The overnight period was cold and precipitation free. The temperature got down to 26 degrees. Fortunately conditions improved after daybreak – the skies were clear, and it soon got into the mid-forties. The wind remained an issue – portending the wintery blast that would come in the evening and on Tuesday. Astrid was on the nest all night. Ares screeched to the nestbox at 5:40 AM. They did a rapid switch, and she flew off into the canyon. At 6:36 Astrid was on the hotel where she did some preening. She flew to the steeple at 6:42. We couldn’t tell if she had a crop or if her chest feathers were just fluffed out due to the cold. We think the latter scenario was more likely. The falcons switched at 7:05 and Astrid took over on the eggs. Ares left without complaint. He was back again just before 9:00 asking for another turn but she sent him away. At around 10:22 we heard some cackle alarm calls. We weren’t sure what brought that on – probably a migrant raptor or vulture. At 10:32 Ares screeched up to his favorite pillar perch. An hour later he darted off somewhere but then came back to a different pillar at 10:40. He was almost directly above the nest box and he and Astrid had a lively conversation. He was giving long calls and she was chirruping. It could be that she wanted him to catch a fresh meal for her. He looked like he was watching for prey – he kept looking down at birds flying over Elizabeth Street. At 11:42 he flew down to the crossperch. He asked to take over on the eggs, but she said no (very loudly) and he went to the east veranda instead. From there he moved to the east ledge. It really seemed like he was guarding the box closely today – maybe due to the recent intruders. The falcons switched at around noon and Ares got to incubate the eggs.
At 12:21 PM Ares began giving warning chirps from the nest. He got off the eggs and dashed off towards the west and quickly flew out of camera view. Astrid had just landed on the State Building, but then flew to the box and resumed incubation. The eggs were only uncovered for about a minute. At 12:32 Ares returned to the canyon and screeched up to his pillar perch. He was preening but he was also trying to bring up a pellet. Astrid started vocalizing from the box again; possibly trying to encourage him to hunt up some lunch. He came to the box at 12:39 and was keen to take over on the eggs. Astrid denied his request. He was still trying to bring up a pellet while he was attempting to shift her, so the scene was preposterous. He soon gave up and flew to the east veranda. From there he flew back up to his pillar. At 1:26 Ares tried once again to get Astrid to give him a turn on the eggs. He walked up behind her but wasn’t pushy. He gave up and ate a stone before flying out again. He then boomeranged back and landed on the east veranda. At 1:52 Ares hopped back into the nest and asked to take over on the eggs again. He got up right behind her, stepped on her, and bent her tail to the side, but she still didn’t get up. He left instead, this time going over to the west veranda. From there he flew to his pillar. At 2:46 and at 3:46 Ares tried again. The second time he invaded her space and tread on her wingtips and tail, but it didn’t work. She wasn’t leaving. He hopped off to the east veranda and then back to his pillar. He was still very much in nest guarding mode. At 4:50 when he tried again, the magic worked, and Astrid ceded the box to him. At 5:32 Astrid was flying back and forth in front of the west face of the State Building. She was likely checking Ares’ pantry ledges. A few minutes later she dashed towards the hotel, but we didn’t find her over there. Six minutes later she was on an upper ledge and eating something which looked like pantry food. She was up again after only a few minutes and back on the State Building. At 6:02 she was back to the hotel and this time was plucking something more substantial. We couldn’t confirm what it was, but it may have been a dark Pigeon. She fed until about 6:30 and then flew to the State Building. She came to the nest at 6:52. She wanted to take over incubation, but Ares wasn’t ready to leave so she let him stay a while longer. The final switch of the night happened at around 7:40 PM. Astrid was on the nest just as the rain and snow were starting to fall. The storm may bring a substantial amount of snow to the region. We shall see. Goodnight falcons.