Author: Matt Perry

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Friday, February 24^th, 2023

It was a true winter weather day today with relentless wind & intermittent snowfall. The temperature was in freefall during the early morning. Before dawn, the temperature was 30°. At noon it was only 20°. Astrid landed on a high ledge on the north face of the State Building at 4 AM. Ares showed up at the nest box at 6:12. At 6:30 the pair enjoyed a long and active ledge display inside the box. There was a lot of beaking, but only Astrid partook of fancy footwork. Ares stuck to the center of his mega scrape as if he was incubating something. He left at 6:37. Astrid then lingered in the box for quite some time. Ares returned at 8:14 and, much to our surprise, they had another dance. This one was short and Ares was out after only two minutes. He was back at 9:05 and they did a classic switch. It seemed to be a practice incubation switch; she was out and he was in. When she left her perch on the State Building at 9:22, Ares began chirping in the box. Ten minutes later, he screeched and flew out into the canyon. Possibly there was an intruder. At 9:45 he came back to the box and was chirping again. Likely he saw Astrid somewhere, but we couldn’t find her with the cameras. At 9:50 we noticed that she was on the ledge of the hotel with prey. It looked to be a Pigeon that she caught herself. Ares darted from the nest at 10:42. We weren’t sure where he was off to, but he was back only ten minutes later and working on his mega scrape project.

At noon Ares once again screeched out of the box. We had no idea where he was going, but probably he was going to buzz by Astrid. She had long since finished her meal on the hotel and was likely sitting fat and happy on a perch out of the snow and wind. Sometime before 1:00, he snuck back into the box without us knowing. He had a large crop which meant he had recently eaten. At 1:46 he started calling like he saw her. Once again, we did not see her. He flew out into the wind and made a quick dash to the west. Astrid showed up a minute later at the box, but did not stay, and soon sailed off into the wind herself. At 1:49 Ares came back to the box. He stayed there on guard duty until about 3:45, and then he was out again. He returned at 4:30. He really seemed committed to watching the box today. However, it was safe to assume that Astrid had given up coming to the nest area for the day. She was content to leave the nest guarding to Ares. He stayed until 5:00 PM and then presumably when to his night perch. Goodnight Falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Thursday, February 23^rd, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EWPoOXVh2Q

The winter storm continued through the night leaving a few inches of snow and an ice glaze on everything. The temperature stayed just below the freezing point all day. Ares screeched to the nestbox at 5:30 AM. He called for Astrid sporadically, but she didn’t show up until an hour later. She came to the box for a second and then flew over to perch on one of the pillars to the west of the nestbox. At 7:07 she moved to an east ledge. They mated there at 8:00 AM. Deb actually heard Ares’ mating chatter call. She was getting sound from a new camera that we’ve been trying out. Unfortunately, the sound was intermittent. We continue to have technical gremlins with our audio! It’s a real drag. The falcons mated again at 8:30. Twenty minutes later Ares flew to a west ledge with a Pigeon! Astrid watched him come in with great interest. She then flew right over to meet him and collect her gift. This was the first time in ages we had seen Ares with a Pigeon. Indeed, it seems like he catches just about every bird except Pigeons (Conversely, Astrid only catches Pigeons.) We wondered if he could have just picked up one that Astrid had stored, but that is highly unlikely. If Astrid had caught it, she would have eaten it already. As she dug into her gift, Ares was out of view for a little while. He then showed up on his favorite pillar perch. At 9:24 Astrid finished feeding and left her ledge. Ares responded by excitingly darting over to the nestbox. At 10:09 Ares was still there and working on his super scrape. Perhaps he was going to turn it into an indoor pool. Astrid flew back to an east ledge and Ares responded by flying back to his favorite pillar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBCcL2geDC4

