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The overnight was chilly again with temperatures in the high forties. There was a significant warm up during the morning and by early afternoon the temperature was 70 degrees. The skies were mostly sunny all day. Astrid spent part of the night tucked in on the west veranda. She was on the crossperch for quite a while after that. She left at one point and then returned with prey at 2:55 AM. She then carried out a long feeding. The meal didn’t end until 3:35 which seemed extraordinarily long. Perhaps she was reprovisioned sometimes while it ensued? At 5:22 Astrid was back in the box and trying to feed out what looked to a be a scrap of mostly feathers. She was finished in a few moments. At 5:33 Ares was up on his lookout post on the roof of the State Building – probably for hunting and not due to an intruder. At 6:44 Astrid came to the box with prey. She probably got it from Ares who also had just landed on the east veranda. She proceeded to conduct a feeding. At 7:26 Ares came to the nestbox and Astrid was on the east veranda perch. Five minutes later she hopped up to the roof of the box and he went over to the west veranda. By 8:09 the parents were perched on either veranda in guard positions. An hour later she was back up to the roof of the nest box. She may have been reacting to people in offices and near office windows. At 9:20 Ares made a food delivery to the nest. Astrid took it and doled it out to the nestlings. At 9:37 both parents were back to guarding from their veranda perches.

At 10:45 AM a feeding was in progress. We didn’t have the details of where the meal came from, but it was Astrid doing the feeding. During the feeding one of the chicks moved from one back corner to the other and then back again. At 11:09 AM Ares was on the long perch giving long calls. At a few minutes before noon, Astrid darted from the east veranda – apparently pursuing something. She was acting highly irritated – probably due to people near office windows close to the nestbox. Astrid flew back and forth to the nest several times in rapid succession. By 12:51 she seemed to be over it and had calmed down. Although she had been upset, she wasn’t giving cackle alarm calls or hazing the windows, so she wasn’t exactly on red alert. Ares brought prey to the west veranda. Astrid took it from him and flew off into the canyon. We expected her to fly right back to the nest, but she didn’t. She must have made that meal her own – either that or she stored it on one of the pantry ledges. At 1:02 Ares was giving warning chirp calls which likely indicated a Peregrine intruder. Astrid was on the State Building at the time, and she stayed in place. Most likely the intruder was a male and therefore Ares’ problem. At 2:31 Astrid came to the east veranda. From there she moved to the crossperch and when she did the nestlings began squealing.

At 2:45 PM Ares returned from his adventures and landed on the crossperch. Like Astrid did before, that got the chicks squealing up a storm. Ten minutes later he was in the box trying to create shade, but the nestlings were being unruly and moving around the box – mostly going from corner to corner. At 3:00 he gave up and left. By 3:18 both chicks were in opposite corners at the back of the box. At 3:30 both parents were in the nest and it seemed like Astrid was doing a feeding, but it was over a minute later, so we don’t know exactly what was happening there. At a few minutes before 4:00 Ares was successfully shading both chicks in the same back corner. However, soon the kids were restless again and vocalizing and one stomped over to the opposite corner. At 4:25 PM Astrid brought food and was feeding the nestlings. Ares left her to it. She mostly concentrated on feeding one chick and then the other. At 4:38 she flew out with the leftovers. At 5:00 Ares screeched to the nest for a quick chick check. He was back again five minutes later and that time he stayed to provide shade. The nestlings were in opposite corners again and they weren’t taking advantage of his offer. By 5:40 Ares was out on the crossperch and Astrid was on the State Building. At 7:19 Astrid came to the nest with food. She started to feed one of the chicks in the back of the box (they were separated). Ares screeched to the nest about a minute into the meal, but he didn’t stay. Inexplicably, she stopped the feeding at 7:22 and dove out of the box with the leftovers. At 7:30 Ares came into the nest with food. He walked over to the corner where both chicks were and started feeding them. He wasn’t there for more than a minute when Astrid showed up and relieved him of the prey and the feeding opportunity. At 7:41, at the end of the meal when Astrid was turning to leave, one of the chicks bit her tail. She didn’t seem to notice. By 8:00 PM Astrid was on the long perch and the nestling were mostly snoozing in the box. Ares was probably tucked in on a State Building ledge by then. Goodnight all.

