It was cool overnight with lows in the low forties. The temps came up gradually during the day and the high was in the low sixties. There was at least one light passing shower. Astrid was on her eggs all night. Ares showed up on the north face of the State Building at 5:50 AM. She started getting impatient for him to take over and began giving light donkey calls. He came right over to relieve her. She left bellowing her screech call. She then flew around the State Building checking Ares’ pantry. At 6:28, she was on her steeple perch. She was wiping her bill and appeared to have a large crop, which meant she had eaten. At 7:05, the falcons switched places and Astrid was came back onto the eggs. At 7:32, she started calling. Soon Ares was giving chirping-type alarm calls from somewhere in the canyon. Obviously, there was an intruder to deal with. Astrid became very upset. She came off the eggs and dove out into the canyon. Presumably, she chased after the intruder. We didn’t see it with out cams. Ares came into the box and got onto the eggs less than a minute after Astrid left. At 8:04, he began giving light chirp calls as if he saw her return. Sure enough, she was spotted on the south facing perch on the steeple. At 8:24, the falcons did a quick changeover, Ares went to the State Building and Astrid was back on the nest.
At 10:44 AM, Ares was heard cackle calling and then giving long calls. Shortly after that we noticed he was on the steeple. A&A switched at some point – probably around 11:00. At close to 11:30 he gave a short cackle from the nest. It was probably due to a passing vulture or non-falcon raptor. Anther quick switch happened at 11:45, and then Astrid was back on the eggs. At noon we noticed he was on the State Building. He left 40 minutes later, and she called when he flew. The next changing of the guard happened at 1:50, and he had a turn on the eggs. He called as she landed on the State Building. At 2:32, he was giving a cackle call from the box. The falcons switched again at 3:49, and then Astrid was on the eggs. Ares came to the box and tried to relive her at 5:07, but she wouldn’t leave. We thought that she might be there for the night, but at 5:44, she became upset about something and jumped out of the box. Ares arrived at the nest a minute later and took over incubation. We noticed that she had returned to the State Building at around 6:00. Astrid didn’t relieve Ares until 7:50 PM, which was the latest switch yet this season. Goodnight falcons.
