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Overnight was cool with temperatures dallying around the 40 degree mark. Rain was falling by mid-morning and the wind started picking up. Astrid came to the nest at 2:22 AM. She was vocalizing on the long perch – perhaps for Ares’ benefit, but we didn’t see him. She sat in the box for a while afterwards. By our reckoning it was her third “still sitting” event which is an indication that we are getting closer to egg-laying time. Astrid was up but then returned to the nest at 4:49. Ares flew to the box but then abruptly darted off again – possibly on a hunt. At 5:17 AM they did a switch at the box just as if there were eggs on the scrape and they were sharing incubation duties. At 6:40 Ares came to the nest with prey. She accepted it on the crossperch and then flew to the hotel. He went there to guard her while she fed. At 7:00 after she was done with her meal she moved to the northeast corner of the upper ledge on the hotel. There she spent time preening and watching the local Pigeons. At 7:40 Astrid moved to the steeple and there was a failed mating attempt shortly after her arrival. Ares flew to the box directly afterwards. At 9:02 both falcons converged at the nest for a ledge display. There was no beaking that time, and it was more of a standoff than a dance. After he left, she stayed in the box and did more than the average amount of house chores. She made several scrapes and bit at the lip of the nest box for a while.

At 9:27 AM Astrid went over to the west veranda. They mated there at 9:51. At 10:11 Ares was at the box and giving squeak calls. He brought prey to the nest at 10:21. He stayed at the box giving light squeak calls until she flew over to take the gift. She then took it to the hotel. At 10:43 Astrid was done with her meal and Ares was on his lookout post on the top of the State Office Building. At 10:49 Astrid had moved to one of the lower steeple perches – someplace we hadn’t seen her in a while. At 11:28 Ares was back to the box and vocalizing; trying to get his mate to come to the nest. Rain had begun falling at that point. The pair mated on the steeple at 11:40 and he screeched back to the nest. There was an aborted mating attempt at 12:22 PM. At 1:00 PM Ares brought prey to the nest. When Astrid didn’t come to take it right away, he buzzed by her on her steeple perch. He then brought the food to a west ledge on the bank building. Astrid flew over and took it. She did some plucking and had a few bites before taking it over to the hotel and making a meal out of it. Ares came over to the hotel and guarded her briefly; he then returned to the nest. When she finished at 1:14 she flew through the canyon and Ares called to her. His calling reached a fevered pitch when she landed on the long perch. At 1:30 we heard the falcons giving warning calls – high pitched chirping. Most probably there was a falcon interloper in the territory. Both falcons dashed out of view. Ares then flew up to his lookout post and from there sailed off to the north. He returned to the nest box right after 2:00 PM.

At 2:07 PM Astrid came to the nest and the pair shared a ledge display. He dove out again four minutes later and Astrid stayed to do some chores. At 2:51 the falcons switched at the nest; again,  just as they would if they were incubating. At 3:03 she was on the steeple but left only six minutes later. At 4:00 he was at the nest and calling as if Astrid was in view, but we couldn’t find her with the cams. He flew and then came right back. He was looking up and sure enough, Astrid was flying through. She landed on the State Building. Five minutes later we heard them mate. It was raining by this point in the afternoon and as a consequence the falcons became somewhat less active. Astrid was on the steeple again at 5:07 PM. They mated there at 5:44. At 6:27 Astrid abruptly darted off after something and Ares launched a second later. At 7:10 Astrid joined Ares at the nest for a ledge display. It was only two minutes in when Ares dove out again. Astrid remained in the box sitting on the stone for a while afterwards. We thought she was going to spend the night but then at 10:12 PM she moved over to the west veranda and from there she flew into the darkness.

It was just confirmed today that the Little Falls Peregrines (Anna & Erie) now have 4 eggs on their scrape. That’s early to have a full clutch! Goodnight all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHpyHrUxVqA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-ZUheoJD_s

The overnight was chilly with temperatures dipping below the freezing point. The sky was partly cloudy in the morning and the temperature peaked in the mid-forties. Fog rolled in about an hour before sunrise and it shrouded the downtown canyon until nearly mid-morning. Astrid was on the west veranda and Ares was at the box at 4:52 AM. We’re not sure if they visited earlier than that. My recordings stopped overnight, and I couldn’t check back before that. At 5:03 Astrid hopped into the box and the pair shared a dance. Ares bailed out six minutes later. He came back at 5:56 with a fresh caught Woodcock. Astrid showed no sign of accepting it and he flew away to store it. At 6:18 Ares screeched to the long perch but stayed for only a moment. Astrid left the nest at 6:28. He came back to the box five minutes later and she arrived five minutes after that, but she immediately dove out again. She was on the west veranda at 6:43 and he was calling to her from the nest. He left shortly after 7:00.

