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

The overnight was cool with a low temperature of 33 degrees. Morning began cool but conditions improved by afternoon. The high temperature was in the high 40s. Astrid did not spend the night at the nest box last night. However, there was a falcon (we thought Astrid) on the State Building at 2 20 AM. Ares arrived at the box at 4:05 AM and stayed for 1/2 hour. At 5:23 Ares came back to the box and was calling across the canyon to Astrid. The pair mated on the State Building just before 6:00. Forty minutes later, Ares was up on the lookout post. We think he was hunting. Moments later he came to the nest box with a freshly caught Common Grackle. He took it up to ledge near where Astrid was perched on the State Building. He then flew over to the hotel to process it. At 6:54 Ares brought his gift to the nest box. Astrid accepted it and flew to the hotel. By 7:08 Astrid had finished her meal and she was back on the State Building. The pair mated there at 7:17. Thirty minutes later both falcons were at the nest box partaking of a ledge display. This time Astrid left the box first and Ares followed after only a minute or two. At 8:48 we think that Ares tried to give Astrid food on the State Building. He landed on the same ledge as her, offered it, but she refused it. He left and appeared to store it on a different ledge. He was then in and out of the nest box several times for the next couple of hours.

At 10:55 AM Astrid came to the nest but was not there for more than 10 minutes. Ares returned to the nest at 11:07 and he was making chirping calls which made us think that there was an intruder in the Canyon. He darted out on a southward heading. At 11:26 Ares was back and made a flamboyant dash back through the Canyon, swooping up to the box like a boomerang. Her was flowed closely by Astrid. However, Astrid did not go to the box. She circled around the back of the bank building probably in an attempt to scare up Pigeons. She then flew up to a high perch on the State Building. At 12:22 PM there was an aborted mating attempt on the State Building. Thirty minutes after that the falcons were together for another ledge display at the box. Ares left the box at 12:59. At 2:36 Ares was making chirping calls at the box. Once again, we thought he may have been reacting to an intruder in the Canyon. We then thought it was more likely he was just reacting to Astrid landing on the steeple. Both falcons were out of view at 3:24 and we didn’t see them again for about thirty minutes. At 4:00 Ares returned to the nest box. Astrid was again visible on the State Building 1/2 an hour after that. The falcons had yet another dance at the box at 6:14 PM. Ares left three minutes later. At 6:28 Astrid seemed to decide that she did not like the new internet camera in the nestbox and she pecked at it. At 6:33 we saw Ares going to one of his pantry ledges on the west face of the State Building. We didn’t know if he was storing something or withdrawing something. Ten minutes later he brought a chunk of food to the nest box Astrid took it and brought it over to the hotel. Ares left the box at 7:12, presumably to go to his night perch. Astrid left the hotel sometime earlier. It remains to be seen if she will returns later on in the night. Goodnight all.

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

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aibJITRQ-b4

Last night was warmer than it has been in recent nights. Temperatures were in the low 40s and that’s where they remained for the entire day. The day was mostly overcast with rain starting around noon. Rain showers became more numerous in the afternoon and evening. Astrid came into the nest box at 11:48 Wednesday night and remained there. Ares joined her in the box at 3:50 AM. I thought they might perform a ledge display but the pair merely sat together in the box until Astrid flew out at 4:34. Astrid may do several of these long sittings before she finally settles down and lays her first egg. We could be days away or as much as a week away from that. At 6:09 Astrid came to an east ledge. She was mostly tucked in so all we could see was the end of her tail protruding from the ledge. At 6:27 the pair mated on that ledge. Fifteen minutes later Ares came to the box with a Mourning Dove. We were surprised that Astrid didn’t fly right over to take it – she usually likes doves. Instead, she landed on the west veranda and the two falcons just looked at each other. She seemed like she didn’t know what she wanted to do. She flew away, came back, flew away, and came back once more. The last time she landed on Deb’s office perch. At 7:00 Ares gave up waiting for her and flew off to the west. We thought he might try to deliver Astrid’s gift to her, but he flew right past her and went to the hotel instead. Perhaps he thought she would like it better if it were pre-plucked. A few minutes later he took it and stored it someplace. Astrid left her perch at 7:10. Five minutes later she was on the hotel feeding on something. We don’t know if Ares gave her a gift or if she selected something from his pantry. At 7:43 Falcons mated somewhere – we didn’t see it but we heard Ares’ mating chatter. At 8:20 both Falcons came to the nest box. Astrid immediately moved over to the east veranda perch and Ares began conversing with her from the box. At 8:32 they mated on the east veranda. They mated again at 9:41 and at 9:57. At 10:17 Astrid was on the steeple. The pair was at the box for a ledge display at 10:53. Ares left five minutes later. After he was out Astrid did some housework in the box and made her own scrape within Ares’ mega scrape.

