The overnight was cold with temperatures only in the high thirties. The wind kicked up by morning and the temperature slowly rose to near 60 degrees by noon. As it happened that would be the day’s high. Astrid was on the clutch (eggs and chick) util Ares came to the nest with a small prey item at 2:21 AM. She took it and conducted the first feeding of the new chick. It was difficult to see in the video stream due to the hour, but we could just make out the little nestling accepting tiny bits of food torn off and gently offered by Astrid. At 2:28 the feeding was over, and Astrid got back onto the clutch. Ares was barely visible on a high ledge on the State Building. During the feeding we could hear the begging calls of a second chick – from inside a pipped egg. At 5:18 Ares came to the nest and relieved Astrid. As Astrid got up to leave it was clear that the second chick had hatched. It was white and dry already, so the hatch must have happened about an hour earlier. Ares really only had time to look at the two chicks; Astrid was back a only a minute after leaving and she immediately got back on top of the clutch. At 5:18 Astrid was eating some of the eggshell that surrounded the nest scrape. Ares brought another small food item at 5:48. This time Astrid wouldn’t come out to accept it and Ares soon left with it. At 6:10 Astrid was jostling her clutch and vocalizing. We wondered if the calls were an appeal for Ares to return with the food her brought earlier. At 6:40 we saw that Ares was on the State Building. He was up a half-hour later.
At 8:38 AM The pair switched, and Ares had a turn with the chicks and eggs. Ares chomped on some eggshell pieces as the chicks begged at him for food. He had just started getting around to brooding when Astrid returned. She got right onto the eggs and Ares quickly vacated the premises. At 8:50 Ares was back with another meal in tow. Astrid accepted the food and fed both chicks for almost eight minutes. Both appeared to be vying well and it was difficult if not impossible to tell which one hatched in the morning and which the night before. At 10:54 Ares was on the west veranda perch. At 11:30 he flew to the nestbox, and she left. Instead of getting right onto the clutch he started doing some housework around the place – digging in the corner and puttering. He then approached the clutch and pulled one egg towards him. It seemed like he was going to start incubating the one egg but then Astrid came back into the box, and he was out again. At 11:56 Ares brought more food to the nest. Astrid took it and began a feeding. She fed them until a couple of minutes after 12:00 PM and then she took out the leftovers – presumably to store them. The eggs and chicks were alone for only two minutes and then she was back in the nest and brooding again. At 1:12 we noticed that Ares was on his pillar perch. It’s possible he gave a cackle warning call – we weren’t sure. She called out in response. Maybe a non-falcon raptor was flying over the canyon.
At 1:56 PM Ares landed on a window ledge to the east of the nestbox. At 2:40 Astrid was vocalizing loudly. Perhaps Ares did a flyby or visited the box briefly and that’s what brought on her excitement. At a few minutes before 3:00 Astrid was shuffling the eggs (and the chicks). She’s obviously trying to induce the remaining two eggs to begin the hatching process. At 4:37 Ares came into the box and Astrid left. Once inside, Ares seemed at a loss for what to do. The chicks were giving high pitched squealing calls and he was just looking at them from a half-foot away, not sure whether to try and brood them or not. At 4:41 Astrid blasted back into the nest and Ares was out again without ever having to deal with the kids. Traditionally, Ares seems to prefer sitting on eggs over brooding chicks. At 4:50 we heard him screeching from somewhere. He probably had prey and was processing it somewhere nearby. A minute later he came to the box with prey. Astrid grabbed it from him and conducted a feeding. Both chicks ate during the nine-minute feeding. When it was done Astrid flew out with the leftovers and probably stored them. He came into the box after she left, and he started trying to brood. Astrid then barged back in and sent Ares packing. He went up to his pillar perch. At 6:29 Ares came to the crossperch, and she immediately sent him out again. He ended up on the east veranda. At 7:04 Ares came to the nest and tried to oust Astrid. At first, she resisted going but then he went around behind her and pried her up. Surprisingly, she let him do it and she flew out. He then lingered about a foot away from the clutch. One of the chicks began giving begging calls while Ares produced some light squeak calls. Finally, he approached them and started trying to brood the egg and chick combo. He seemed to be doing well but then he became distracted by a hunk of eggshell behind him. He got off the brood and munched on the shell for a little bit. He then came back to brood, but just then Astrid returned, and he was out. We saw no pips on the last two eggs during any of the times they were visible. By 8:00 PM Astrid seemed to be settled for the night. She was on the clutch and Ares was out of view. As for the last two eggs, they may hatch at any time during the next few days. Certainly, we will keep observing the situation and will relay anything that occurs. Goodnight all.