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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.

Update for Sunday, April 7, 2024

For several days now, Ares hasn’t brought Astrid any food tributes, which is typical during this stage of their breeding cycle. Consequently, Astrid faces a choice: either pilfer from Ares’ pantry ledges, likely settling for Woodcock, or go out hunting on her own. Today, she went with the latter choice and opted to snatch a Pigeon, devouring it at the hotel. Later, we believe there was a falcon intruder in the canyon. Ares dashed around downtown, pausing briefly on the east veranda before darting off again, while Astrid called out excitedly from the nest. It bore all the signs of the pair reacting to a Peregrine intruder, and likely a male, since Astrid didn’t feel compelled to intervene.

Update for Saturday, April 6, 2024

Around 8:30 AM, Ares appeared to embark on a clandestine mission. Just before that, he had been emitting squeaking calls while attending to his incubation duties. Astrid, who had been stationed at the State Building, promptly arrived to take over. Ares departed swiftly, reappearing several hours later – at 1:10 PM. By then, it seemed Astrid would have eagerly welcomed relief, yet she hesitated leaving. Ares, however, took matters into his own hands, quite literally, plowing her off the eggs. She protested with a series of “tu tu tu tu” vocalizations, a behavior reserved for moments of particular annoyance with Ares.

Update for Friday, April 5, 2024

The Falcons were tight on the eggs all day today. Their incubation switches were very businesslike and quick and, for the most part, neither protested when it came time to yield to the other. We observed no other breeding behavior or food exchanges, just Astrid and Ares putting up with the cold and blustery weather.