At 11:30 AM Ares flew back to the nest but didn’t stay there. He skipped across the east veranda and perched on its far corner. From there he flew back up to his pillar. It seemed he was really into guarding the nest area today. At noon he flew back to the box only to yo-yo right back to the pillar again. At 1:56 PM Ares came to the east veranda with food. Astrid was still on an east ledge and didn’t seem tempted by her prospective gift. We thought it was because she was still full from her earlier meal, but then we noticed that the leftovers Ares had in his talons was from a Woodcock. Suddenly it made sense why Astrid refused it. He brought it right over to her ledge but she still wouldn’t take it. After a few minutes he gave up and probably put it back in storage. Perhaps he will try to give it to her again tomorrow – when she least expects it.  At 2:34 Ares was inside the nestbox working on his mega scrape. At 2:52 the falcons mated again on the east ledge. He went to the box right afterwards and then to the west veranda. At 4:10 Astrid had moved to the west veranda, and Ares to the west office perch. Ten minutes later Ares brought food (not the Woodcock) to  a west ledge. When Astrid didn’t meet him there he brought it to the east veranda, and then to the west veranda where she was waiting. That time she took it from him and proceeded to eat it right there. At 4:29 Astrid was done with her meal and she wiped her bill on the veranda’s cross perch. Ares was back on his usual pillar by point. At 5:15 Astrid flew off to her night perch. Seventy-five minutes later Ares had gone off as well. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Wednesday, February 22^nd, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERcn7Uti_N4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dlyFgP9hg4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-XfJDJX2bo

The day began overcast and chilly with temperatures hovering around the freezing point. A winter storm packing wind, snow, and ice was poised to hit late in the day. Ares arrived at the nestbox at 4:27 AM – earlier than usual. He chirped a few times and then darted back into the darkness. One of the falcons showed up on the lookout post on the roof of the State Building at 6:30 AM. We don’t know if that was because of an intruder, or for hunting purposes. At 7:02 Astrid came to the box. Ares flew in with a gift for her an hour later. She took it to the hotel and made it her breakfast. After finishing she watched a pigeon walking around on the ledge only a dozen feet away from her. She didn’t try to chase after it. Indeed, falcons only go for flying prey. At 7:54, both Falcons converged at the nestbox and performed a ledge display. It was a short dance and Astrid left first for a change. She flew over to the State Building while Ares lingered at the box. At 8:49 AM, first Astrid, and then Ares came to the box once more, but she did not stay. It appeared to be only a check-in, similar to the “chick-checks” they do when they have young in the nest. Moments later, there was some excitement and Astrid blasted off in hot pursuit of an intruder in the east part of the canyon. We heard her give some alarm chirps which meant it was most likely a falcon. At 9:30 Ares was at the box; Astrid had returned from her police action and was on a steeple perch. Ten minutes later, she joined him at the box, but soon moved over to the east veranda. They mated there at 10:08.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92ymZdkz9Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmXioIFz_ms

At 1:00 PM it began to snow. It was only light flurries to begin with but it would become more significant as the day progressed. At 1:45. Astrid returned to the steeple. Ares called out from the box when he saw her fly through. She did not stay in place long and Ares departed fifteen minutes later. We thought maybe the falcons would be out of view for the rest of the day given the deteriorating weather, but Ares was back at the nestbox at 2:28. He would be in and out over the next couple of hours. We didn’t know if he was making hunting forays or if he was flying to mate with Astrid. She was out of camera view, but he seemed to know where she was and was calling out to her periodically. And then at 4:50, she zoomed by the box a couple of times. We don’t know if she was hazing the fifteenth-floor offices or if she was performing a flight display for Ares. Ares acted like it was a command performance and appreciated every second of it. Astrid then landed on the office perch and wiped her bill a few times. That’s an indication that she had recently fed on prey. At 4:56 the falcons mated on the office perch. Ares was back in the box a few minutes later. At 5:22 PM Astrid had flown from her perch and Ares left only a minute later. The snow was falling heavier by that point, and they decided to call it a night. Goodnight falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Tuesday, February 21^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIJRfPQfEQs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Latl2STL9z8

