Update for Friday, April 19, 2024
Ares was anxious to get on the eggs this morning. He came to the box at 5:20 AM and tried to convince Astrid to leave but he was not successful. Usually, she is anxious to leave in the morning, having spent the entire night incubating. When it is close to hatching time, she usually doesn’t want to leave the eggs, but we are a full 10 days out from the hatch window – so it can’t be that. Another possibility is that Astrid wanted Ares to bring her something. If that was the case, he didn’t comply, or if he did, he left it on a ledge and did not bring it to the box. He finally came back to relieve her at 8:17 AM, and she still didn’t want to go. This time, however, he didn’t take no for an answer and pried her off the nest. When Astrid returned to the crossperch at 10:51, she had a large crop. Evidently, she had acquired a meal somewhere.
