Update for Monday, April 8, 2024
We were curious to see if the Falcons would react to the eclipse, but there was no clear indication they reacted at all. Normally, Astrid assumes the night shift on egg duty, so we wondered if she would take over on the nest during the eclipse’s peak. However, she did not. As it happened, Ares diligently tended to the eggs before, during, and after the eclipse. Meanwhile, Astrid spent the eclipse perched on the north face of the State Building. Although the darkness experienced in the canyon was akin to dusk rather than anything approaching midnight, the office lights of the State Office Building were illuminated, along with the row of green decorative lights running along the roof of the Adirondack bank building. Despite the advent of artificial lighting, the falcons remained steadfast in their positions. A couple of hours before the eclipse, Ares was on nest duty once again, but had to leave abruptly when a Peregrine intruder entered the canyon. Ares pursued the intruder with gusto while Astrid returned to the nest to resume incubation duties. After successfully driving off the intruder, Ares returned to the State Building, only to be interrupted again by the same intruder, prompting him to chase after the trespasser once more.