It was a cold start to the day with temperatures only in the mid 20’s. After dawn it was sunny, but only until mid-morning. The temperature was near 40 degrees by noon. Rain and sleet squalls came in the afternoon. Both falcons appeared at 6:00 AM – Ares at the nest and Astrid on the State Building. Ten minutes later they mated on the State Building. At 6:56 Ares was inside the box trying to get Astrid to come in for a dance. She was on the crossperch trying to entice him to mate again. She then moved over to the east veranda and they mated moments later. At 7:25 Ares brought Astrid food. She took it and flew over to the hotel to eat it. At 8:43 Astrid was on a window ledge to the east of the nest. It is possible they mated there, but we couldn’t be sure. An hour later Ares came back with another food gift. She took it from him inside the nestbox and darted over to the hotel. At 10:00 Astrid came to the west veranda. Ares reacted by excitedly hopping into the box. He still wanted his dance!  At 10:18 the pair mated again – this time on the west veranda. Ares flew up to his favorite pillar perch afterwards. The two falcons remained in place until Astrid flew to the crossperch at 11:36. Less than a minute later Ares came to the box. She walked out onto the east veranda while he tried to persuade her to join him in the box. They mated again at 11:49. At noon Ares was back up on his pillar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTBEMLn6K-w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SsTN9GBfng

At 1:25 PM the falcons mated on the east veranda. Ares boomeranged back to his pillar right afterwards. Rain started falling by 1:40, but it didn’t appear to dampen the falcons’ spirits much. Ares brought yet another food tribute to Astrid at 1:54. She accepted it on the east veranda and then flew over to the hotel. However, she didn’t eat it. We weren’t surprised since she already had a full crop. So did Ares for that matter. She stored the food and flew to a window ledge west of the nestbox. Ares excitedly hopped into the box – still hoping for a dance. Astrid flew again, but not to the box; this time she landed on the remote office perch (Deb’s perch). By 3:24 the weather had deteriorated. Rain and sleet squalls were hitting downtown. Astrid and Ares moved to the north face of the State Building which may have been out of the weather. At 4:00 she went to her steeple perch and Ares came to the box, but neither stayed for long. We assume they both went to their night perches early. Goodnight all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRpWRfc4hQ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kas6G04oaZE

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, February 20^th, 2023

It was yet another gray overcast day with temperatures in the 40’s. There was some intermittent light rainfall in the morning. Ares arrived at the nestbox at 5:00 AM sharp. He had a Woodcock dangling from his talons. It was the first one of the season. He spent about two minutes calling into the darkness for Astrid to come and take it, but she didn’t show up. She still doesn’t like Woodcocks, but Ares will never understand that. He flew off with it and probably stored it on one of his pantry ledges on the State Building. He was back at the box at 5:45 – that time with empty talons.  At 6:54 She showed up on the west veranda. They mated there five minutes later. At 9:17 Ares brought prey to the east veranda and handed it off to Astrid. She flew off with it. At 9:31 she was back and on one of the steeple perches. It is possible they mated there as well, but we couldn’t confirm it. At 9:37 Ares was at the box and we noticed he had a large crop. Perhaps he partook of some Woodcock. At 10:58 the pair converged at the nestbox for a ledge display. As it happened it was more of a standoff than a dance. There was no beaking nor was there much fancy footwork. It was possible that Ares did a flight display after leaving the nest. Something was causing Astrid to look all around like it was raining Pigeons.

At 11:46 AM the falcons did a switch at the nestbox – was it a practice incubation changeover? Regardless, he came in and she went out. While he was in the box he picked at stones with his bill and kicked a couple of gouges in his mega-scrape. It’s looking more and more like he’s excavating a basement. At 12:42 PM Astrid landed on the west ledge perch (AKA Deb’s Perch). She started bowing and asking to mate. Instead of complying with her request, Ares stayed in the box and gave excited squeaking calls. He wanted her to come for another dance – perhaps a good one this time. She left instead and there was no dance and no mating. It had gotten increasingly windy by this time – just the kind of conditions that falcons like best. It means free flying. At around 3:30 Ares brought a food tribute to Astrid’s perch on the State Building. She took it over to the upper south ledge on the hotel. He flew over to stand guard while she fed. At 5:21 PM Ares was calling at the box as if he saw Astrid, but we couldn’t locate her with the cameras. He flew up to the lookout post briefly and then he was out of view too. They probably were off to their night perches. Goodnight Falcons.