Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, March 6th, 2023
Once again, it was cold overnight with the temperature staying just below the freezing point. Monday’s skies were mostly clear and we all got to be reacquainted with sunshine. Temperature got up to about 45° in the afternoon. However, it was windy. We first noticed a falcon on the State building at 4 AM. Two hours later we noticed that there was a falcon also on the lookout post on the roof of the State Office Building. It turned out it was Ares on the high perch. He came to the nest box at 6:22 but did not stay long. One of the falcons did a dramatic dive in front of the box, and we are not quite sure why. Perhaps, in pursuit of a crow that got too close to the nest. Ares came to the box directly following that incident. Astrid was on the steeple at 6:38. A local crow flew towards her, probably unaware that there was a falcon sitting there. Astrid darted after it and chased it away from the building. Interestingly, the falcons don’t tend to bother with crows much. They don’t take them as prey, and they only rarely deal with them harshly when they come near the nest area. Following the non-incident Astrid flew to the box. At 6:54, Ares brought food over and Astrid accepted it on the east veranda. She brought it over to the hotel. At 7:14 Ares was calling inside the box. He was letting the world know that Astrid had just flown through the canyon and landed on the Steeple – a very excited fact indeed. At 7:29 the pair mated on the steeple.
At 8:08 PM Astrid flew over and hazed the 15th floor. It was prompted by the view of someone moving in an office near the box. She landed on the crossperch and did some vocalizing. Moments later, the pair mated once again. At 9:28 Ares was on the hotel. There were a few pigeons on the same ledge. Astrid got there a few minutes later and the pigeons vacated. I guess sharing a ledge with one Peregrine is OK but not with two. After Ares departed, five pigeons flew in and landed on the opposite corner of the ledge from Astrid. At 11:40 the Astrid & Ares were in the box, engaged and ledge display. At 12:39 PM Astrid flew from her perch on the State Building and buzzed by PTZ 2 at incredible speed. She was obviously in pursuit of something. At 12:53 Ares was back to the nestbox and squeaking. Astrid was back on the State Building and he was inviting her over. As always happens at this time of year, he was keeping very close track of his mate. At 1:43 both Peregrines were on the hotel sitting in the sun on the building’s upper ledge. At 2:39 Ares made a brief stop at the box. At 4:15 one of the Falcons was on the State Building and then was gone 30 minutes later. At 5:00 Ares returned to the nestbox. He called out but there was no response. He went to his night perch just before 6:00. By that time Astrid was likely already tucked in for the night. Goodnight all.