At 11:52 AM Ares came to the nest with a bat. He delivered it to where Astrid was perched on the State Building but she didn’t want it. She never wants bats. Astrid escaped to an east ledge. Ares wasn’t taking “no” for an answer. He flew over to the east veranda, hopped over to her ledge, and once more tried to give it to her. They were both out of view, so we are not sure of this, but it’s possible he was trying to feed it to her. He has done that before with bats. At 12:05 PM Astrid was on the west veranda. At 3:00 Ares was in the nest, periodically emitting long calls. By then it was raining in the downtown area. At 3:24 he began excitingly calling like he saw Astrid, but we couldn’t pick her pout with our cams. It turned out she was in the box with him. They performed a ledge display which featured a lot of beaking. Ares’s left at 3:29. After he was gone Astrid did some digging and some other work around the box. At 3:33 she was out on the long perch. Both falcons were out of view at 4:45. After 5:00 Ares was in and out of the box several times. We saw Astrid land on the West face of the State Building at 5:16. At 6:20 PM Ares brought prey to the nestbox. After a couple of minutes he flew only to return a minute later without the food. He probably brought it directly to Astrid’s ledge. It’s quite the service he runs. At 6:33 Astrid showed up on the east veranda. The pair mated there a few minutes later. Ares was back to the box at 7:08. He left for his night perch at 7:28 and she followed less than a minute later. Goodnight falcons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eUpYMudBu4

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JqHLWa29jg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8culO4y2sk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1Ws62CTiL0

It was chilly again last night with a low of 32 degrees. The temperature rose quite quickly through the morning and surpassed 50 degrees by midafternoon. The day was mostly sunny but clouds rolled in later in the day. Astrid and then Ares – first him and then her, piled into the nestbox at 2:26 AM. They had a very short ledge display and then Ares jumped out of the box. At 3:26 he returned to the nest with a Woodcock in his talons. Astrid was not interested in taking it. Instead, she continued to sit in the box, sometimes snoozing. At 5:14 Ares was back with the Woodcock once more. This time Astrid surprised everyone by taking it. Indeed, she flew off with it, but we couldn’t find where she went. At 6:15 Ares made a few forays out from the box. We think he was buzzing by Astrid, wherever she was. At 6:22 Astrid was on an east window ledge of the bank. The pair mated there at 6:25 and again at 6:51. Astrid moved to the east veranda at 6:58. And then, only minutes later, she had hopped over to the west veranda. There was a mating there at 7:21. At around 8:00 the pair was having their second ledge display for the day. Afterwards Ares brought prey (looked to be another Woodcock) to the east veranda. Astrid vocalized to him and then flew off into the Canyon. She landed on a lower window ledge on the State Building. At 9:04 she walked over to the west veranda. They mated there a few minutes later. At 9:27 Ares was out on the crossperch. Both falcons sat preening and guarding their nestbox. The pair mated five times between 9:30 and 11:30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0QFYC4WLhY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9NUpijE4dY

At 12:48 PM Ares had left the box and then Astrid came into it. At 1:41 she had moved to the lower steeple perch. Ares was back to the box a few minutes later. At 2:48 Astrid was on Deb’s office perch. Both falcons stayed in place, we think, until about 5:00. It is possible that we missed some mating attempts during that period. At 5:00 PM Astrid was on the east veranda. Ares returned to the box a few minutes later and she started bowing and asking to mate. He wasn’t responding and seemed to be holding out for a ledge display. At 6:20 she was asking to mate again. That time it seemed like he was going to comply. He flew out of the box but did not boomerang back. Astrid left the box at 6:25 and Ares returned a minute later. At 7:09 Astrid joined Ares in the box for a third ledge display. After a few minutes he dove out and she remained. We wondered if she was going to remain in the box for the evening, but just before 7:30 she dove out and flew into the night. Tomorrow will begin the egg laying window for Astrid. March 23rd, historically, was the earliest date she had ever laid her first egg. We think it’s unlikely she will beat or match that record but what do we know? Goodnight Falcons.

Utica Peregrine Falcons Update for Tuesday, March 21^st, 2023

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eRNcblVrr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryghblhOf44

The overnight was cool with some light precipitation. The temperature was close to the freezing mark once again. There was a significant warm up during the day and the afternoon high was 50 degrees. Ares came to the nest box with prey at 2:18 AM, his earliest arrival time yet this season. He flew off a couple of times in quick succession, probably to flyby Astrid’s night perch. The prey looked like it may have been a Woodcock, but we weren’t positive. Astrid came to the nest at 2:44 and actually accepted the prey inside the nest box (which meant it probably wasn’t a Woodcock). She flew off with it that we couldn’t find where she flew to. Ares did not stay long after Astrid’s departure. He screeched back to the box at 5:13 AM. Astrid came to an east ledge about an hour later. Ares began excitingly calling inside the nest. The pair mated 5 minutes later. At 7:02 they mated once again; and then again at 7:41 – that time on the steeple. At 7:43 Aries brought food to the nest box. When Astrid didn’t come right over for it, he brought it to her on the steeple. He tried to give it to her for several minutes, but she wasn’t interested in taking it. He finally gave up and flew away. At 7:56 the pair had an aborted mating attempt. Ares returned to the box right afterwards. At 8:03 he worked on his mega scrape inside the box. It was looking pretty good. At 9:36 Astrid was on the east veranda tucked in close to the window and Ares was on the steeple. He moved to the box at 10:00. At around 10:40 the pair converged at the nest box for a ledge display. After Ares left, Astrid stayed to do housework. Mostly she was digging in the stones and inspecting the wall behind Ares’ scrape. This time of year Ares keeps very close track of everything that Astrid does. If she flies out of view for a minute, he goes with her. He just doesn’t let her out of his sight.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWjt0uOgdeI

