Sunday, May 15, 2022 – The Falcon Chicks Take Opposite Sides of the Box & Little Falls Falcon Update

The overnight was warm with some light rain. The skies became overcast by late morning and more rain threatened and finally fell in late morning. Temperatures were in the mid-seventies until late afternoon when it reached into the high seventies. Astrid was in and around the box all last night – alternately guarding and brooding. Ares brought prey at 2:29 AM. Astrid accepted it and fed the chicks. At 3:40 she went out and fetched something else from Ares’ pantry and did a second feeding. At 4:18 Ares brought more prey. He hopped into the box to deliver it to Astrid. She grabbed it and conducted the 3^rd feeding of the morning. At 5:23 we noticed that Ares was on the State Building. Five minutes later he brought more food to the nest. After handing it off to Astrid he moved to the east veranda. Astrid began feeding one of the chicks. But then, noticing the nestling’s lack of interest, she picked up the meal and flew out of the box with it. We think she took it away and made it her own meal. Ares came into the box about ten minutes after Astrid had left. At 5:45 she was back and she relieved Ares. She went right to brooding the clutch while Ares moved to the west veranda. At 7:39 Ares flew from his perch on the steeple to the nestbox and had a turn guarding the chicks. By 8:03 Astrid was on duty – alternating between brooding the chicks and guarding them from the crossperch. She came back with a meal and was feeding the nestlings at 8:27. Once the meal was finished both falcon adults spent some time guarding the box – her on the crossperch and him on the east veranda perch.

At 9:50 AM both parents were up. Ares screeched back to the crossperch moments later. At 10:00 Astrid was back in the box with what appeared to be a Catbird. She was feeding the already full-looking chicks. Once again, their crops were bulging. Ten minutes later she was out, and Ares screeched back to the long perch. By 10:46 she was in the box brooding again. At 11:27 she had food and was engaged in yet another morning feeding. Ares was on the west veranda at the time so perhaps he had brought it. At 11:43 the meal had ended and Astrid was back to brooding the chicks. By this point it was raining in the downtown canyon. At 12:50 PM Ares moved to the long perch and was giving long calls. Astrid was brooding but she called back to him. While she called her posture was defensive as if she was guarding the chicks from Ares. Of course, then she abruptly decided to leave and let him have his turn. After contemplating the squealing chick pile for a few minutes, Ares decided to do some digging in the corner. At 12:56, only five minutes after leaving, Astrid came home and took over brooding. At 1:18 Ares had moved to the steeple. At 1:52 He came to the box to have another turn with the chicks. Astrid vacated the nest and flew to the State Building. Obviously, at one point he left because he screeched back to the nest at 2:35. His call made the chicks start squealing. Less than five minutes later Astrid returned and took over. He then relieved her ten minutes after that. It seemed like their shifts were getting incredibly short. The box was half shaded by that time, and the amount of sun reaching the interior was increasing. Still, it was a slightly cooler day with high temps in the high seventies and it stayed breezy so conditions were not so extreme.

At 3:59 Astrid was shading the chicks. Ten minutes later they were squealing at her. At 4:15 she was feeding them. Most likely Ares brought the meal since he was on the crossperch at the start of the feeding. At 4:57 both parents were in the box. Ares was shading the chicks and it seemed like Astrid wanted to take over – that she did. By 5:18 the chicks were on opposite sides of the box, and they would stay that way for the subsequent few hours. Astrid was out on the crossperch, obviously confident the lower temperature and the wind were enough to keep the chicks cool today. At 6:29 Ares brought prey to the east veranda. Astrid took it and flew off towards the hotel – probably to take a share off the top, or maybe to process it some more. She was back in the box a couple of minutes later and starting a feeding. With the chicks so far separated in the box she had to feed them one at a time – switching sides in between. It took one chick some convincing to get it to eat. Astrid seemed to give up at one point but then persisted and had success. When the feeding was over at 6:39 Astrid took out the leftovers and presumably stored them.  For a while both parents were in guard positions – her on the long perch and him on the veranda. At 8:00 PM Ares was still guarding, and Astrid was on the State Building. Also, the chicks were still in their separate corners. Astrid came into the nest at 8:16 PM. She went for one chick and then the other trying to decide whether to move them together or not. She decided to leave them separated for the time being. At 8:27 she shuffled them back together, There was much squealing but they seemed happy to be reunited when it was over. Goodnight falcons.

Little Falls Falcon Update: The Little Falls falcon chicks have their eye masks already.