No shortage of Feeding Today & More Nest Guarding

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for May 27, 2018 –

Astrid spent much of the overnight period at the nest box. The first feeding took place at 2:46 AM. Ares brought a fair-sized bird to the box and Astrid fed it to the young. At 3:43, he brought a smaller prey item. Astrid trotting across the cross perch, took the prey and then she fed the chicks. Ares brought something truly tiny at 5:05. It looked like a picked over piece of hide with some feathers attached. Astrid took it, but flew off with it instead of giving it to the nestlings. She came back a couple of minutes later with something more significant – something she probably drew from Ares’ larder. One or the other parent continued to keep pretty close tabs on the nest box throughout the morning. Both parents converged at the box at 7:00, but no food was exchanged nor was there a feeding. Less than twenty minutes later Ares brought a small meal over to the box. Astrid took the prey on the cross perch and went about feeding the chicks.

The next meal took place at 10:05. Ares brought the prey and she scrambled along the cross-perch towards him to take it. She let out her loudest begging screech before grabbing it with her bill and hauling it into the box. She then served it out to the chicks. After the meal she left the box and Ares came over to be with the nestlings. It was raining by this point and so he actually spent some time inside the box with the crazy kids (who get crazier by the day). Astrid eventually showed up again. This time she was on top of a pillar to the west of the nest box. At 12:37, the parents switched at the box again and Astrid was on guard duty. She abruptly left eight minutes later – probably in pursuit of prey. At 12:52, she came back with prey, but it was unclear if it was fresh or something she had taken out of storage. A feeding followed. The parents seamlessly switched at the box at a little after 1 PM, and Ares was on duty. That didn’t last long and soon both were on the State Building. At 1:40, Ares came to the box with fresh prey. Astrid met him, took the food and another feeding was underway. Ten minutes later she flew out with the leftovers. Ares brought something else sizable at 3:00. Predictably, Astrid took it and fed the nestlings.  In contrast to recent days, the parents were spending a lot of time guarding the nest box during the afternoon hours; the difference being this afternoon’s cooler temperatures, rain, and overcast skies.

At 3:13, we saw Ares over on the ledge of Hotel Utica. He was taking a bath in a puddle. By 3:50, he seemed to have flown himself dry, He screeched up to the nest box and did some guard duty. Astrid was off camera for a while and then at 5:35, we finally located her on a pillar west of the nest box. She came and did a chick-check at 5:56. Ares was still guarding the box at the time. They switched; Astrid stayed at the box and Ares flew up to the west face of the State Building. We thought he may have gone there to retrieve food, but he didn’t return to the box. He finally did bring something at 7:36. Astrid took the food and carried out the feeding.  At 8:12, Ares was on the cross-perch preening, when Astrid flew up to the nest with food. He dove off into the canyon and she proceeded to feed the kids. During this feeding the 3^rd chick was trying to eat pieces too big to swallow. We watched him get the idea to pull it away from his beak with his foot. He then held the food down with his foot while he tore it into more manageable bits. This development probably doesn’t sound earth shaking, but it’s a first and it’s one of many indications of the chicks’ widening skillset. By 9 PM, the falcons all seemed to be pretty in their night positions. Astrid was out on the long perch; we hadn’t seen Ares since the last food parcel came in. He may have been enjoying a snooze high up on the façade of the State Building. Astrid and the nestlings were certainly catching their forty winks by then.  Will there be more happenings tonight? We shall see.