Nova seen perching on the hotel for the first time – her crop was very full from a recent Pigeon meal
A return to winter weather has put a noticeable pause on the Utica Falcons’ breeding season progress. Over the past few days, breeding activity between Ares and Nova has been minimal. Ares has been attempting to draw Nova to the nestbox, but with limited success. Since March 4th, there have been no ledge displays at the box. There have been few mating attempts seen either. However, there have been a few successful food exchanges, occurring both at the box and on the verandas. On March 6th, Nova caught a pigeon on her own and then spent nearly an hour feeding on it on the hotel, with Ares perched nearby on the same ledge, standing guard. Afterward, she was observed perched on the Grace Church steeple—a spot once favored by Astrid—marking the first time she’s been seen there.
Ares waits for Nova to come to the nestbox – often its a long wait
Ares and Nova share a ledge display at the nestboxAres tries to get Nova to swipe bills
Today was a stark contrast to yesterday. On March 2, we caught only a brief glimpse of Nova, but today, she was a very frequent presence. She joined Ares at the nestbox three times for ledge displays, and a successful food gifting happened on the west veranda. One mating attempt was observed, and it was likely there were other attempts that we did not see.
Nova looks into the canyon from the west veranda
Ares was particularly restless today, as he often is this time of year. His determination to get Nova into the nest box was unmistakable—much like the way he once tried to persuade Astrid. He was heard calling persistently, letting out long, screeching cries from the box multiple times. At one point, he flew to the steeple and called from there, marking the first time we’ve seen him perched on that structure in quite a while. During their ledge displays, Ares took the lead. He attempted to initiate bill-swiping—an intimate gesture Astrid used to reciprocate. He bowed before Nova and repeatedly swiped his bill upward, trying to connect with hers. Their third display of the day was the longest yet, featuring more intricate choreography than we’ve seen from them before. With the egg-laying window now less than a month away, Ares seems keenly aware of the timeline. His urgency suggests he’s trying to bring Nova up to speed.
A thorough search of downtown Utica this morning yielded no sign of Astrid. No evidence has surfaced to shed light on what happened to her. She has now been absent since Monday evening (February 24th) and is presumed lost, likely deceased. In her absence, a new, unbanded female has arrived and appears to be pairing with Ares. This morning, the two were observed performing flight displays for one another, a strong sign of pair bonding. They were also seen perching together on the hotel. Ares may have offered her a food tribute, bringing prey to the nest box before possibly delivering it to her afterward.
I first encountered Astrid and Ares in the spring of 2012, when they took over the downtown Utica territory previously held by the original resident peregrine pair, Maya and Tor. Tor’s tenure ended abruptly in 2010 when he died in an impact accident, leaving Maya to hold the territory alone for two years. It remains unknown whether she abandoned the site voluntarily or was displaced by the incoming pair. Astrid and Ares arrived as fully mature adults, likely at least two years old, but their origins remain a mystery—they bore no leg bands, and nothing is known of their history before they claimed Downtown Utica as their home. In the spring of 2013, a nest box was installed for them on the Adirondack Bank building, and they made use of it for the first time the following year. Over the next 11 seasons, Astrid laid a total of 44 eggs, four per year. Of these, 32 hatched, and 30 young Peregrines successfully fledged under her watchful care. She was an extraordinary mother, adapting and refining her parenting strategies over the years. As time went on, her relationship with Ares evolved as well—where she was once more possessive of her role, she gradually granted him greater privileges, allowing him to incubate eggs at night, feed the chicks more frequently, and even share her favorite food with him. Notably, Astrid demonstrated a remarkable ability to learn and improve upon her parenting techniques. She discovered that leading her fledglings to land on wider, safer ledges reduced accidents. In later years, she became more engaged in sparring with her young, actively helping them strengthen their flight skills. Her precision in executing midair food transfers with fledglings also became a defining skill, ensuring her young gained the coordination and confidence needed for independent hunting.
One of Astrid’s most fascinating qualities was her uncanny intuition. She always seemed to know when we were about to release one of her fledglings after a rescue. Before we had even opened the vehicle door and took out the carrier containing her offspring, she would already be perched on the steeple or the State Building, staring at the nest box, anticipating the release. Over the years, her tolerance for our interventions grew. Early on, she greeted us with relentless hazing and sharp vocal protests whenever we returned a wayward fledgling. By last year—her ninth time witnessing such a release—her reaction had softened considerably. She barely hazed us at all and did a minimal amount of cackle calling.
Astrid’s coordinated hunting forays with Ares were amazing to behold. Astrid was intense, formidable, and fiercely devoted. She was a steadfast mate, a tireless protector, a highly skilled predator, and provider, and an outstanding mother. She commanded respect, not just from her own family but from all who had the privilege of observing her. The void she leaves behind is immense. Whether she met her end through illness, injury, secondary poisoning, natural causes, or conflict with another falcon, we may never know. But what is certain is that her legacy will endure—etched into our memories, carried on through the generations she raised, and remembered by those who were fortunate enough to witness her in action.
