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Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Tuesday, April 18^th, 2023

It was cool and rainy overnight. The temperature was in the high 30s. Conditions did not change much during the day. The high temperature was only 43 degrees and there were intermittent rain showers. Astrid spent the night on the eggs. Ares showed up on the State Building just before 6 AM. He moved from a ledge to his lookout post at one point. At around 6:10 he came to the box and the pair did a quick switch. She went over to the State Building while he worked to cover all four eggs. At 6:46 Astrid was on the steeple. She wasn’t there for long and soon went somewhere invisible to our cameras. At 7:24 she was back to the State Building. Ten minutes later she landed on the crossperch at the nestbox. She quickly discerned that Ares was not ready to go and she flew off once more. At 9:11 Astrid was back, and this time Ares did allow her to take over on the nest. When he left he headed to the exact same ledge on the State Building that Astrid had been on. At 9:30 Astrid began calling from the box. Ares was dealing with an intruder. Both Falcons headed off towards the north with Ares in pursuit. Ares returned only a minute later and landed on the lookout post. He moved to a window ledge after a couple of minutes. At 10:30 Astrid was calling again. We don’t know what brought that on. Perhaps the intruder had returned. At 11:37 Ares was on the State Building again. Ten minutes later he came into the box to try to have a turn incubating. Astrid did not want to leave. There was a lot of conversation, but she opted to stay and flew out. He floated back over to the State Building. The next changeover happened at 12:58 PM. It was a quick switch. Ares took over on the eggs and Astrid was out.  At 2:34 There was another changing of the guard. This time Astrid took a turn. By this time, it had gotten colder and we were getting intermittent mixed precipitation. We didn’t see Ares for a while, but at 5:10 Astrid started calling like she saw him. Sure enough he showed up on the State Building right after that. Just when we were starting to wonder if he was ever going to relieve her on the nest he showed up on the west veranda with food. Astrid got off the eggs, danced across the crossperch, and took the food from him. She flew over to the hotel to eat it. After she finished it she pulled over some hunk of leftovers that had been sitting on the same ledge and started picking at it. She didn’t seem to like it and, after a minute she flew over to the State Building. At 7:21 the falcons did their last switch of the day. Ares flew over to the State Building and Astrid settled onto the eggs. He was off to his night perch fifteen minutes later. Goodnight all.  

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Monday, April 17^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fKqI81REZs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snUteeE-w0Y

Overnight the temperature dropped from the 70s to the 40s. Overcast skies, rain, and wind returned. The high temperature for the day was 50 degrees. Astrid spent the whole night on the nest. At 6:00 AM Ares gave a few long calls – we think from the State Building. Astrid called back to him. Two minutes later Ares was at the box asking for a turn on the eggs. She didn’t want to leave, and sent him out. At 6:46 Ares came back and by that time Astrid was ready to go. It was a very quick changing of the guard. Astrid flew over to the State Building. At 8:01 Astrid became upset when she saw someone in an office window near the nestbox. She hazed the 15th floor of the building a few times before settling on the crossperch. She requested a mating and Ares complied. It is now eight days after the last egg was laid and yet they are still occasionally mating. Astrid came onto the eggs at 8:02 and Ares went to the State Building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snUteeE-w0Y

At 10:03 the Falcons switched again. Ares was having some difficulty getting all the eggs tucked beneath him, but finally managed it. At 10:37 the Falcons switched again. This time Astrid was coming onto the eggs. At 1:27 PM Ares was on his pillar perch. They switched five minutes later and then Ares took a turn on the eggs. Astrid had been on the hotel before that. The next changing of the guard was at 3:07, and the next was 4:33 PM. They were all fast changeovers today. At 6:30 Astrid was on the hotel and their was a Pigeon sitting on the same ledge – about 15 feet away. At 6:32 PM she flew to the nest. She asked to take over and Ares complied. It was likely that she was in place for the night, Ares went to the State Building for a little while but then he was off to his night perch. It began raining again by 8:30 PM. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Sunday, April 16^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCx8x10PQpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq9w4Ua8N8w

It was slightly cool overnight with temperatures in the high 50’s. For the fourth day in a row, the temperature rose quickly through the morning and reached into the mid-80’s by mid afternoon. Astrid was on the eggs all night long. Ares came to the nest at 5:24 AM but Astrid was not inclined to leave. He left instead and came back a half hour later. Astrid still refused to leave and so he went over to the west veranda. As it happened, the third time was the charm. When Ares asked again at 6:16 she agreed to leave and he was able to have his turn on the eggs. She went to the State Building for a little while but was then out of view. At 8:15 Astrid was back at the box and requesting a shift on the eggs. After four minutes of gentle persuasion, Ares consented to go and she got onto the clutch. At 10:28 Ares was on his favorite pillar perch having a grooming session. He took off after something at one point but then returned at 10:43. At 11:29 Ares was at the nest asking for a turn on the eggs. When she didn’t get up right away, he walked around behind her and ousted her. He got comfortable on the eggs as she flew over to the State Office Building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq9w4Ua8N8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHYWx12jbLk