Little Falls Falcons video:

The overnight was cool in the canyon – getting down into the high 40’s. During the day the temperature got as high as the mid 60’s. The day was mostly overcast and windy. Astrid started the night (Sunday night) on the west veranda and ended up making the move into the nestbox at some point. Ares brought a small prey item to the box at 2:20 AM. Astrid took it and flew off into the dark canyon. She came back to the nest a few minutes later and without the prey. We assume she stored it. Midnight feedings are likely becoming a thing of the past. As the young grow, they no longer have the need to be fed during the night. Also, their size and their feathers are providing enough insulation, so they no longer need to be brooded even when its fairly chilly out. At 5:06 the pair switched at the nest and Ares came into the box to guard the chicks. Ten minutes later Astrid came in with a small prey item. She proceeded to feed the nestlings which were both huddled in one corner and a little difficult to see. At 5:26 AM Ares brought more prey to the east veranda. Astrid took it and then flew off. She immediately returned and began a feeding. Five minutes later, when the meal was finished, Astrid went out onto the long perch. At 5:40 Ares was back in the nest with the chicks. Both were still huddling in the corner at that time. When we were able to get a glimpse of them, we could see that they were starting to develop their dark eye masks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvhEyauiK8g

At 6:13 AM Ares brought food right into the nestbox and appeared poised to attempt a feeding. Astrid flew over from the steeple, stormed in, and grabbed the food away. She then carried out the feeding. She was done about twelve minutes later. At 8:12 Astrid was engaged in conducting another feeding. We weren’t sure if she brought the food or if Ares did. When the meal was finished (about twelve minutes later) Astrid went over to the east veranda. At 9:25 Ares came to the box with yet another meal. Astrid took it and handled the feeding. She was done about eight minutes later and gone from the box. By then the chicks had switched sides of the nest and were all the way over against the wall on the east side of the box. At 9:46 Ares was with the chicks. At 11:44 both parents were on the State Building. Ares came to the nest with prey at 12:05 PM. Astrid took it on the crossperch and started a feeding. At a couple of minutes before noon, both parents were out of camera view. Ares came to the nest for a chick-check at 12:17. At 1:00 the parents were out of view once more. At 1:10 some chirping calls were heard and then Astrid arrived at the nest with prey. After plucking it she proceeded to do a feeding. By 1:29 she was done and had left the box. At 2:57 another feeding was in progress. Astrid was conducting it. She was out at 3:00. Ares screeched to the crossperch twenty minutes later. He then went into the nest to check on the chicks. At 4:30 both nestlings were snoozing, and one parent was visible on the State Building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrT3FPYyMEA

At 5:00 PM Astrid came to the box calling. We weren’t sure what she was going on about. At 6:07 both parents were out of view again. Astrid then showed up on the long perch at 6:33. Five minutes later she was on one of the light poles on the roof of the Adirondack Bank (an unusual place for her). From there she was back to the long perch at the nest. That made the chicks in the nest start squealing again. She was soon up only to return at 6:50 PM. She was highly alert, and we weren’t sure what was making her anxious – if anxiety is what we were seeing. Ares had been out of view for a few hours at this point. She was flying again at 6:55. We tracked her flying southeast of the State Building for a few seconds. There appeared to be a second raptor flying near her but then they both flew out of range. Ares unceremoniously screeched to the nestbox at 7:19. Who knows where he had been – I guess he knows and probably Astrid too. At 7:27 he took off after something. Astrid then arrived at the nest with food at 7:31. It seemed like she was feeding the chicks in fast motion. When the meal was done, she took her position on the long perch. Perhaps she was in place for the night. Ares was on one of the steeple perches until a few minutes after 8:00 and then, presumably, he went off to a night perch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Oh0VfpifE

The overnight was warm and mild. In the morning we experienced a considerable warmup with the temperature rising close to 80 degrees by noon. Cloud cover increased by midday and rainstorms were threatening. Rain and wind came in the midafternoon and afterwards a significant temperature drop occurred. Astrid spent most of the night on the outer perches around the nest area. At 2:38 AM Ares brought prey to the east veranda. Astrid took it and started a feeding. After the meal was over, she hopped out onto the crossperch. She flew out into the canyon at 5:16 and Ares came into the box to chick-sit. Astrid returned moments later and took her place on the crossperch. At 5:33 Ares came back to the nestbox and hopped inside. While his back was turned, one of the chicks bit his tail. He didn’t seem to notice. Astrid came in and the two switched – he was out and she was in. At 7:12 both chicks were sleeping, Astrid had moved over to the west veranda and Ares was on the State Building. When Ares came to the east veranda two minutes later, the nestlings were awake and squealing. At 7:40 Ares was on one of the light poles mounted on the roof of the Adirondack Bank. He seems to like those perches just lately. At 8:00 Astrid was on the long perch. A few minutes later she was cackling about something and then she scrambled into pursuit of something. At 9:06 she was back to the long perch. The chicks started calling when she landed. She then moved over to the west veranda where they couldn’t see her. Ten minutes later she was doing a feeding. We weren’t sure if she had brought the meal in or if Ares did. At 9:34 Ares arrived at the nest for a standard chick-check. At 10:07 Astrid was in the box and engaged in another feeding. It seemed to end abruptly and then she was out.

