Author: Matt Perry

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 16, 2018 –

Very strong winds blew through the night and through most of the morning. Rain began before mid-morning and continued off and on throughout the day. The high winds picked up again in the early afternoon, but were more intermittent as the day progressed. Temperatures in the morning were in the mid-thirties but peaked in the mid-forties by afternoon. Astrid had taken over for Ares on the nest at 6:05 PM on Sunday. She remained for the entire night shift and right until Ares relieved her at 6:03 on Monday morning. When Astrid left, she was seen flying to the north. We didn’t know where she was after that, but that’s not unusual. She was likely perched somewhere in the canyon, but out of view. Deb finally saw her on the west face of the State Building at 7:52. Deb also noticed that at least one of Ares pantry items had been blown off the building by the wind. That’s a problem with high winds, they tend to take a toll on the falcon’s food reserves. At 8:04, Astrid landed on the cross-perch and called to Ares to get off the eggs. It only took a couple of donkey calls and he was out. She didn’t have to resort to stepping on his tail that time. She quickly settled on the eggs. Ares was on the west face of the State Building for a little while and then he was out of camera view. Just after 10 AM, He was there again , which probably meant he was hunting from that perch.

At 10:36, Ares came to the box and the pair executed a quick switch. Astrid flew out toward the east and Ares got onto the eggs. It looked like he had a crop, so he must’ve eaten. At 12:22, Deb saw Astrid on the west face of the State Building. She arrived at the nest box at 1:06. At that time she had a short conversation with Ares. It was clear that he didn’t want to leave yet and so, once again she left him to it Astrid went over to the west side of the State Building once again. The west face of the building was very popular with the falcons today – primarily because the wind was coming from the opposite direction for once. She returned and the pair switched out at 3:02. Astrid then took over on the eggs and, as it turned out, she would remain there for the rest of the day. Ares seemed to be hunting and right before 6:00 PM, he was seen on a few different perches She tried calling to him a few times to get him to take one more shift, but he didn’t come over. By 6 o’clock, rain was falling and, as early as it was, the falcons seemed settled for the night.

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 15, 2018 –

Freezing rain was on tap for us this morning and it continued on and off for much of the morning. Fortunately, accumulation was light. Temperatures were pegged in the low thirties and the winds really picked up by later in the morning. Although the ice wasn’t an issue later on in the day, the wind speed continued to increase. It was not exactly a nice spring day. Astrid had taken over on the eggs at close to 5 PM, Saturday night and she remained on the nest until Ares relieved her at 4:42 Sunday morning. His arrival at the box was a little unusual. He first landed (while screeching) on the east veranda, before making his way over to the box and relieving Astrid. Once Astrid was away from the box, we didn’t see her on camera again until she returned at 8:39. Ares had left the box only a minute earlier. At about 9:00, Astrid began calling and our PTZ cam showed Ares soaring to the north and over the bank Building. At 10:40, they did another quick switch and then it was Ares turn on the eggs. We didn’t know where Astrid had gone until Deb came through town and spied her on a high ledge on the west face of the State Building. Astrid came to the box at 12:26 and stood on the cross perch. She had a very full crop, which was likely the result of her feasting on whatever prey it was that Ares was seen storing on the State Building on Saturday evening. While on the perch, she and Ares did some conversing. It seemed clear that Ares didn’t want to get off of the eggs. After ten minutes, she hopped into the box and began beaking with him. She then went behind him and acting like she was about to step on his tail and/or primary feathers, and suddenly he relented. He got off the eggs and left. She quickly got settled and began her own incubation session.

At 2:09, Astrid appeared to be getting a little stir-crazy. She was compulsively picking at the pea gravel while still remaining tight on the eggs. She soon settled down and then about twenty minutes later, Ares flew through and she called out from the box. Did she want to be relieved? The next thing we knew she was dozing. Ares arrived at the box at 2:47, but for some reason he went over to the west veranda. From there he jumped onto the long perch and then he was out again and she fell back into dreamland. At 3:25, the falcons did a pretty quick switch and then Ares was on the eggs. Things got a bit weird after that: At 4:46 (ish) Ares became animated and began calling. He got off the eggs and flew out of the box. Astrid came to the cross perch at 4:48 and she was obviously upset, She was giving loud calls, but not alarm calls. What we didn’t know at the time was that Ares was dealing with an intruder. Out PTZ 1 cam caught a very distant shot of him chasing another (probably male) Peregrine from the roof of the State Building, north over the Adirondack Bank, and then right out of camera view. Astrid tried to settle on the eggs, but didn’t stay for more than a few seconds. She left the box and the eggs were alone. Fortunately, Ares returned only a minute later and he resumed incubating. It was then Astrid who was out of view. She came back to the box just before five o’clock, but she wasn’t ready to do the switch yet. She flew out and disappeared behind the State Building. At 6:05, Astrid returned to the box. This time she was ready to switch and Ares was ready to leave. She settled down on the eggs and began to incubate. Hopefully there will be no more excitement for today. Ares quickly was out of camera view. He probably either went hunting or took to his night perch.

