The overnight was cool and dry with Temperatures dropping into the low forties. As has been the case lately, weather fortunes turn around after daybreak and the mercury rebounded into the 70’s by noon, surpassing 80 degrees by midafternoon. Astrid was on the nest all night long – mostly brooding. Ares brought prey at 1:53 AM, but she refused to take it. He was back an hour later, but she refused again. However, third time was the charm, and at 4:08 when he was back, she accepted his contribution and went on to feed the nestlings. It looked like it was only a small item when Ares brought it, but she fed it out for about ten minutes. At 4:28 we noticed that Ares was on the west veranda as he had been for part of the night before. He was gone an hour later. At 5:40 Ares brought more food, this time bringing it right into the nestbox. Astrid took it and tried to conduct a second feeding, the problem being the chicks were not interested in feeding. It was quite soon after their last meal. Astrid then took the food out and stored it on the State Building. Ares came into the nest to babysit, and Astrid took a high perch on the State Building. Only a couple of minutes later she flew to the box and took over brooding from Ares.
At 4:00 PM Ares came to the box with a small prey item. He then came into the nest to shade while Astrid fed it out. Of course, the chicks begged to Ares, while Astrid tried to get their attention. The feeding was over after only three minutes and then Astrid went into shading mode right alongside Ares. At 4:20 we noticed that they had split the clutch. Ares was shading the eggs, and Astrid, the chicks. That may have been unprecedented behavior. At 4:22 Astrid left the whole clutch to Ares and flew out into the canyon. At 4:46 She returned and tried to take over shading the two chicks and the two eggs, but Ares was an immovable object. She gave tututututu calls and other impatient scolding-type vocalizations, but Ares held firm. Finally, at 4:50 she went beneath her mate and scooped the clutch up with her wing and moved them beneath her. That was crafty! Ares didn’t stay long after that. After Ares left Astrid spent the next couple of hours looking very stressed and frequently jostling and shuffling the nestlings. The temperature was in the mid-80’s and the sun flooded the box. At 6:00 PM we saw that Ares was on the east lookout post on the roof of the State Building. Most likely he was in hunting mode. Ten minutes later he was gone. At 6:45 Ares screeched to the box. From the crossperch he negotiated with Astrid to let him take over. After a couple of minutes, she agreed and left the box. Ares then took over shading, but the chicks didn’t make it easy. Initially, they were about 5 inches apart and Ares had a hard time hitting both the chicks and the eggs with his shadow. Astrid was back to the box at 7:04 PM and she immediately tried to take over. Ares resisted for a minute and then he left. Later, he was on the State Building. Astrid seemed to be in the nest for the night. Goodnight all.
Astrid left the box at around 8:33 AM and Ares came in to watch over the clutch. About ten minutes later Astrid arrived with food and she stated a feeding. Ares flew out into the canyon. At just before 9:00 AM the feeding was over, and Astrid went back to brooding. At 11:45 Ares brought some scraps of food to the box. Astrid took it and fed it out. At 11:55 Astrid left the box. Ares flew over from the steeple and took over chick-sitting for a while. They switched at 12:18 PM and then Astrid was back in the chick- saddle. At 1:06 Astrid suddenly got off her clutch and left the nest. Ares came in to take over only a minute later. At 1:45 PM he was giving squeaking calls which meant he must have seen Astrid in the canyon somewhere. Seven minutes later she came in and landed on the State Building. The pair switched again at 2:00 PM. We noticed that he was on the steeple 45 minutes later. At 3:20 he was up.
Little Falls Falcons Video: