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Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Sunday, April 9^th, 2023

It was quite cold overnight with a low temperature of 25 degrees. Sunny and relatively cloudless conditions in the morning led to a milder day. The high temperature was 53 degrees. Astrid remained on the eggs all night. Ares came to the box at 6:20 AM and the two birds executed a quick switch. Ares wasted no time in covering the eggs while Astrid flew to a perch on the State Building. At 6:40 Ares was off the eggs and on the lip of the box. The Falcons mated seconds later. After which, Astrid came back to the nest and to the eggs. The eggs had been alone for about one minute. At 7:01 Ares was up from the State Building. A few minutes later he brought food to the box. Astrid took it and flew over to the hotel while he took over incubating. At 7:27 Astrid was done with her meal and she flew over to the steeple. At 7:50 she came to the nest and negotiated a turn on the eggs. A minute later Ares was out and Astrid was on the eggs. At 9:36 Ares was on the southwest corner of the hotel’s upper ledge. In the background the Utica marsh was visible. At 11:36 Ares had been out of view for a while. Astrid was still sitting, and presumably getting close to laying her 4th egg. At 11:52 Ares came to the box. He tried to get a turn on the eggs but Astrid sent him away. At 11:57 it was clear that Astrid was having contractions. She laid her 4th egg at 11:58 AM. When she stood up we could see the new egg was glossy and a more reddish brown than the others. She did not allow us much of a look and she quickly came back down on them. At 12:33 PM Ares came to the nest. He walked in a circle around Astrid. She stood up and revealed the full clutch of four eggs. She then sat back down again. After his inspection was complete Ares left the box and flew over to the State Building.

At 1:43 PM the falcons switched. That time Astrid seemed like she was ready to leave and Ares was very happy to take over on the clutch. At 2:25 Astrid came to the box and was asking for a turn on the eggs. She walked around behind him but was not very pushy. He left on his own volition and flew over to the State Building. At 3:26 we noticed that Ares was up on the lookout post on the roof of the State Building. Was he hunting or watching for intruders? The next switch happened at 4 03. Ares came in and requested a turn and Astrid relinquished without complaint. At 5:08 Ares came off the eggs, went to the lip of the box, and launched into the canyon. The eggs were left alone. Ares flew up to the lookout post again, while Astrid stayed on the north face of the State Building. At one point Ares switched to the lookout post on the northeast corner of the building. By 5:15 it was clear that Ares was dealing with an intruder. The intruder was a Peregrine Falcon, and that was all we could tell. We saw it fly low over the State Building roof and then Ares chased it off to the north. Without missing a beat Astrid flew to the nest and got onto the eggs. They had been alone for about 5 minutes and the temperature was in the low 50s. In other words, it was not problematic. A minute later Ares returned to the fold and was back up on his lookout post. He was up and down a couple of times within the next hour. At 6:56 Astrid was giving some squeaking calls from the box and Ares took off from the lookout shortly after. She seemed to be in place for the night and Ares, if he didn’t do it already, was bound for his night perch. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Saturday, April 8^th, 2023

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQE9O1ozxkc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmmjQE-pT1I

It was cold overnight with a low temperature of 26 degrees. It warmed up slowly during the day, with the temperature eventually peaking at 43 degrees. Astrid stayed tight on the nest all night long and there was no super early visit from her mate. Ares screeched to the box at 6:08 AM and the pair switched. Astrid did a lot of vocalizing as she got up and left and as Ares settled on the eggs. It was obvious she was very eager to get out of the box. At 6:21 Astrid landed on the east veranda perch. Ares had been vocalizing and she gave her famous donkey call upon arrival. It was just a check in, and she was gone again in less than a minute. She went over to the steeple. At 7:01 Astrid returned to the nestbox and started negotiating with Ares about switching. It was clear he did not want to leave. She did some beaking with him, but the soft approach was not having its desired effect and she had to resort to shoving him off. At 7:18 we heard a few long calls from Ares from somewhere in the Canyon. At 7:58 Ares brought prey to the crossperch. Astrid took it and flew over to the hotel while Ares took over on the eggs. At 8:30 Astrid was done with her meal and went to perch on the steeple. At 8:54 she moved back to the crossperch. Ares did not take much coaxing to leave that time and she went back to incubating. After 9:20 Ares was up and down from the State Building a few times. perhaps he was hunting. At 10:24 Ares came into the nest. He wanted to switch but Astrid did not want to leave. He got up close behind her and pushed her off the eggs. She left and he took over incubation. At 10:34 Astrid was on the State Building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXzSu7ZUBjU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIP1oFlfApI