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 14, 2018 –

It was relatively mild this morning. It was overcast and temperatures were in the mid-forties. By noon it had become somewhat chillier and light rain began falling. The afternoon was drier, but the wind picked up and the temperature began to drop. Astrid had taken over incubating at 3:27 Friday afternoon, and since Ares never relieved her in the early evening, she had to stay on the eggs for over thirteen hours straight.  She finally left the box at 4:40 AM on Saturday, and Ares arrived about a minute later to take over on the eggs. Upon leaving, Astrid took a few different perches on the State Building. At one point she flew around the west face of the building; she was likely perusing Ares pantry. We think she selected something since minutes later she was seen perched on the west face of the building, and probably feeding – either that or preening. it’s hard to tell from a distance. Following that, at 6:05, she flew over to the Adirondack Bank building and landed on top of a window pillar west of the nest box. She was there for only a minute and then she was out of camera view. About a half-hour later she was perched on the steeple and enjoying a prolonged preening session. She had a large crop so she must’ve been eaten at some point. At around 8:15, they switched and Astrid was back on the eggs. After leaving the box Ares spend some time on the State Building. It looked like he made a few hunting forays from there.

In the late morning the Utica Peregrine Falcon Project held our first of the season public walk around the downtown canyon. Despite the rather dismal weather, people showed up and received a great introduction to Astrid and Ares’ domain. While we were showing folks around, Ares returned to the box and relieved Astrid. That happened at 10:24, and it was a fast changeover. Astrid flew over to the State Building, but then ended up back on one of the pillars on the bank. All of the people in our second tour got to see her there. At about 11:30, she returned to the box and sat outside on the cross perch, while Ares remained on the eggs. They stayed like this for around fifteen minutes, until finally Astrid went inside the box and ousted her mate. Of course it wasn’t that easy to dislodge him. First they did some beaking and that didn’t work. She then she went behind him and stepped on his tail, and that worked. Credit where credit is due, she did try to ask nicely first! Regardless, he was outed and she took over incubation duty. Thanks to all those who joined us for today’s falcon walks! We have another one scheduled for next Saturday. That one will take place at 6:30 in the evening.

At 12:30, we noticed that Ares was back on the State Building, but soon he went out of view again. Astrid had been peacefully incubating, but then at 1:26, she unceremoniously baled from the box. She called as she was leaving and we thought we heard Ares answer her. He came to the box less than a minute later and took over on the eggs. Following that, we couldn’t locate Astrid until close to two o’clock when she showed up on the steeple. While there she did a great amount of preening. The wind picked up quite a bit towards the end of her stay on that perch. She was being buffeted, but didn’t seem overly disturbed by it. She left at 3:20 and wasn’t relocated until an hour later when she arrived at the nest box. The falcons switched again at 4:53, and then it was Astrid’s turn to mind the eggs. Ares was visible on the State Building for a short time and then he was out of view of our cameras.

At 6:17, Astrid let out a few chirps, and that’s often an indication that she sees her mate. Sure enough, she did. Ares flew in from the west, heading towards the State Building. He was heavily laden with prey. He appeared to store the food high on the west face of the building and then he flew around the south side and disappeared from view again.  By 6:30 PM, Astrid was napping in the box. She seemed to be settled for the night, and we believe that Ares was as well. Tonight’s weather forecast calls for freezing rain and generally sloppy winter-like conditions. This latest burst of winter will last well into tomorrow. It’s just as well that the falcons have some food in the bank, since hunting may be difficult for a while.

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 13, 2018 –

There was some rain overnight and even a thunderstorm – although the storm actually missed the falcons’ downtown canyon. Temperatures were in the forties during the night and barely budged through the morning. In the late afternoon, the temperature peaked in the low fifties. Astrid stayed out pretty late again last evening and didn’t relieve Ares until just before 8 PM. He retaliated though and didn’t relieve her on the eggs this morning until right before 6 AM which, believe it or not, is pretty late for these two. He was seen on the State Building about 15 minutes before coming to the nest. Interestingly, when Astrid left she landed on the exact same high ledge that he had been on only moments before. At 8:20, Astrid was on the north face of the State Building and appeared to be feeding. She was seen on the building’s west face a little while before that, so perhaps she had taken food out of Ares’ pantry. The pair switched out at the nest box at 10:02, and then Astrid was back on the eggs. She had a partially full crop. Ares went over and perched on the State Building’s north face. A little while later he was on the west face, and then back on the north. Obviously he was hunting. At 12:13, the pair switched at the nest again and then Ares took over on the eggs. We didn’t see where Astrid was for a little while and then she showed up on the State Building. Just before 1 o’clock, Ares was fussing around on the nest. He moved some stones around and then he seemed to have an issue adjusting the eggs. As soon as he tucked one beneath him, another would push out on the other side. Fortunately, after a few minutes he got that all under control.