At 7:07 AM Ares was back in the nestbox. The pair mated on the west veranda at 7:30 and then Ares went to his pillar perch. At 8:13 he screeched to the nestbox and they mated fifteen minutes later. At 8:42 Ares returned to the box with the Woodcock. Astrid was not interested so he nibbled on it himself for a few minutes before going to put it back in storage. He was back and vocalizing in the box at 8:48. She left her veranda perch a few minutes later. They mated on a west ledge at 9:27. An hour later he was at the box and calling. She hopped into the box for a very short dance and then she was out again and to the steeple. He then did some digging around in the gravel. Both were up at 11:00 but then he came back to the nest. Fifteen minutes later she was on the steeple again and he was out of view. At 11:46 he was at the nest and she was out of view but he was calling like he could see her. She then landed on the west office perch ane did some feather preening and some toe cleaning (a falcon self-pedicure). A few minutes later he began calling and then he was up. The falcons were both out of view at 12:30 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNDmvMethzY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzDvPAW-Lpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJMvzvW7UaA

At 12:53 PM Ares screeched back to the nest. He was highly excited. Astrid blasted into the box and the two shared a dance. He was out a couple of minutes later. At 1:40 Ares was back to the box and vocalizing but we didn’t see Astrid. A female Kestrel flew through, and Ares went to his lookout post. At 1:48 he flew to the nest and was calling. He was reacting to Astrid sailing around the State Building. She landed on a high perch on the north face of the State Building. At 2:18 we noticed that Ares was perched on one of the light poles on the roof of the bank building. It a common perch for our immature falcons but an uncommon one for the adults outside of fledging season. A Pigeon hazed him just as he was flying off. He headed directly to the box and began vocalizing. Ten minutes later the pair mated on the steeple and then Ares boomeranged to the nest. At 3:42 Astrid flew to a west ledge and Ares, probably anticipated a ledge display, headed back to the box. She flew, bypassing the box and landed back on the steeple. They mated there at 4:12. Fifteen minutes later there was either a food exchange (it didn’t happen at the box) or Astrid pulled a meal out of Ares’ pantry. She took it to the hotel and Ares sat nearby guarding her as she fed. At 4:44 Astrid had moved to a high perch on the State Building. By this point it had started raining. At 5:00 PM Ares was up on his lookout post. He came to the box 20 minutes later. At 6:20 the pair were holding their positions – him at the box and her on the State Building. With the chilly weather and the rain, we weren’t expecting any late day action from them. He joined her on the State Building at 6:27. He came to the box one more time at 7:08 and stayed for about ten minutes. Astrid remained on the State Building for a while longer and then at a few minutes before 8:00 PM she landed on the crossperch. She left five minutes later. Astrid doesn’t act like the laying the first egg of the season is imminent. We think that she is at least five days out, but we’ve been surprised before so we shall see. Goodnight falcons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWRW78J3G3E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz49Cq1aFjI

The overnight period was cold and wet with temperatures in the high thirties. Light rain continued a little past dawn. The day was overcast with rain threatening and temperatures struggled to get into the mid-forties. Once again, it was windy. Ares was in the box at 4:00 AM. We don’t know when he arrived. Astrid was on the east veranda at 5:00 and we’re not sure when she arrived either. At 5:30 she was asking to mate, and he was preening in the box. They mated on the east veranda at 5:39. He went to his pillar perch afterwards. At 6:30 the pair were conversing loudly. He returned to the box and then dove out again. They mated at 7:04. A food exchange occurred at 7:15 AM. Ares brought the food to the east veranda. She accepted it but we couldn’t find where she went with it. At 7:24 Ares screeched back to the nestbox. She was still on the east veranda, and he was getting very excited. They mated five minutes later. At 8:00 Astrid was vocalizing, and Ares was on his pillar. Ares was back in the box at 8:20. For a little while he was snoozing with his beak tucked into his shoulder. A few minutes later he was giving long calls and she was out of view. She returned to the east veranda at 8:46. She soon hopped over to the box and the pair shared a ledge display. The dance lasted over five minutes and was characterized by lots of beaking. After he left, she stayed inside the box and made a scrape. She also did some digging in the corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bckqCQdR2qI