At 12:13 PM Ares was on the crossperch wiping off his bill. That usually means that he handed off food to Astrid and, sure enough, she was up on a ledge of the State Building feeding on something. At 2 21 Astrid was on the crossperch and Ares was inside the box. He wanted her to come in for a dance and she wanted to mate – their age-old dilemma. For the balance of the afternoon the falcons were up and down from the State Building and Ares was in and out of the box. At 5:52 Astrid was on Deb’s perch. A few minutes later Ares landed on the ledge just east of her with food. He was trying to give it to her but she wasn’t taking it. He flew over to the box and ate a little bit of it before attempting to give it to her again. This time he tried to do it from the windowsill behind her and from the ledge just to the west of her perch. She still wouldn’t take it. He flew back to the box and ate a little bit more of it. He then tried one more time to give it to his mate but she still refused it. Instead, she wanted to mate and began bowing behavior. Ares flew back to the box at eight AM with the rest of the gift. Perhaps it was leftover Woodcock. The pair mated again at about 6:35. Astrid left for the night a little while after that. Ares remained at the box until close to 8:00 PM. Goodnight all.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHk4j3zBMJ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2vq0gR2ebY

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

The first day of spring had a chilly start with temperatures around the freezing point. The high for the day was in the mid 40s. It was breezy but the sun was out for much of the day. Astrid arrived at the nest box at 3:07 AM. She left briefly but then came right back to the long perch. It seemed like she was waiting for Ares to bring her breakfast – something that he wasn’t doing in a hurry. At 6:09 Ares arrived’ he hopped into the box, but had no food gift. Astrid unceremoniously left and flew over to an east ledge. The pair mated there at 6:35. After that Astrid went back to the long perch at the box. Ares brought prey to a west ledge at 6 57. It appeared to be a Starling. Astrid did not come and take it from him until 7:11. She then had her breakfast over on the hotel. At 7:46 Ares was giving chirping-type alarm calls in the box. This is the alarm call they typically reserve for instances when there’s a falcon intruder in the Canyon. However, Astrid was perched on the State Building and Ares was still at the box. It certainly didn’t seem like either one of them was outraged enough to mount a pursuit. At 8:04 AM Astrid was on the east veranda perch and both falcons were having a spirited discussion. She then went back over to the State Building at 8:05 and, as far as we know, they remained in place until 10:15. That’s when the two took part in a ledge display. During the dance Ares stayed on his mega scrape and Astrid was crowded up to him. There was some enthusiastic beaking in this display but little footwork. At 10:24 Ares brought a food gift to the east veranda. He then hopped into the box with it. It was very small and she really didn’t have any interest in it. She just hopped out onto the crossperch, seemingly ignoring the guy with the gift. Ares tried once more to give it to her, but she flew off. It was then that we noticed there was what looked like an entire Woodcock stored on a west ledge.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWqLBXFae4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-9YDZp5vrA

At 10:46 PM Astrid was perched on the steeple and Ares was at the box. At 11:08 Ares started chirping in the box as if he had an intruder sighted. Minutes later both falcons were out of view – presumably giving chase. Were they dealing with an intruder? At 11:30 Ares was once again in the box and giving chirping calls. Astrid had returned to the State Building. Ares soon transitioned into giving long screeching calls, also known as terradactyl calls. At 11:35 there was an aborted mating attempt on the State Building. Ares circled back to the box afterwards. At 1:41 PM the falcons were together in the box having another ledge display. Ares was out after about 10 minutes. At 3:25 Ares was back in the nest box and Astrid was on the State Building. As it happened, they were up and down quite a few times in the next two hours. So much so they were difficult to keep track of. At 6:11 Ares brought a small food item to the box. He called out for Astrid to come over, but once again she didn’t seem to be in any hurry. It was a bat; the first one we’ve seen Ares catch this season. A few minutes later Astrid came, presumably to take her gift, but by then there was no gift. Ares had finished it. She doesn’t like bats anyway. For her they are on the same list as cuckoos and woodcocks. Instead of a food exchange, the pair preformed another ledge display. At 6:22 Ares was out of the box and Astrid remained. She had moved to the west veranda by 6:30. Fifteen minutes later she was on Deb’s Perch and Ares was in the box. She was asking to mate. They then had an aborted mating attempt at Deb’s Perch at 7:04.It seemed that both falcons had retired for the night by around 7:30 PM. Goodnight falcons.