Hous continued to give the other fledgling and the other watchers periodic hostile looks.
Then chowed down some more.
Trib the second eyass, who had eaten earlier, just sat the fence and at least to me looked a little drowsy. See how much I know. About then an adult swooped through and I followed her.
It's Athena and she landed in a pine tree over in the next area. When I got closer I realized she was digging in a birds nest. Tearing it to bits. Taking chunks of building materials and ditching them over the side. I then remembered I'd also been told that nestlings had been eaten earlier.
Was Athena making sure she hadn't missed anything the first go round?
She stops to visually check Hous and Trib.
Then back to mining the nest for any possible leftovers.
She looks through diligently, but I see her find nothing.
Then she looks as if she is listening and out of the pine tree she goes.
She flies over to above the playground. Jules a main watcher of these hawks tells me later that the bottom edge of the wall next to the playground is a main mouse path. Suddenly she looks back towards the fledglings and watches something for quite some time. Then goes back to hunting. Eventually I decide to go back to watch the fledglings myself.
I learn from Adam and Francois that I did miss some action. Trib came down, and after a hissing scuffle made off with the remnants of Hous's lunch.
Trib is now up in a tree looking very full and rather satisfied with himself, though keeping a wary eye on Hous.
Hous is ignoring Trib and doing a very through preening of his feathers.
That is until he looks up and realizes something has a hold of his eye.
He shifts perches but the offending eye grabber is still there. He then decides it's not really a big deal after all and sits with the fluff feather stuck to the corner of his eye for some time until it finally blows away. For Hous, it's just one thing after another.
Athena has returned and is sitting on a lamppost very near by panting, and keeping an eye on the kids.
Haus finishes his preen and sits watching the foliage.
Though it isn't nearly the complete preen one would have assumed by all the action as he still has some of his lunch on his face.
Donegal Browne
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