It rained off and on during the night and the wind was near constant. Temperatures were close to 50 degrees in the early morning but dropped during the day into the high 20’s. The windchill made it seem much colder. Unlike on Tuesday, the falcons didn’t seem to be in an amorous mood and no matings were confirmed. Ares showed up at the nest box at 4:30 AM. He called a few times to Astrid who was barely discernable on a high perch on the State Building. He wasn’t at the nest for long and soon plunged back into the darkness. At 6:15 Ares screeched to a landing on State Building. He didn’t remain there for long either and was next seen up on his lookout post on the northwest corner of the State Building roof. Five minutes later he floated into the nest box and started giving squeaking calls. He was talking to Astrid, although we couldn’t locate her with the PTZ cameras. After only a moment, he spread his wings and let the wind carry him away. He then dashed off to the west. At 6:52 both Peregrines came to the box at the same time. She flew off after only a few seconds on the crossperch and he followed a minute later. At 7:08 we heard Ares giving long calls from somewhere, but we couldn’t find him.
At 7:37 AM Astrid was on the ledge of the hotel. She had caught a Pigeon and was feeding on it. Her mate was two feet away from her on the same ledge, but he wasn’t bothering her for a share. The wind was so strong that our PTZ camera shuddered constantly, and we couldn’t get a clear image of the birds. After Astrid fed nonstop for almost a half hour, Ares walked over and claimed a hunk of the leftovers. She was still feeding but allowed him to take half of what remained. By 8:10 she had flown off, leaving him to clear the plate. Ten minutes later she was on the State Building. At 8:23 Ares came to the box and began calling to Astrid. He was asking her to come over to partake in a ledge display, but she showed no interest in the idea. In fact, she was well tucked in on her ledge. Ares soon sailed across the canyon and took a perch adjacent to hers. At 8:52 AM he blasted into the nest box giving chirping alarm calls. Astrid was also calling. Obviously there was an intruder active in the canyon. Ares zoomed off to the south in pursuit, but was back to the box only a minute later and still upset. He left again in a hurry. At 9:09 Astrid was back on the State Building and he was once again calling in the box. Although this time his calls were intended to coax Astrid into dancing and not due to the presence of an interloper. At 9:27 Ares made a stop at a ledge on the east face of the Adirondack Bank Building. He was only there for a few minutes and then went back to perch near his mate. At 10:52 he was back to the nest and calling, but Astrid still showed no sign of leaving her perch. Five minutes later he was up and out of view. At 11:34 a cold rain was falling, and he was back to the State Building with Astrid. As it happened, he was up and back again three more times before 1:00 PM. All the while Astrid kept to her perch.
At 1:06 PM Ares floated back to the nest box. The wind was really howling by this time and freezing rain was coming in sideways. He had prey in his talons. He hopped onto the floor of the box with it and called across the canyon to Astrid, but she didn’t budge. She had eaten most of a Pigeon earlier, so she wasn’t apt to be lured over with the promise of a meal. Ares then flew up to her ledge and gifted it to her in person. She accepted it; dove off her ledge, and flew like a dart towards the hotel. I moved the PTZ 1 camera over to see her there, but there was too much ice on the lens housing. We couldn’t see anything at all. Ares went back to his high perch on the State Building. She finished eating (or storing) her meal and returned to the State Building at 1:25. When he saw her, Ares shot back to the box. Once again he called to her to come over for a ledge display, but it just wasn’t happening. Astrid was in no dancing mood. Essentially, she had reverted to winter mode, which entailed lots of hunting and sleeping and very little ledge display action. Ares went back to the State Building just as the sideways blowing freezing rain turned into sideways blowing snow. At 4:26 Ares returned to the nest and tried to convince Astrid to come over one more time, but it was to no avail. By 4:39 PM both falcons had gone off to their night perches. Good night everyone.