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

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

At 11:49 AM Ares brought a Goldfinch to the nest. Astrid dashed over to him and grabbed it like it was made of actual gold. The two chicks were on opposite sides of the box at that time. First, she fed one a few bites and then changed sides and gave the other one what remained. Ares was on the east veranda giving long calls near the beginning of the meal. We weren’t sure what that was about. The feeding was over at 11:54 and Astrid moved to the crossperch. By 12:10 PM both parents were out of camera view.  At 12:19 Ares brought more prey – this time to the east veranda. Astrid scrambled over in fast motion to get it. She then flew away with it before returning to the box and conducting another feeding. This time she was able to feed both chicks in the same corner. At 12:25 Astrid went out onto the crossperch and began cackle-calling. She obviously saw something that upset her. After that, both parents took flight. Ares went to his new light pole perch on the bank roof. She stopped at the long perch a few minutes later, but she wasn’t looking happy and she soon darted off again. At 12:36 Ares came into the box to do a chick-check. At 2:12 Astrid was engaged in feeding out something at the nest. We think it was something that Ares had brought in. Ten minutes later she was done with the feeding and gone from the box. At 2:30 both parents had assumed guarding positions on the perches around the box. At 3:38 they were giving cackle alarm calls again. Obviously non-falcon intruders were active in the canyon on this day. By this point a thunderstorm was poised to hit the downtown area and yet the parents were nowhere to be seen. At 3:56 Astrid came into the box just as the rain was starting to come down. It soon became very windy, and sheets of rain blew sideways through the canyon. Some loud claps of thunder were also making the whole area tremble. The chicks remained spread out in the box and Astrid didn’t seem concerned about rounding them up and putting them beneath her. Instead, she went into one of the corners herself – facing in. By 4:28 the storm had passed, and all was returning to normal. It was still very windy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajy0ZsJN0xM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEItHc3ogTA

Ares came into the box to do a chick-check at 4:51 PM. He stayed with youngsters for about fifteen minutes and then left. At 5:10 Astrid plunked down on the roof of the nestbox. Soon after that she was up again. She then returned with prey form Ares’ pantry and she conducted a feeding. At 5:20 one of the chicks walked away while the feeding was still going on. It soon changed its mind and went back to take advantage of the offered meal. By 5:34 Astrid and Ares were on adjacent ledges on the State Building. Ares left at 6:52 and stopped to check on the chicks. His visit made the chicks squeal. The temperature had dropped since the highs of the early afternoon. In late afternoon/early evening it had gotten down to 63 degrees. Ares was up and then he screeched back to check on the chicks a half hour later. At 8:23 PM Astrid finally showed up on the long perch. The wind was buffeting her as she clung on. Instead of going in with the nestlings she opted to tuck in on the west veranda. Perhaps she was anticipating Monday morning and people returning to offices and she wanted to be there on guard. Goodnight all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcj4c1oc_QI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gH3fUrt2_E

The overnight was warm with temperatures staying close to 70 degrees. By noon we were in the high eighties. Astrid was around the nest area for most of the night. We happen to notice that Ares was visible on the State Building at 2:00 AM. At 4:06 Astrid left the nest to fetch some prey out of storage. She brought it back and did the first feeding of the day. When it was over, she moved out onto the long perch, and from there, the west veranda. At 5:25 Ares was in the box with the nestlings. Less than five minutes later she was in with the chicks, and he was out. At 5:37 he returned to the east veranda with a meal. Astrid came over to take it. She initially flew off with it but then was right back to the nest and starting a feeding. At 5:49 Astrid was out and one of the chicks was doing some wing flapping. As it happened both parents were on the west veranda perch. At one point it was almost like Astrid was bowing and asking to mate for a second, but that couldn’t be right – could it? Regardless, Ares was busy preening his foot. At 5:53 both parents were giving cackle-style alarm calls. She launched and he followed. At 7:12 Ares was back with food. Astrid took it and started a feeding session. As usual, the chicks were already full, but Astrid was trying to pack them anyhow. At 7:25 the session was over, and she left with a small piece. At 7:39 she returned but quickly moved to the west veranda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg2AZ25X1tw

