News, video, and more about Utica's Peregrine Falcons
Update for Friday, April 12, 2024
There is not much to report. It was a mostly rainy day in the downtown canyon, and the falcons spent the day taking turns incubating the eggs and guarding the territory. We did not see any intruder action, nor did we see any food tributes.
Update for Thursday, April 11, 2024
The day was marked by uninterrupted incubation. The duo efficiently traded places on the nest, executing precise, business-like switches. Ares did force Astrid off the nest at one point but for the most part their switches were amicable. While one was settled on the nest, the other remained within sight, vigilantly monitoring the downtown airspace. As we move into mid-April, raptor migration begins to ramp up; the Peregrines notice the increased traffic and stand ready to repel any interlopers.
Update for Wednesday, April 10, 2024
It has been at least a week since Ares last brought Astrid any food gifts, a customary pause during this stage of their breeding cycle. Nonetheless, at 4:30 AM, he arrived at the east veranda with a flicker. Astrid showed no interest in accepting it, leading to speculation that Ares may have only brought it as a ploy to take a turn on the nest. If that was his intention, the scheme failed. By 8:30 AM, he again came to the crossperch with a flicker, leaving us uncertain whether it was the same one as before. Once again, Astrid declined the offering. Had flickers been demoted in Astrid’s estimation, akin to woodcocks and cuckoos? Only she held the answer to that question.
As the day progressed, it became evident that Astrid and Ares were responding to the presence of migrating raptors traversing their territory. At one juncture, they were seen working together to chase a hawk out of downtown. When not occupied with incubating duties, Ares remained vigilant, staying close to the nest to stand guard.
Update for Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Today in the Canyon, the weather defied expectations, presenting an uncharacteristically warm day with temperatures hovering in the low 70s. As the sun flooded into the nestbox during the mid to late afternoon, the falcons were compelled to shield the eggs from its intense rays. It marked the first instance this season where shading measures were necessary. Astrid, typically averse to handling the hottest part of the day, took on the task reluctantly. Her discomfort was palpable, evident in her incessant panting and restless demeanor, as if yearning for a reprieve in a cool puddle somewhere. In the early evening, Ares abandoned the nest to pursue an intruder, likely prompted by Astrid who initially encountered the stranger. As Astrid assumed the duty of brooding the eggs. Ares pursued the intruder towards the eastern part of the Canyon and they soon disappeared from view of the PTZ camera. The specifics of the encounter remain unknown, however, Ares screeched back to the box roughly ten minutes later, which we took as an indication of his successful expulsion of the stranger.
Update for Monday, April 8, 2024
We were curious to see if the Falcons would react to the eclipse, but there was no clear indication they reacted at all. Normally, Astrid assumes the night shift on egg duty, so we wondered if she would take over on the nest during the eclipse’s peak. However, she did not. As it happened, Ares diligently tended to the eggs before, during, and after the eclipse. Meanwhile, Astrid spent the eclipse perched on the north face of the State Building. Although the darkness experienced in the canyon was akin to dusk rather than anything approaching midnight, the office lights of the State Office Building were illuminated, along with the row of green decorative lights running along the roof of the Adirondack bank building. Despite the advent of artificial lighting, the falcons remained steadfast in their positions. A couple of hours before the eclipse, Ares was on nest duty once again, but had to leave abruptly when a Peregrine intruder entered the canyon. Ares pursued the intruder with gusto while Astrid returned to the nest to resume incubation duties. After successfully driving off the intruder, Ares returned to the State Building, only to be interrupted again by the same intruder, prompting him to chase after the trespasser once more.