At 9:00 AM Ares was back on his favorite pillar perch. Astrid had moved over to the west veranda and tucked in on the platform. She was gone at 9:25 and Ares was back to the box and calling. Five minutes later she was on the east veranda. They mated there at 10:48. At 10:54 Ares was back to the nestbox. They mated on the east veranda at 11:25 and he was back to the box directly afterwards. At 11:36 she was asking to mate again, but Ares seemed to be more interested in resting. At 12:04 PM he brought a hunk of prey to Astrid on the east veranda. When she didn’t seem interested, he began ripping off little bits and feeding it to her like she was a nestling. We’ve seen this behavior a few times before, but it is not common. At one point he moved back over to the box, trying to get her to follow him. She didn’t, so he hopped back onto her platform and fed her some more. When she still didn’t want to take it, he went to the opposite corner of the veranda and started eating it himself. At 12:20 the pair shared a ledge display. The dance featured lots of beaking. Ten minutes later Ares was on his pillar, and she was on the west veranda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D70k8Gqyyfc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH7v__zHRQs

At 1:10 PM Ares was at the box and Astrid was tucked in on the west veranda. A little later they were in nest guarding positions – him on east veranda perch and her on the west veranda perch. She was up at 2:20 and he was calling to her from the box. Five minutes later she was on an east ledge. They came together at the box for a ledge display at 3:07. After the dance she did some digging in the gravel. At 3:50 Astrid was on the roof of the nestbox. It was the first time this season that she had gone up there. Possible activity in the adjacent office could have been the reason. She stayed there until about 5:22 when she hopped down onto the long perch. Ares had been on his pillar perch but had moved to the east veranda. At 5:25 he left and came back to the veranda with a Woodcock. Of course, it was clear that she didn’t want it, and he soon moved over to a west ledge. And that, much to our surprise, she went over to him to take it. She didn’t bring it to the hotel and its possible she stored it or otherwise disposed of it. She reappeared on the east veranda at 5:37. He had screeched to the nest shortly before that. The pair mated on the east veranda at 5:40 and then at 5:48. She was asking to mate again at 5:54 but he remained on his pillar perch and preened his feathers. An hour later he brought prey to the nest. Astrid took it and flew to the hotel. Ten minutes later when she was done eating, she came to the west veranda. He was at the box and calling excitedly. They mated at 7:08. She left at 7:30 only to return to the long perch at 8:07. By 9:10 she was off to her night perch. Goodnight falcons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTX38VH4dpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ10Ury5eGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWhCjts992I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFZ7-lHvFZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ADxgEPZK_s

The overnight was cold again with temperatures staying just under freezing. During the day the temperature struggled to get into the low forties. Light rain fell in the afternoon. Astrid was on the long perch at 2:00 AM. My recordings had stopped during the evening, so we didn’t know how long she had been there. At 3:26 Ares was in the nest and Astrid had moved to the west veranda. They were conversing and then she flew into the dark canyon a minute later. At 3:55 Ares dove out of the box but then boomeranged back. Perhaps they mated but we didn’t hear the mating chatter, so it was unconfirmed. At 6:23 AM Ares was back to the nestbox and Astrid was on the office perch to the west of the box. When she abruptly darted off at 6:50 Ares almost instantaneously flew off with her. This time both boomeranged back – her to the west veranda and him to the box. Ares left again but came right back with a food offering to his mate. She didn’t hesitate to take it from him and then she darted off to the hotel. At 7:54, following Astrid’s meal, both falcons were at the nest sharing a ledge display. He bailed out five minutes later. At 8:45 Astrid was on the steeple, but soon after they were in the box performing another ledge display. This time she left after only a minute and flew back to the steeple. They mated there at 9:10 but it was short since Ares’ trajectory was off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJFfDDdhOAM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWz3nWrpgto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d2Nj_DHZAo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IoxNdq-n5Q

At 10:05 AM Astrid was on the west veranda. They mated there at 10:10 and then again at 10:29. Ares then brought her another food tribute. It was some old thing pulled from storage and she didn’t want it. Both were perched on the State Building after that. At 10:37 Ares arrived at the nest and Astrid to the east veranda at 11:00. They mated there five minutes later. At 11:37 Ares retrieved a Woodcock from his pantry and tried to give it to Astrid. No big surprise, that didn’t work. To his credit, this time he quickly realized his folly and took the meal away. There was an aborted mating attempt at 11:46 and he yoyoed back to the box right after. At 11:50 both were at the box for yet another ledge display. When it was done and he was out, Astrid did a scrape in the gravel and carried out a few other important household tasks. At 1:10 PM Astrid moved to a window ledge east of the nestbox and Ares was in the box. By 2:15 he had gone to his pillar perch. Thirty minutes later he was at the box and giving high pitched chirp-type warning calls which meant there was a falcon intruder in the canyon. Astrid was still on the east veranda and didn’t seem all that upset. Of course that suggests that the intruder was a male – and therefore Ares’ problem. He was looking to the west before he shot off in that direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S58l-jLmylo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_nzqi1bXWg

