No you're not in the wrong place, it's just that---
Back in June, I posted PART TWO of June 6, 2007 and said PART ONE would be following soon. Well one thing led to another and I just discovered that I'd never done it. And since it's been awhile without our having been able to watch nest bound eyasses and their parents, I thought it might be nice to work on it now and post it.
Besides, I never get tired of looking at nests and a new season will be on us before we know it. So I'd better tidy up the last one..
I mean, just look at that face! In fact that was what we were looking at. We were looking at the three eyasses on June 6th. They were cavorting, lining up like sailors in the rigging of a Tall Ship, one, two, three. Therefore in our distraction we hadn't really realized that Isolde and Tristan were having a dangerous battle with two Kestrels and three Crows intermittently.
Tristan with that trademark foot up sees something coming and is off like a shot.
Gabriel's horn is only vacant a few seconds before Isolde takes Tristan's place on the horn.
Two Kestrels dive and swoop at Isolde, she evades by changing postures. Then she flies off the horn, drawing the little raptors away from the nest, she circles over and lands on a stone finial further east. She is leaving herself open as a temptation for the attackers so they will leave the eyasses alone. Not so the three Crows who are intent on raiding the nest.
The kids watch their parents deal with the interlopers. Soon though things will be so hot that all three will plunge into the bowels of the nest and disappear. But that I think is in PART TWO posted back in June.
6:64:15PM A Kestrel dives at Isolde and nabs her. She scrunches down and vocalizes in response.
6:54:27PM She watches, then ducks, as the Kestrel goes over again.
6:54:35PM Tristan returns overhead and draws one of the Kestrels off. Crows are heard to the east.
6:55:45PM Another Kestrel dives.
6:55:11PM Isolde is gone but where?
6:56:28PM Smart girl. She's chosen a perch with a protection for her head and it took us over a minute to find her again. One of the eyasses has a bulging crop but not the other two. With the eyasses this age no matter who's attacking you, hunting must be done, as the kids are bottomless when it comes to food these days. Isolde has spotted prey.
She watches....
...and watches...
...and watches the pattern of the prey.
Something is up. Possibly Tristan on the roof of the Plant Pavilion.
She goes into an alert ready to move mode.
Kestrels? She checks to her rear.
The Kestrels are back and-- what is that? Tristan is on a chase. She must get to a higher vantage point in order to see 360 as she is holding the fort completely by herself for the moment.
Isolde is on the absolute highest point of the Cathedral, which is Gabriel's Wings. She is putting herself out as easy bait to draw the raptors to her. She is such an easy target up there how could they resist? They can't. She's drawn them onto herself. They begin to dive and strike her mercilessly.
The eyasses are poking at each other and playing, completely unaware that there is danger at the moment.
This is where PART TWO picks up way back in June 2007. Though in actuality the above portion is PART ONE B, so I've still gotta get to Part A, the actual beginning of the field notes.
I do hope it doesn't take another 6 months to get to it.
I do hope it doesn't take another 6 months to get to it.
Donegal Browne
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