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After vanishing nearly two months ago, Serena made a surprise return to the downtown canyon late Saturday morning. She appeared on the east veranda while Ares was stationed at the nestbox. It seemed like a reunion display between these former mates might unfold—but before anything could develop, Vera arrived and promptly displaced Serena from the veranda.

It’s unclear whether any aerial confrontation took place between the two females. If there was one, it was brief—Vera was spotted on the lookout perch atop the State Office Building just minutes later. Serena, for her part, didn’t return. Her brief appearance may have simply been a territorial check-in, a way of assessing the status of the reigning pair.

We had assumed Serena had gone on to nest elsewhere after departing from Ares in March. If she had paired with another male and nested successfully, she’d likely be tending to well-developed chicks by now. Her presence here strongly suggests she is unpaired and without young this season.

Help Us Tell Their Story

The Utica Peregrine Falcon Project is working to install permanent interpretive signs in the downtown canyon—educational displays that will honor the incredible legacy of Astrid and Ares, the first known peregrines to breed successfully in Utica and Oneida County.

These signs will showcase striking images, share historical highlights, and offer insights into the recovery of this New York State Endangered Species. Our goal is to raise $5,000 to make this vision a reality. With your support, we can ensure the story of these extraordinary falcons—and the wildness they brought to our skyline—continues to educate and inspire.

Please consider making a contribution today:
https://www.big-green.net/falcon/donate

Ares and Vera continue to defend their territory and behave like a committed pair, though it now seems highly unlikely they will raise a family this season. While peregrine falcon pairs across the country are preparing to fledge their young, our pair remains suspended in the late courtship phase. They continue to mate, exchange food gifts, and perform lively ledge displays at the nest box.

Interestingly, they’re still engaging in behaviors associated with incubation and chick-rearing. Vera has been seen practice brooding in the nest box, while Ares occasionally attempts to “take over” by nudging her off the scrape—just as he once did with Astrid during real incubation shifts. His technique remains the same: crowding behind her and stepping on her wing and tail feathers until she gets up. But in this case, with no eggs beneath her, there’s nothing to take over, and he typically exits soon after.

Help Us Tell Their Story

The Utica Peregrine Falcon Project is currently raising funds to install permanent interpretive signs in the downtown canyon—signs that will honor the remarkable legacy of Astrid and Ares, the first known peregrines to successfully breed in Utica and Oneida County. These educational panels will feature captivating images, historical context, and insights into the recovery this endangered species.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 to bring this vision to life. Your support will help ensure that the story of these extraordinary birds—and the wildness and excitement they brought to our city skyline—continues to educate and inspire future generations.

Please consider making a contribution today.

Ares and Vera continue to engage in courtship rituals, including ledge displays, food gifts, and mutual time spent at the nest box. Ares was seen a couple of days ago doing what appeared to be egg shading—despite the absence of any real eggs. He also remains attentive in his role as provider, offering Vera regular food gifts.

Vera, too, has done a few brief sittings in the box over the past several days, but there’s little indication that she’s any closer to laying an egg. Notably, a tail feather she lost earlier this spring is now growing back in, and it appears to be adult plumage. As her molt progresses, she’ll likely begin to resemble a full adult more than the yearling she still is.

Today, a some workers were active on the roof of the bank building. Watching them brought to mind how Astrid would have responded in seasons past. By now, she would have been in full defensive mode—calling out alarm cries and flying repeated strafing runs to drive intruders away from her nest. Of course, she would also have had hatchlings to protect by this point in the season.

Help us celebrate the legacy of Utica’s Peregrine Falcons, Astrid and Ares, by funding interpretive signs in the downtown canyon they called home. Your support will help us raise enough to share their inspiring story and educate the public about these remarkable birds. Here is the donate link:

For over a decade, two remarkable Peregrine Falcons—Astrid and
Ares—soared above Downtown Utica, capturing hearts and inspiring our
community. Together, they made history as the first known Peregrines
to successfully breed in Utica and Oneida County.
In 11 years, Astrid laid 44 eggs and, alongside her only mate Ares,
raised 32 young—a monumental achievement in the recovery of this
once-endangered species. Sadly, Astrid disappeared in February of this
year, but her legacy lives on.
We’re asking for your help to raise $5,000 to design and install
durable, educational interpretive signs in the urban canyon where
Astrid and Ares nested and thrived. These signs will feature photos of
the falcons, stories of their lives, and facts about their habitat,
helping educate and inspire generations to come.
This project is more than a tribute—it’s a promise to remember, to
protect, and to share their story. Please help us bring this vision to
life by donating and sharing this post with fellow nature lovers,
birders, and Utica residents.
Click the link below to donate and be part of their enduring legacy.
https://www.big-green.net/falcon/donate/

We’ve now entered the time of year when, in a typical season, the first eggs would be hatching. Instead, we remain without a single egg. It’s not for lack of effort—Ares and Vera continue to behave like a serious, committed pair, doing everything short of applying to an adoption agency. Each passing week makes it increasingly clear that this may be a barren season.

That outcome is especially poignant considering Ares’ age. Had the pair produced young this year, Vera could have benefitted from Ares’ deep reservoir of breeding experience—an invaluable resource for a first-time falcon mother. As things stand, the two remain bonded and deeply engaged in the rituals of courtship, despite no sign that reproduction will follow.

Unless we’re surprised by a very late clutch, we’re now curious to observe how long Ares will continue offering food gifts, and how long the pair will maintain their mating behavior. We expect their frequent and intense ledge displays to continue throughout the season—and likely beyond. These displays are central to how Peregrines maintain their pair bonds year-round, and Ares and Vera seem committed to keeping that connection strong, even if this year doesn’t bring a family.