At 9:04 AM Astrid was inside the box and trying to feed out some scrap on the floor – looked to be mostly feathers. She gave up quickly and was out again. Ares was in right after. He picked up a piece of something (a small hunk of mostly feathers) and handed it to one of the chicks. The chick ate it and Ares went to the crossperch, his mission completed. At 11:00 he gave some long calls and then went into the box with the squealing nestlings. By 11:30 Astrid was on the steeple and Ares was on the long perch. Astrid moved to the west veranda at 12:10 PM. Ten minutes later both parents were out of view. Ares screeched back to the nestbox at 12:33. At one point, while the chicks were alone in the box, one of them was resting with its beak against the lip of the box. It was the first time we had seen this behavior this season. At 1:04 Ares screeched in, picked up some scrap from the floor of the box and went out onto the long perch. Astrid then blasted in, took it from him, and entered the box intent on doing a feeding. It lasted about two seconds and then Astrid was up and out. At 1:53 Ares screeched to the nest once again. He came inside and did some shading until about 2:18 PM. At 2:28 Ares was gone from the nest and Astrid was on the steeple. The wind had picked up by this time and the temperature was in the high eighties. At 2:44 she came to the crossperch but wasn’t there for very long. We didn’t see her again on camera for a few hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI25xDLofYU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmgFTJKEjJ4

At 3:35 PM Ares came to the box to shade the chicks. Since the nestlings were on opposite sides of the box, he only was able to shade one of them. Ten minutes later, Ares was out on the crossperch and the two chicks had coalesced in one corner. They were certainly becoming more proficient at getting around in the box. Their walking is less awkward and quicker. At 4:16 Ares had both chicks beneath him at the back of the box and he was able to give them shade. However, that only lasted a minute, and the two odd, animated snowmen soon waddled off to their separate corners. At 4:31 Ares had them together again and was able to shade them both in the same corner. Again, it didn’t last, and they soon wandered away and he was left shading nobody – but doing a great job of it! At 5:17 Astrid returned from her spa afternoon (we assume) and took a perch on the steeple. Moments later she was on the east veranda. While there she was peering at the office window as if someone were in there. Probably not on a Saturday, Astrid. From there she hopped onto the box roof and gave a dirty look to that window for a while. Meanwhile the chicks were squealing in the box. One of them was busily strolling around the place. At 5:50 Astrid came to the crossperch, and the nestlings were squealing up a storm. She left and then came back a minute later with prey. She then conducted a feeding. At 6:09 the meal was done and she left the nest. Only five minutes later Ares came to the east veranda with prey. He waited for a few moments to see if Astrid was going to come and take it. When she didn’t, he seized the opportunity and hopped into the box to try and do a feeding. He was off to a great start, albeit with only one chick participating. He fed out at least ten bites and then something happened. He abruptly took the food and dove out of the box. He was half screeching and half cackling as he left. There must have been an intruder issue. Astrid was on the steeple at the time and didn’t appear to be very put out. Ares was on the roof of the bank building (with the prey) for a moment and then he was up again. Astrid was in the air as well by this time. At 6:22 Ares was on the steeple. He no longer had the prey. Did he store it or give it to Astrid? Ares then came to the box. Once inside he tried to feed out some little scrap of food on the floor, but nobody was interested in it. At 6:38 Astrid came to the box and Ares left. She did some shading for a little while and then she just stood guard on the crossperch. At 6:55 one of the chicks laid face down on the floor of the box with her rudimentary wings spread and her ridiculous chicken legs also spread out. It was as if she were going to attempt to make gravel angels. At 7:08 Ares was on the steeple. At 7:42 Astrid was engaged in a feeding. We weren’t sure if she got the food out of storage or if Ares brought it. By 8:30 Astrid was on guard on the crossperch and the falcons were likely set for the night. Goodnight all.