At 3:09 PM Ares was back and the pair mated on the east veranda although Ares’ chatter sounded cut short like it was aborted. At a few minutes before 4:00 PM Ares was back in the box and Astrid was sailing around the State Building. They performed a ledge display in the box a few minutes later. He left after about three minutes, and she remained in the box to make a scrape and do other housework. She was back on the east veranda perch by 4:30. They mated on the veranda at 4:45 and at 5:00. Ten minutes later Ares tried to give her a Starling on the veranda, but she didn’t want it. However, she did signal her desire to mate. They mated again on the east veranda at 5:41. Fifteen minutes later both falcons were out of view. Just when we thought we had seen then last of them for the night, at 6:00 Ares piled into the box and Astrid took her position on the crossperch. They were very vocal, and mated five minutes later. At 7:00 PM they were still talking, and she was asking to mate again. As the daylight faded and the green lights along the bank roof began to glow, Ares remained in the box trying to encourage his mate to come in for one last dance. At 7:30 she flew instead. It was dark by then. Ares spent some time squeaking to himself in the box before he also called it a night. Goodnight all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll6pbG9BTRw

The overnight was chilly but dry. The temperature was just below the freezing point and rose to a high or 43 degrees by midafternoon. The falcons didn’t come to the nest at all during the night. Astrid arrived at the crossperch at 5:44 AM. She did some animated calling and then hopped into the box. Ares showed up at the nest with a Woodcock in his talons at 5:52. She went from the crossperch to the box, but she wasn’t interested in taking the Woodcock. This was the third morning in a row that Ares tried to give her one. This time he gave up easily and flew off to store it. He came back a few minutes later but didn’t stay for more than a moment. Astrid was inside the box, so he was happy. At 6:39 they were both over on the State Building – he was on the lookout post. He showed up at the box about ten minutes later, went inside and did some chores. They mated on the State Building a few minutes before 7:00. At 7:22 they were together on the same State Building ledge and were performing a ledge display. This was not unprecedented, but it’s not common for them to dance away from the nest. At 7:41 there was a food exchange. Astrid took it from Ares and flew over to the hotel. At 8:09 she finished and flew through the canyon. Ares came to the box and vocalized.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Wbr4CjrQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BEzoR9jWBE

At 9:10 AM Ares was back to the box and calling. Astrid was on the State Building. She moved to the east veranda at 11:05. While he dug in the stone in the corner of the box, she spent time giving a dirty look at the blocked office window. Ares then hopped over to the east veranda and the two performed a proper ledge display. It was their second dance of the morning that took place outside of the nest. These two were full of surprises. When the display was over Ares hopped back over to the nestbox. At 11:13 she floated off into the wind and he followed right behind her. The wind speed had increased by this time and would continue through the day and into the evening. At 12:22 PM Ares was in the box and Astrid came over from the west veranda to do another ledge display – this one at the actual nest. After he left, she stayed to do some of the box chores. At 12:41 she began calling like she saw him flying in the canyon. She was up a few minutes later. At 1:50 Ares screeched to the nestbox. He proceeded to clean his legs and talons as though he had just caught prey. During the afternoon Ares was back and forth to the nest many times – each time calling excitedly when inside. Astrid was mostly on the State Building during that period. At 4:48 Ares was at the box giving long calls but then he flew off giving cackle-type warning calls. Obviously, some non-falcon raptor or Turkey Vulture was in the territory. Five minutes later he was back to the nest with prey in his talons. Astrid came to the crossperch, but she didn’t seem all that keen on taking the tribute. The food was an unrecognizable hunk of something – perhaps it was Woodcock which would explain her disinterest. Both flew at 4:53 and then he came back without it only a minutes later. At 5:42 Ares was heard giving chirping calls from somewhere in the canyon. Was he talking to Astrid or was there a falcon intruder? She was on the State Building at the time but soon moved to the hotel. The last we saw; Astrid was on the County Building at 6:47 and Ares was in the box. They were both gone by 7:30 PM. Goodnight falcons.