Category: Uncategorized

Update for Sunday, March 10, 2024

The weather gave us a reality check today – reminding us that it’s early March and not early May. Ares guarded the box through the night once again, and much of their behavior during midday led us to believe they were dealing with an intruder. At around noon, Astrid was so distracted by something going on in the canyon that she wouldn’t commit to coming all the way inside the nest for a ledge display. Ares came to the nest with prey a couple of times – neither time did Astrid accept his gift. Of course, the first time involved a Woodcock, and Astrid doesn’t care for those. In the mid-aftenoon the pair shared a rather conventional ledge display at the box. For the balance of the day, Astrid remained on the north face of the State Building. Ares bounced back and forth between there and the nestbox. At the end of the day, both appeared to retire to perches on the east face of the State Building. It was the first time we had seen that behavior in several days.  

Update for Saturday, March 9, 2024

At least Ares stayed up all night, perhaps trying to curry favor with his mate of 12 years after his short fling with a highly attractive intruder. All kidding aside, Ares brought prey to the nest box 3 times before 6:30 this morning. Ares provided several food gifts to Astrid, some which she took from him directly, others which she drew from his pantry ledges on the State Building. The falcons conducted two ledge displays at the box and they mated about ten times. They continue to guard the box almost constantly, which we believe is a reflection of the recent intruder pressure. Speaking of intruders, yesterday’s banded adult female has been identified. Her name is “Lilac” and she had been banded as a chick in the Rochester nest back in 2016. Her parents were Rochester’s “Beauty” and “Dot.ca”. Lilac is now 8 years old. Thank you to Carol and Dana from the Rochester Peregrine Falcon group for this great information. Also thank you to Pat Carey for sending us a couple of pictures of Lilac from 2016. We appreciate it.

Update for Friday, March 8, 2024

On Friday there were three food exchanges, a few matings and two ledge displays between Astrid & Ares. There was also a major intruder incident. A particularly brazen adult female Peregrine came into the nest and danced with Ares. It was a rather stilted and highly vocal dance and Ares seemed a bit more menacing than usual. We weren’t sure where Astrid was when all this was happening. After the stranger left, Astrid came to the nest and had a look around the place. Someone had been in her bed!! She did some frantic vocalizing and then went out onto the long perch. Ares arrived and tried to give her a food gift, but she didn’t want it and flew away instead.  Later in the day, Astrid & Ares preformed another ledge display at the box and she did finally accept another food gift from him. I guess all was forgiven!

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

Update for Thursday, March 7, 2024

Astrid & Ares had another eventful day in the canyon. There were two food giftings, two dances, and at least several matings. A falcon intruder caused excitement at midday. Ares seemed to be the one tasked with dealing with him – which was an indication that the intruder was male. Astrid may have gotten involved in the altercation at the end. She usually comes in when they need the big guns. The falcons appeared to go to night perches at the end of the day today, which would be the first time they haven’t guarded the nest around the clock in the last three days.

Update for Wednesday, March 6 2024

Ares spend the whole night on the crossperch at the nestbox – he was on guard duty. This year the falcons seem usually dedicated to guarding the box during the night. Are they doing it because of an intruder or is there some other reason? During the day there was at least one food exchange, several matings, and one dance.