The overnight was cold and snowy. The temperature was 20 degrees but dropped to 15 degrees just before dawn. The relentless wind made it seem even colder. Scattered snow flurries occurred throughout the day. Astrid was in the box all night long but did not lay an egg. We didn’t confirm that until 4:10 AM when Ares arrived and relieved her at the nest. He probably expected an egg as well, but then again, he always expects to see one even after he leaves her in the box for just a few minutes. At 6:17 Ares seemed to see something flying below the box and he dove out after it. We were not sure what that was all about. He returned at 6:24. Ten minutes later we noticed that Astrid was on a windowsill on the State Building. She came to the box at 7:09 but Ares was insisting on a dance. She declined his invitation and shot back to the State Building – this time taking a high perch. Ten minutes later, the falcons switched, and she was on the empty scrape. Only five minutes after that, Ares was back for his turn incubating the non-eggs. Certainly, their practice changeovers were going well. At 8:17 Astrid relieved Ares at the nest once more. At 9:08 Ares brought prey to the nest. Astrid accepted it on the crossperch. She appeared to drop it after taking it but either didn’t, or she was able to swoop down and catch it. She had it in her talons when she landed on the hotel. While she fed on the hotel, he motioned in the box like he was settling down on a clutch. She was done with her meal at 9:35 and took off not long after that. He started calling from the box so he must’ve have seen her. He screeched off into the wind and both falcons were out of view for a little while.
At 10:35 AM both falcons piled into the box. Astrid left only moments later and went to the State Building. Ares vacated the nest at 10:52 and did a close flyby of the State Building. A minute later both were in the box performing a ledge display. It was short and quick just like everything they do today. As it happened Astrid was only able to keep the invisible egg warm for just a few minutes before Ares displaced her. At 11:28 Astrid had moved back to the hotel and Ares screeched out of the box. For the next forty minutes Ares was in and out of the box frequently. Astrid was out of view for us, but he was making periodic forays out to check on her. He keeps awfully close track of her at this time of year. At 12:22 PM the pair converged at the box for another ledge display. It was intense with lots of vocalizing and beaking. It was also fast; Ares was out after only a minute. Astrid then barely had a chance to settle into doing housework when she saw an intruder. She began calling very excitedly and took off on an intercept course. We never did see the other bird but thought it must have been a female Peregrine based on Astrid’s reaction. Both falcons were then out of view. At 12:34 Ares came back to the box, and he was calling like he could see his mate. He was then in and out of the box three times in twelve minutes. At 12:55 Astrid was back in the box. She did some calling and then she bit the lip of the box for a while.
At 1:09 PM Ares was already back and trying to switch with her. When she wouldn’t leave, he went around behind her and tried to oust her. It was only when she stood up and he saw no egg beneath her that he decided to leave. They did a switch thirty minutes later and then Ares was on the scrape. The wind and the snow squalls continued to be an issue through the afternoon. If the falcons mated at all, we missed it. At 2:20 Astrid came back to the box for her turn at practice incubating. Before Ares left, they conducted a very short dance. At 3:14 Astrid and Ares shared another ledge display at the box. This one was slightly more significant that the last one. He left after four minutes. The next changeover happened at 3:42. It was fast, and this time Ares was taking over. For the next ninety minutes, he was in and out of the box several times; presumably he was making forays out to check on her. At 6:55 PM Astrid was back at the box. The pair performed a brief ledge display and then Ares was out. Astrid was in for the night. It’s highly likely that she will lay her first egg of the season sometime in the next couple of days. We shall see. Goodnight falcons.