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

The overnight was cool and a little foggy. It was close to fifty degrees at daybreak. During the morning the sun was out, and the temperature quickly rose to 70 degrees. By late afternoon the temperature was in the high seventies. Astrid spent part of Thursday evening out on the crossperch and not brooding. Notably, for the first night in a long time, there were no overnight feedings. Ares brought prey to the nest at 4:54 AM. Astrid took it and conducted a long feeding session. Ares had moved to the west veranda and remained there while the feeding was going on. At 5:48 Ares brought more prey to the box. This time it was a migrant sandpiper called a Dunlin. He has caught a few of those in the past. Astrid fed it to the chicks who took it slowly since they were already full from the last meal. Astrid left the box when the meal was done at 6:01 and Ares screeched over to chick-sit only a minute later. He proceeded to do his approximation of brooding. At 6:30 Astrid flew over from the State Building and took over brooding. Ten minutes later she was out on the crossperch – and then, shortly after, she was back and brooding again. At 7:25 Ares brought food to the east veranda. Astrid scrambled over to take it, flew into the canyon with it, boomeranged back, and took it into the nest. She then conducted another feeding. At 8:40 Ares came to the east veranda with still more prey, Astrid took it, flew into the canyon and, once again, flew into the box and carried out another feeding. The chicks were still full, so it was a truncated session. When it was over at 8:44 she took off and presumably stored the leftovers.  Four minutes later Ares screeched in and started guarding/brooding the chicks. At 8:52 the parents began a series of rapid switchovers: She took over from him; she left abruptly; he was back; he was out……etc.  it was getting confusing! At 9:48 Astrid got up onto the nestbox roof which meant she was mad about people in offices. She managed to restrain herself from hazing the 15^th floor this time. At 11:21 Ares popped into the box to do a chick check. He wasn’t in with them long. At 11:36 he had prey and he landed on the east veranda. Astrid grabbed it from him and started a feeding. The feeding had scarcely begun when Ares started cackling. He soon took off after something. Astrid then became highly distressed. She produced a loud cackle call and dived out of the box with the food in her talons. We didn’t see what it was that upset them, but it must have come close to elicit such a dramatic defensive response. At 11:37 she was back to the box. She cackled again and then resumed doling out the food to the chicks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlbgbQ9Og2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX20rqM5qtw

At 11:45 AM Ares was back from his police action, and he was minding chicks while Astrid was on the State Building. At 12:41 Ares left the nest. We heard chirpings-type alarm calls this time which indicate that they were dealing with a Peregrine intruder.  At 12:42 Astrid returned and was on the west veranda. She was then back and forth between the nest area and the State Building several times in the subsequent half hour. By 2:00 Ares had been in the nest box with the chicks. The temperature had risen into the mid-seventies by this time, and it was mostly sunny. However, a persistent wind made conditions inside the box more tolerable. Astrid came in and relived Ares. She brought some prey in with her and started a feeding. At 2:34 Ares screeched to the long perch. At 3:54 he was shading the chicks. Astrid came in two minutes later and took over shading duties – at least for a few seconds. She was out on the crossperch by 4:15. Five minutes later she moved over to the east veranda. The chicks were then left alone for an extended time. The parents weren’t even in view for much of it. At 5:29 Ares screeched to the nestbox. The chicks had been crowded into the only shady corner of the box, and they began squealing when they saw their father come in. A minute later Astrid came in to take over watching the nestlings. During this time, we noted that one of the chicks did some proper wing flapping for the first time. At 5:45 Astrid was back with another meal. She proceeded to feed them in their shady corner. In less than ten minutes the meal was over, and Astrid had left the box. At 6:17 it was Ares’ turn to bring food. No sooner had he landed on the crossperch then Astrid blasted in from nowhere and grabbed it. She tired to get the chicks interested in another feed, but they weren’t very enthusiastic. She gave up after a few minutes of trying and left to store the food. And then, only seven minutes later, Astrid was again trying to feed them. Three minutes later she gave up and left. At 6:27 Ares was to the nest with prey! Astrid took it and once again, was trying to top off the nestlings. It still wasn’t really working. She took the food and flew into the canyon with it. While she was gone one of the chicks held a bird leg in her talons and picked at it. After angling it and dropping it a few times, she swallowed the thing. At 6:48 both parents were observing the nest from their perches on the State Building. At 7:23 Ares flew over to the box and got the nestling squealing in their corner. Three minutes later Astrid was in trying to feed them again. She doesn’t give up easily! She was out after only a few minutes. We weren’t sure if they finished the meal this time or if she stopped it prematurely. At 8:40 Astrid was on the west veranda and from there she moved to the crossperch. She was gone at 9:37 PM and probably watching the nest from the State Building. One of them was up there anyhow. At a few minutes before 10:00 Ares screeched to the box with food. Astrid blasted in and did a feeding. The hours between 9:00 and midnight are actually the rarest time for feedings to take place at the Utica nest, so it was a unusual event. Goodnight falcons.

Little Falls Falcon Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiF4EO_7_ps