At around 1:18 Pm Ares abruptly darted from the nest – leaving the eggs alone. It was about 80 degrees at the time. Certainly, the eggs were in no jeopardy of getting cold. We don’t know what prompted Ares to leave. We weren’t monitoring sound at the time so we don’t know if any alarm calls were given. Astrid came into the box less than a minute later and got onto the eggs. Ares returned to the nest at 3:00. Astrid’s tail was draped over the lip of the box and he stepped on it. That compelled her to get up and leave the box. He then took over on the eggs. Once again, Ares’ shift took place at the hottest time of the day. He did a lot of shading. We didn’t know where Astrid was for a while but at 3:54 she showed up on the north face of the State Building. At 5:49 PM Astrid was back to the box and asking to take over. Surprisingly, Ares didn’t seem to want to leave. She stood along side him for a few minutes (the two of them were casting odd shadows on the back wall) and then the pair did some beaking. Ares got off the eggs after that and left the box. Astrid took over on the clutch and would likely stay in place until morning. Goodnight falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Saturday, April 15^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrxbDVoSj8M

It was cool overnight with temperatures in the low fifties. Once again it warmed up quickly after daybreak and we hit the low eighties by midday. Astrid spent the entire night on the eggs as expected. Ares showed up at the nest at 5:46 AM and the pair did a quick changing of the guard. They switched again at 6:43 and Astrid resumed incubation. At 7:51 Ares came to the long perch with prey. Astrid seemed excited about it but didn’t get off the nest and Ares left with the food after waiting only a  few moments. He probably stored it somewhere. He came to his pillar perch from the State Building at 8:28. He did a lot of preening while he was there – and much of it with his eyes closed. At 9:10 he came to the box to ask for a turn on the eggs. Astrid left with no argument and he took over on the nest. At 9:54 he abruptly left the eggs and the box. Was there an intruder? If so, we saw no sign of it. Astrid came to the nest two minutes later and got onto the eggs. At 10:30 Ares returned to his pillar perch. He was gone again five minutes later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N-h0SZyZ4s

At noon Ares was at the nest and requesting a turn incubating. This time Astrid wouldn’t leave and Ares didn’t try any extraordinary measures to oust her. At 1:10 he tried again, upon entering the nest he immediately went around behind her. He crowded her, stepped on her wingtips and then pried her off the clutch. She flew to the State Building as he got comfortable on the eggs. At 1:16 Ares started calling again. We don’t know what he saw or heard that elicited that response. He was soon off the eggs and flying into the canyon. Less than a minute later Astrid flew to the nest and resumed incubating the eggs. Ares came back and relieved her at 2:35. He then had a long session on the eggs – once again, through the hottest part of the day. Astrid came to the crossperch at 5:07 PM. She signaled that she wanted to mate and Ares complied. It is now well outside the egg laying window, so it is interesting that they are continuing to mate. Astrid got onto the clutch and, as was the case with Ares, did more brooding than shading. Even though it was still hot out, the sky had become overcast, and the sun was not flooding into the box. We saw Ares up on the State Building at 6:42 and he was up again about ten minutes later. It was likely the show was over for the night. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Friday, April 14^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oajAGcxkR3I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nsze1vpDts

It cooled down a little overnight. The low temperature was in the high forties. The temperature shot up after daybreak and was in the mid 80’s by midday. My streaming video was out between 2 AM – 4 AM, but we don’t think we missed any action. Astrid appeared to be on the eggs all night long. Ares came to the box and relieved her at 6:06. She seemed eager to go. At 6:17 Astrid was feeding on the hotel ledge. We think she took something from one of Ares’ pantry ledges. She didn’t feed for long and was on the steeple only a few minutes later. At 6:46 she came back to the nest, and they executed a quick switch. At 7:39 Ares brought prey to the long perch. Astrid accepted it on the crossperch, but we couldn’t find where she took it. At 7:52 she was back to the crossperch – probably because Deb had come into her office. However, she didn’t appear to be overly upset. A few minutes later they switched. Astrid was very nice about it. She beaked with Ares and used the gentlest persuasion. Ares was on the State Building for a while after that. At 9:05 when he flew out, Astrid vocalized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XR17KSDsyU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_u8EK3NKAw

At 10:48 Ares was on the steeple perch. At 11:14 Ares came to the box, walked around Astrid and forced her to stand. She took the cue to leave. At 12:02 PM, Ares started giving cackle-type alarm calls from the box. He flew from the nest and went to his lookout post. Meanwhile Astrid was still on the steeple. Two minutes later she flew to the box and got onto the eggs. At 12:34 it was Ares turn to be on the steeple. At around 2:40 the falcons switched and Ares came on duty for the hottest part of the day. He ended up pulling a very long shift – most of which he spent shading the eggs. We didn’t know where Astrid was off to for a while and then at 3:32 she showed up on the State Building. She remained there until 5:24. At 5:51 PM Ares jumped ship. Whether he was fed up with being in the sun or if some intruder got his dander up, we didn’t know, Astrid came back into the box and took over on the eggs only two minutes later. She seemed to be in her place for the night. Goodnight falcons