When Astrid came to the box at 11:46 AM she initially stayed on the crossperch. Ares came off the eggs, flew out, doubled back, and mated with Astrid on the crossperch. She then got onto the eggs. The next changing of the guard occurred at 1:00. Ares took over on the eggs and Astrid went to the lower steeple perch. At 3:05 Astrid came to the crossperch. Ares was sitting tight on the eggs and looked like he was pretending to be asleep. Astrid stood behind him for 10 minutes waiting patiently for him to decide to leave. Finally, without her need to strongarm him, he did leave and flew over to the State Building. At 4:25 Ares returned to the box and the pair did a quick switch. Ares took over incubation and Astrid went back to the lower steeple. It was obvious that Ares had now become very serious about incubation. At 6:52 Astrid came to the crossperch. Aries flew out, boomeranged back, and they mated. Ares then flew off – probably to his night perch and Astrid got on to the eggs. That was probably the last switch of the night. Goodnight all.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Friday, April 7^th, 2023

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGc2Y9dEZtQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CVw62r897I

It was cold and windy overnight and it stayed that way pretty much throughout the day. The low temperature was in the mid to high 30s and the high temperature during the day was only 40 degrees. The day was partially sunny, but it remained extremely windy. Astrid was on the nest all night long. Following a few contractions, she laid her third egg at 12:50 AM. Ares came to the west veranda with a Woodcock at 4:12. Astrid sat up but, unsurprisingly, she was not interested in taking the gift. After a minute Ares flew off and presumably stored the prey. At 6:06 Ares was up on the lookout post on the roof of the State Office Building. Ten minutes later he came to the box and they switched. Ares settled on the eggs and Astrid flew over to the State Building. At 6:38 Ares left the box to mate with Astrid. He returned right afterwards and got back onto the eggs. It was clear by this point that continuous incubation had begun and it seemed that Ares had gotten with the program. At 7:41 the pair switched again and Astrid took over incubation. Ares went to the State Building. At 8:24 He came to the long perch with prey. He hopped into the box with it, but Astrid didn’t want it and she sent him away. At 9:19 Astrid got off the eggs and went out onto the crossperch. She was giving chirping-type alarm calls. However, she didn’t leave and after a couple of minutes she got back onto the eggs. At 9:31 Ares was back for a switch. She didn’t want to leave so he got behind her and more or less pushed her out. After she flew, he started to get onto the eggs but became distracted and went to the lip of the box instead. He took off a minute later. As it happened, he left in order to mate with Astrid on the State Building. A minute later Ares was back in the box, incubating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CVw62r897I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsmT1vXs7U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYMNoxwsfZ4

At 10:23 AM the falcons switched again, and Astrid took over egg duty. Ares had been on the State Building but took off at 11:26. There was a Peregrine Falcon intruder (probably an immature) active in the Canyon. Ares dealt with the stranger first but then he came to the box and fetched Astrid. This was an indication that the intruder was a female – therefore more of a threat to Astrid and more worthy of her big guns. So, Ares took over incubating while Astrid took over the police action. At 11:39, after presumably escorting the stranger out of the territory, Astrid returned to the State Building. At 11:42 she took over on the eggs. At 12:34 Ares was on the State Building. He took off from there at 12:50. At that point we believed that there was another intruder in the Canyon. Astrid became upset. She came off the eggs went to the lip of the box. After looking around she returned to her eggs. At 1:08 Astrid got off the eggs again and went to the crossperch. She flew away like she was on a mission. Obviously, she was in pursuit of something. Ares came back to the nest immediately and took over on the eggs. We glimpsed a raptor flying southwest of the State Building but soon lost sight of it. Was that Astrid or an intruder? At 1:12 Ares got off the eggs and went to the lip of the nestbox. A minute later he flew off leaving the eggs alone. It was 39 degrees. At 1:17 Ares returned to the box and Astrid returned to the State Building. Ares got back on the eggs. They hadn’t been left alone long enough to get cold. The next changing of the guard took place at 2:56 PM. That time Astrid took over on the eggs. At 3:41 Ares brought food to the box. Astrid took it and flew over to the hotel. Instead of staying with the eggs Ares flew over to watch Astrid eat. Thankfully, he was back in the box and on the eggs after only a few minutes. Astrid finished her meal and was on a high ledge on the State Building again at 3:58. The next switch took place at 4:18. Astrid came in and was not very pushy. She beaked with him and he got up on his own volition and left. At 4:13 Ares was back at the box asking for a turn on the eggs. Astrid left without argument and Ares got a turn on the eggs. At 5:30 we saw that Astrid was on the State Building. At 7:11 Ares was off the eggs and to the lip of the box. Astrid came right over. He left and she settled on the eggs. That was it for the night. Goodnight falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Thursday, April 6^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEllNK5UBq8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1XSMQBKSoA

