Update for Tuesday, April 16, 2024
At 5:04 AM, Ares arrived at the nest for the morning shift change. Astrid promptly departed, followed by Ares shortly after. This left the eggs unattended for about 25 minutes, with temperatures hovering in the mid-30s. The reason for both falcons’ absence remained uncertain. Could it be an intruder? Was Astrid out hunting, with Ares either supporting or guarding her? Astrid was seen feeding on the hotel a little later, lending credence to the out-hunting theory. However, speculation was all we had; there was no definitive answer. Nonetheless, prolonged exposure to such cold conditions wasn’t ideal for the eggs, although similar occurrences in past seasons hadn’t resulted in any observable harm. Supporting the intruder theory, Astrid and Ares were compelled to leave the eggs three more times during the day, each instance due to a falcon intruder. Fortunately, each of these latter interruptions lasted no more than a minute.
