An Eyass Appears! And Isolde vs The Finch

GUESS WHO POPS UP? But that comes later...

6:23pm Tristan is atop the crenelation just left, east, and slightly below the nest. Rob, Jean, and Bruce are present and Rob reports that Isolde is across Morningside Park perched on a building.

6:35pm And Tristan is still there and still looking east with his foot up.

6:36pm Isolde has arrived on the farthest to the SE chimney of the Plant Pavilion.

6:48pm Tristan's guess where?

7:08pm Nothing stirs. (Drat!)

7:11pm Tristan...scanning.

7:30pm Isolde has moved to the urn on the SE corner of The Plant Pavilion, and though she still looks a little tired she begins to preen vigorously, a very good sign.

7:40pm Tristan is still up there pretending to be a crenelation, and guarding the nest, as he has been for hours.

7:41pm There has been movement to be seen through the twigs but suddenly there is a tremendous amount of white fluffy flopping about up there. I'm surmising that Eyass One, a bit up off her haunches by now, is scrambling over Eyass Two, making One's flopping wings while perambulating, visible.

7:42pm Ah, what's this? The top of a fluffy white head appears on the west side and goes east.

7:48pm FINALLY, an eyass! (Why is it that an eyass wing, or the top of an eyasse's head doesn't really seem appropriate to be called an eyass, but when there is a face, even without the rest of her, it IS an eyass.)

8:03pm Is Isolde still on the urn? Yes, but what is that on the left edge? Unbelievable. It's a finch, Purple or House isn't apparent in the light, but he's scolding her with intensity. Isolde's neck seems to have folded back into her body as if she can't quite believe it either. Another finch flies in and at the last moment, perhaps when Isolde comes into view, she does a pass by and lands on the roof further west.

Isolde turns her head and visually ignores Finch but finally, four minutes past sunset at 8:09, she takes off in a curve east and south. Mr. Finch takes off as well, undoubtedly thinking he's done a fine job in getting rid of her. If he keeps it up for several days and emboldened gets closer and closer, when he's close enough to be a sure thing, she'll eventually grab him for an evening snack.

The last battery has just died for the camera, but the observer than buckles down to solve the mystery of who, if anyone is spending the night on the nest. No adult on the nest at night would be beyond unlikely but observers haven't stayed long enough, as it's a bit dicey after dark, to figure out exactly what happens at bed time since all the behavior changes a few days ago. There have been assumptions but as normally everyone has left before an adult returns or doesn't to the nest for the night no one really knows for sure.

8:12pm A Robin scolds from the trees on the corner of Morningside and 113th.

8:18pm Though the observer could swear she didn't take her eyes off the nest, wait there was that moment the Robin scolded, suddenly like a cytoplasmic apparition in the darkened room of a seance, Isolde materializes full bodied stepping up on the north edge of the nest. HOW DID SHE GET THERE? Well obviously she flew there. I think that assumption is okay, but it feels more like she entered a secret door on the other side of the cathedral, walked through the passageway, opened the door on this side of the cathedral, the one that opens onto the nest and Voila!

8:13pm Isolde scans the area calmly, then looks fixedly to the west, where I'm betting Tristan is, then a long moment of eye contact, she turns and watches the nest. Eventually she steps in and settles down, just a tail tip visible. Somehow she can't seem to get in the right position. She shifts, she swivels.

8:23pm Isolde gets back up on the north edge of the nest. She leans over toward the back then goes into her perpendicular feeding position. Ah, someone in the nest wouldn't settle down and that's what all the shifting was about. It's time for another feeding. Babies of all kinds sleep better with completely full stomachs...or crops.

8:28pm Now the only way one can tell Isolde is still feeding is the hint of contrast between Andrew's light head and her dark tail.Exit.

NEXT TO BE POSTED SOON: PROOF OF AT LEAST TWO EYASSES.

KEEP GOING DOWN FOR THE NEWEST POST W/PHOTOS FROM JOHN BLAKEMAN.