Heavy rain fell off and on overnight. The temperature stayed in the low 50s. Astrid spent most of the night in the box on the eggs. She did leave at 2:40 AM and returned 15 minutes later. Ares brought prey, possibly a Killdeer, to the west veranda at 3:47. Astrid came over to take it and then flew away with it. Ares was on the crossperch after that. Astrid came back to the west veranda perch at 4:12. The pair mated there at 5:25. Astrid went back into the nest at that point and took over on the eggs. At 6:30 the Falcons switched. Astrid went over to the State Building and Ares came onto the nest. However, he only sat for a few minutes, and then was out on the long perch. At 6:39 the pair mated on the State Building. At 6:42 Astrid came to the east veranda. They mated there two minutes later. Afterwards, Astrid went into the box and climbed onto the eggs. At 7:49 Astrid was up again and Ares was on the crossperch. Fifteen minutes later Ares was up and Astrid was on the crossperch. She then got back on top of her clutch. At 8:19 we thought that we missed a food exchange, and that Astrid had gotten a food gift, but only a minute later she was on the steeple without prey. Ares then joined her on the steeple. At 8:40 Astrid was on the hotel for a few minutes, but then went back to the steeple. At 9:39 she was back on the eggs. Five minutes later, Ares brought prey to the box. Astrid took it on the crossperch and flew off with it. She took it to the hotel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXroIWHLS78

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

10:04 AM Astrid was on the steeple once more but soon moved to the crossperch. The falcons mated there at 10:17. Ares went to the steeple afterwards and Astrid got back on the eggs. At 10:51, the pair did a changeover that featured some beaking. It was half ledge display and half a standard changing of the guard. Astrid left and Ares took over on the eggs. He was doing a good thorough job with incubation, that was, until about 12:06 PM when he left the eggs and went out on the crossperch. By this point there had been a few extended periods in which the egg was not being incubated, so obviously continuous incubation had not yet begun. At 12:10 the falcons mated on the State Building. At 12:11 Ares came back to the nestbox and got back onto the eggs. At 12:30 the falcons switched and Astrid took a turn on the nest. The next switch took place at 2:06 PM – that time Ares relieved Astrid. He was gone by 2:18 and the eggs were alone again for an extended time. At 3:09 Astrid was in the box incubating. At 4:22 Ares was on the State Building and Astrid was still on the eggs. At 4:39 they switched, He went to the box lip and Astrid went to a steeple perch. At 5:32 the pair mated on the steeple. Astrid got onto the eggs right after that. At 6:13 Ares brought prey to the long perch. Astrid took it from him on the crossperch and flew over to the hotel. At 6:28 Astrid was done with her meal and went to the steeple. Ares remained on guard duty at the box – he wasn’t incubating, only standing by. Ares left the box at 7:15 and Astrid flew there less than a minute later. She soon got on top of the eggs. Tonight somewhere close to midnight Astrid should lay her 3^rd egg. It will be dark in the box at that time, but we will do our best to get the time.

Little Falls Falcon Update: Wednesday morning at approximately 8:14 AM Anna laid her 4^th and probably final egg of the 2023 breeding season. Congratulations on the full clutch!!

