I observed that the female sat in the nest or close to the nest site, waiting for the male to come back from the hunt. She had a sharp eye out on her chick in the nest, always ready to attack interlopers like crows,  hawks, or even scrub jays. When the male came back from a successful hunt he called from a distance and she often took off to greet him, also calling out. On three occasions I witnessed and photographed the dramatic scenes when he passed the prey to her in midair. The acrobatics  are quite spectacular. Each sequence took about five or six seconds. The female then brought the prey to the nest where the baby was waiting to be fed.