So we had Maya snoozing behind the peregrine nestbox, enjoying the warmer day. Wake up, yawn, stretttttttch–and suddenly she was flapping crazily, falling off the ledge backwards, going down down down flapping still facing the building as she fell out of camera view.
You know, I have that kind of graceful sure-footedness myself.
Clearly, she came out of it okay. Kekoa was later seen staying close by her side, hanging with his peep. I so wish there were a video of the two on the end of the ledge watching something overhead: their feet danced and their whole bodies twirled in a complete circle in perfect unison together with their gaze straight up, then their heads turned in exact sync, side to side, side to side.
They’ve been touching beaks when they greet each other and occasionally just because. It’s absolutely adorable. When they seem satisfied, or that they’re reassuring themselves, their tails do a quick sideways waggle as a last or nearly-last step in settling in to wherever they’ve landed.
They’ve been spending the last few nights on the louver, and were settled there tonight I thought for the night with Clara having just taken up her sentry duty above, when Clara suddenly took off. One by one the little ones did too from down below. One came back–briefly, and took off again.
For the last hour or so, Clara has been standing on Kekoa’s favorite spot on that louver, tapping her talons, looking at her watch, waiting for those teenagers, looking out over the city.
And once–just once–I saw her open her beak and yell. Now she’s back to her usual patient sentry duty. It may well be that she moved to where she could see them wherever it is they’re perching tonight.
And a white bit of fluff from their chickhoods just floated down gently past her from the nestbox area above.