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Wednesday, April 5^th, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPo4gZyQvK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu-zw_dFSlU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tdDRJ5SyW4

It was relatively warm overnight with temperatures in the mid 40s. Astrid stayed on the nest for most of the night. It was very windy during the day a steady rain started in the evening. The high temperature for the day was in the mid 60s. At 3:12 AM it looked like Ares had prey on a west ledge but then we lost track of him. A few minutes later he flew up to the west veranda with a Woodcock. Astrid left the box at that point but we don’t know if there was a food exchange. One of the Falcons left the veranda and we lost track of the other one. Astrid came back to the nest at 3:21. She Immediately moved to the east veranda but did not stay there long and was soon back in the box and back on the eggs. At 4:43 Ares was on a west ledge plucking something. It’s hard to tell what color anything is beneath the blue lights that shine down from the bank roof, but there were lots of dark and light feathers floating away from the ledge as he plucked away. At 5:50 Ares hopped onto the west veranda perch. He was wiping his bill and cleaning his talons. Did he leave the prey on the ledge? He then came into the box and asked for a turn on the eggs. He walked around behind Astrid to encourage her to get up and leave. It worked, and she flew out. Ares did not stay with the eggs for more than a minute. He was out on the lip of the box until he left at 5:22. Five minutes later both falcons came to the nest. Ares had prey and Astrid took it from him inside the box. She then flew away with it. At 6:09 Ares was back in the nest and Astrid was on the east veranda. They mated there at 6:13. After that Astrid got on to the eggs. A switch took place sometime before 7:00 and then Ares was with the eggs. As usual he didn’t stay long and by 7:16 he was out of the box. Astrid moved to the east veranda at 7:22 and the pair mated there a few minutes later. By 7:30 she was back on the eggs. At 7:48 Ares brought prey to the box. Astrid took it from him on the crossperch and then flew off with it. At 8:02 Ares gave a loud cackle-type alarm call but remained on his perch. We are not sure if the reason for the alarm was a non-falcon raptor or was it caused by someone coming into the office adjacent to the nestbox. At 8:18 Astrid came to the east veranda. Ares was calling inside the nest box while she was asking to mate. A few minutes later she buzzed by him twice and then flew to Deb’s Perch. Ten minutes later she was on the west veranda and Ares was on the crossperch. They mated there at 8:38. They mated again at 8:57. After that Astrid climbed onto the eggs. It had become quite windy in the downtown canyon by this point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhcM4oKaAO4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na8yIgVOUiQ&t=2s

The falcons did a changing of the guard at 9:41 AM. After only a minute with the eggs Ares was up on the lip of the nestbox and Astrid was over on the State Building. The pair mated at just before 10:00. Astrid was back on the eggs only a minutes later. Another switch happened sometime around 10:50. At 11:03 the falcons had probably mated again since Ares had made a quick trip between the box and the State Building where Astrid was. At 11:25 one or both falcons were giving cackle type alarm calls but both kept their perches. The cause of the excitement was likely some Turkey Vultures flying overhead. At 11:39 the Falcons mated on the crossperch once more. Astrid went back with the eggs right afterward. At 12:26 Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid took it on the crossperch and flew off to some undisclosed location. Deb saw her flying along the east face of the bank building. By 12:49 Astrid was on the State Building. The Falcons switched at 1:17 and Astrid took a turn with the eggs. Ten minutes later Ares was up on his favorite pillar perch. At 2:22 Astrid was on the State Building and Ares was at the box. The way Astrid was sitting on the eggs you would think that continuous incubation had begun. However, when Ares is in the nest he is not incubating. They are not on the same page yet, but these are early days. At 12:42 PM Astrid was seen drinking from a puddle on the hotel. It used to be said that Peregrine Falcons do not drink water and get all of their water from the animals they consume. We proved that wrong several years ago. In fact, falcons drink water semi-regularly and Astrid seems to have a particular need for it during the egg laying process. Astrid went back to the State Building after she was done with her drink at the hotel. At 4:00 both falcons were still in place. The wind had gotten stronger but it was warm out. Still, storms were threatening the region and were predicted to hit come evening. At 5:36 Astrid moved to the east veranda and from there, she went into the box. At 5:39 Ares was up on his pillar perch. He left a few minutes before 6:00 but then came right back to his pillar. By 7:24 PM Aries had left for his nightperch. Astrid seemed set for the night. Goodnight all.