Still no New Egg, but We’re Getting Closer – Plenty of Ledge Displays and Matings

Today was damp and warm-sih (relatively speaking). Skies were overcast and temperatures lingered in the 40’s. Light rain began in the early afternoon and then became more significant later on. Astrid had arrived at the box at just before 8 PM, Wednesday evening and she remained there until Ares arrived with food at 3:00 Thursday morning. The prey was a Killdeer (Ares’ second one of the season). Astrid latched onto it and then flew into the darkness.  Ares remained at the box for a little while and then he too disappeared into the night. Right before 5 o’clock both of them returned to the box, but abstained from doing a ledge display. She stood on the cross perch for only a moment. He, on the other hand, remained for a half-hour. Shortly after he left, we heard distinctive chatter call he gives during mating. We didn’t know where she was but evidently he knew only too well. Five minutes later, both were at the nest again. They did a ledge display and for most of it they were right up in each other’s’ faces. Certainly, lots of beaking took place. At the conclusion, Ares bailed out and she started doing her box chores, which included making a nice scrape. She left at 6:35, and he arrived back only a minute later. He didn’t stay long and when he left he gave a loud screeching call that let everyone know there were falcons in the canyon. At 7 AM, Ares was back with a Woodcock, but only five minutes later he flew off and stowed it someplace. He then returned without it.

While he was at the box, we saw that he had some green staining on the white feathers below his throat. We had noticed it yesterday when he was out on the cross perch, but at the time we thought it was due to weird lighting. We aren’t sure what the origin of the green pigment is, but it doesn’t seem as bright as it was yesterday, so it’s probably wearing off. Judging by where the stain is, he probably picked it up while securing prey, but that’s the extent of our conjecture. Perhaps he’s becoming a new species – a Green-throated Peregrine falcon? Very rare! For a while, Ares was back and forth between the box and Astrid’s perch on the Steeple. At 8:26, they mated on the steeple. A half-hour later, both were calling loudly at the nest box. He was inside and she was out on the cross-perch. She flew out after only a few moments. At 9:20, both were on the Hotel ledge. Astrid was eating and Ares was watching for Jackals or maybe was just monitoring her while she fed.  He was back to the box before she finished. When she did finish she joined him at the box for a ledge display. It was another dance that featured the pair right up in each other’s faces and there was lots of beaking. A few minutes after leaving, Ares came back for a slight reprise, which seems to be a new thing around here. Following that, he went over and took a perch on the west face of the State Building where we can’t see him with our cameras. Meanwhile she was busy with housekeeping stuff. She bit at the lip of the box and made a scraped her talons at her favorite scraping place. At 10:20, Ares brought her more food and she took it; although just where she brought it is anyone’s guess. Just before 11 AM, Ares was back to the box. Twenty minutes later, he was getting all excited as if saw Astrid flying in. Indeed he was right. She flew in and put down on top a pillar located west of the nest box. Over the course of several hours, the pair mated 3 or maybe 4 times there.

At 12:40, after one of the matings on top of the pillar, Ares went over to the Hotel to have a bite to eat. He then brought the leftovers to the nest box and tried to get Astrid to come over for it. He tried to coax her by buzzing by her repeatedly and then he returned right back to the box. She immediately came and grabbed the food – took off and went out of our camera view. He also left the frame, but not for long. Five minutes later he was back at the box and at 12:50, his lively squeaking calls told us that he saw her. Sure enough, she’d flown back into camera view and landed on the State Building. At 1:25, Ares was having a little snooze at the box. They so rarely rest at this time of year, both Deb and I took advantage of the situation and we took stills of him snoozing.  Then suddenly Astrid bounded onto the cross-perch. WAKE UP TIME!! She was a big blue surprise and he was extra excited to see her. The couple did one of their new standard ledge displays – the kind where both stand really close to each other and swipe their beaks together vertically. It’s probably no coincidence that they always do this on top Astrid’s scrape and not in the great bowl that Ares created on the opposite side of the box. Lots of housekeeping followed Ares’ departure from the box. Just lately she’s been digging in a little hole beneath our old camera. We’re not sure what she’s mining for there. She also did a couple of scrapes, including one in Ares’ super scrape spot. At 1:45, when Ares arrived with food she was out on the cross-perch. Five minutes later Ares was back at the box and that was her cue to leave. She flew west a short way alongside the building and landed on top a pillar. At 1:56, Ares flew over and they mated. An hour later they were still in the same positions and both were occasionally caught napping. So Peregrine Falcons do sleep! Lately we were starting to wonder! The mated again at 3:15. Forty-five minutes later, Ares had just returned from what we think was an aborted mating attempt. He went into the box and started giving squeaking calls. Astrid was still on the pillar, but her head was turned in his direction as if she was intently listening to his vocalizations. During the course of the next hour, Ares made at least three quick flights into the canyon and then back to the box. After the last one he landed on the east veranda instead of the box. It had been raining for a while at this point and it was obvious the falcons’ activity levels were flagging. They mated once more at 6:20, after which, Ares returned to the box and Astrid left the pillar.

At 6:35, Astrid was in the air. We rediscovered her on the Hotel ledge about 5 minutes later. At 6:40, she joined Ares at the nest box and the two falcons partook of yet another ledge display. This one, like most of the others, was heavy on the beaking action. Also, they again stood in very close proximity to each other over Astrid’s scrape. There was lots of vocalizing as well. After the dance, Ares went to the Hotel and stood on the ledge. He was there until 7:40 PM; that’s when we assume he went to his night perch. After their final ledge display, she had remained at the box. She sat out on the cross perch for a while and then at 7:38, she jumped back into the box proper. Will Astrid lay an egg tonight? Probably not, but maybe. Find out tomorrow in the next exciting installment.