Astrid came back to the box at 3:15, and they pair did yet another quick switch on the eggs. Ares went over to the State Building and perched on a ledge that was only two windows down from where Astrid had just been. By 4:05, Ares had flown and was off camera for a while. At 5:10, Deb located him on the east face of the State Building. Forty minutes later, Astrid was calling for him to relieve her on the eggs, but he was obviously in no hurry to comply. We weren’t sure if he was even in earshot at that time. She seemed OK to settle back on the eggs and wait for him to show up. As eight o’clock neared and dusk was upon the canyon it seemed unlikely he was going to show up, and by then she was resigned to stay anyhow. Perhaps Ares went on a late hunting trip. We shall see what time he shows up tomorrow morning.

Utica Peregrine Falcon Update for April 12, 2018 –

It was chilly overnight with a very dense fog developing by morning, Low lying areas including the falcons’ downtown canyon were. Temperatures were around the freezing point in the very early morning, but rose quickly into the forties. Clouds and light rain came in by early afternoon. Astrid had relieved Ares at the box at 7:50, Wednesday evening. She remained on the eggs all night long and even a bit later in the morning than usual. Ares came out of the fog to relieve Astrid at 6:00. She then disappeared into the opaque cloud that enveloped the canyon. The fog was so thick we couldn’t even see the State Office Building with our cameras, let alone determine if Astrid was perched on it.  At 7:22, the fog lifted just enough to allow us to see Astrid on the State Building. At 8:43, Astrid came back to the box and landed on the cross-perch. It looked to us like she was asking to mate, but she was only looking for a quick switch. He got up and left without complaint and she took over on the nest. At 9:10, Ares was spotted on the Hotel, but he wasn’t there very long. After that he spent some time on the west face of the State Building.

Ares came to relieve Astrid at the nest at 10:36, but she wouldn’t go. He even used Astrid’s patented technique of looming over her and then stepping on her tail, but she would not budge. We thought that she may have been holding out for food. At 10:55, Ares was seen on the State Building. It looked like he was prepping a meal for her, but then instead of taking it to the box, he just flew off with it. Later he was back on the west side of the State Building. That’s usually were he stores food, so he may have tucked it into one of his cubbyholes. At 12:14, Astrid let out a squawk. We didn’t know what that was about at the time.  It turned out that Ares had buzzed by the box. Perhaps he had planned to stop and do a changeover, but her call surprised him. He landed on a window ledge just west of the box. He looked pretty wet. It was raining at that time. He preened for a while and then at 12:30, he began giving soe subtle long calls. Astrid answered with “chirrup” calls and squeaks. He became animated, hopped over to the box and requested his turn on the eggs. She didn’t want to leave. He came into the box and beaked with her for a few moments, but she still didn’t want to go. Finally he squeezed between her and the back wall of the box and kind of pried her off the eggs. At that point she did leave and he had his turn at incubation. After Astrid left she flew around the west side of the State Building and appeared to be checking to see what was in Ares’ pantry. She probably didn’t find anything she liked, since only a few minutes later she was perched on the north face of the building and apparently not feeding. About fifteen minutes later, she went back to the perch on the west face.

At 2:35, Astrid came to the box, but she only did a chick check in with Ares and then left again. Almost an hour later, at 3:22, they switched. Ares was again, ready to leave. At 5:16, Ares arrived at the box with a Woodcock. Astrid came right out to grab it. She then appeared to fly west with it, but our cameras couldn’t find where she went to feed. Fifteen minutes later she was on the State Building and she wasn’t feeding. She couldn’t have eaten much of the Woodcock. Not that we needed more evidence that Astrid is not nuts about Woodcock flesh. In fact Woodcock qualifies as one of her three least favorite prey items. The others are cuckoos and bats. She was next seen on top of a pillar located west of the nest box. At 6:15 PM, she left and was out of camera view agian. She didn’t come back to the box until dusk at 7:54. By that time Ares had been watching for her to return for about fifteen minutes and he was ready to switch. She quickly settled on the eggs and appeared set for the night.