he was leaving. He boomeranged back and the pair mated on the crossperch. Astrid then climbed onto the eggs and went back to incubating. At 4:04 PM, Ares was on the hotel. He flew to his pillar perch at 4:36 – screeching as he flew past the nest. Astrid came off the eggs and hopped onto the crossperch at 4:50. She called out to get Ares’ attention. They mated on the crossperch directly after. At 4:51, Ares landed on the east veranda and Astrid left the nest. He came onto the eggs at 4:55 and she went to the State Building. Ares finished his shift on the eggs at 6:16. Astrid arrived at the box only a minute after Ares was out. She got onto the eggs and seemed to be hunkered down for the night. Astrid’s third egg is expected to be laid sometime late tonight or very early tomorrow morning. Goodnight falcons and all.