The Hunt!

She had not known a time like this before!

The sun was as bright as ever, the sky was clear and blue, just like every year. The wind just as gentle as it ruffled her feathers. Everything seemed normal, familia. But as she surveyed the landscape below, stretching away below her to the horizon, she felt it; not everything  was as it should be.

She had not seen her mate for four days now.

Not long after the fifth chick had hatched, he had left to hunt. He usually returned quickly with success gripped in his powerful talons. But it was now clear something had happened

.He was a good mate, skilled and powerful in the hunt, gentle and caring with the young. Something terrible had to have happened As she looked into the nest, at the three tiny bald chicks that were left, she knew what she had to do. In order to save them, two already having died from hunger,  she would have to leave them alone and hunt. Hunger-driven squawks steeled her resolve, and so she turned away.

From her perch, high up in the tower of the old cathedral, she looked out at the blocks and walls of glass and steel, a giant maze she would have to negotiate. With a final glance at the nest behind her, reassuring the chicks with a short whistle-like call, she spread her wings and pushed off the ledge. the hunt was on!

As the air rushed under her body, she fully extended her sleek pointed wings, and was immediately pushed upwards. Circling the cathedral once, then turning toward the concrete jungle, she glided effortlessly forward rising gradually on the air currents coming in off the sea. She flew parallel to the river, where the barges and ships unloaded their cargo non-stop. This was where she would find her prey!

A few quick beats of her broad wings brought her to the roof of an old warehouse. She preened quickly to make sure all her delicate feathers were in good order.  As she began to swing her gaze over the docks, suddenly a huge black-backed gull swooped over the apex of the roof from behind her! A massive, heavy, always aggressive bird, it let out a high pitched squeal, and dived at her!

Knowing she could be badly hurt by its menacing beak, and knowing she could ill-afford to be hurt, she did the only thing she could. Letting herself fall off the edge, she caught a last sight of the gulls frightening gape! But for all its size and menace, it could not compete with her agility!

She twisted swiftly to face the wall as she plummeted, red brick and broken glass whizzing past, and at the last moment, shot her wings out to the side. The effect was stunning! Her almost flat profile acted like a broad leaf falling from a tree, and allowed her to accelerate away from the building at incredible speed. The gull, far too cumbersome for such a move, flapped frantically to halt itself, before it crashed to the ground in a jumble of feathers and rubbish. She circled once, a shrill call back at the gull to mock it. That was a close call, too close. She would have to be on her guard from now on. And so she flew on, searching for the wind that would take her up, up to where she would go back to basics, and use the gift nature had given her.

An hour passed.

She imagined her young back at the nest, screeching and reaching for her, their feeble little bodies now desperate for nourishment. She was running out of energy, but she knew she had to keep going. This time she thought. She had failed twice already, aborting the hunt half way through because her timing was off, but this time, she wouldn't fail, couldn't. Although the wind was dropping, and some clouds had drifted in, she fixed her eyes down, and scanned the docks once more.

There! Just flying into view, a trio of birds flapped lazily over the river.

Ducks!

They were Mallards, heavy and big, but not beyond her capabilities.And so, instinct taking over, she adjusted her keen eyesight, focused on the bird at the back, tilted her tail, tucked in her wings, and fell!

It felt perfect!

As she tucked her wings in, her tail made lightening quick, minute adjustments to her trajectory. The wind, coming from her right side and slightly behind, forced her down, gathering speed all the time. Within a few seconds, she had closed the distance by half. Squeezing her wings into her sides, she resembled the striking markings sweeping back from her black eyes. Her vision had concentrated to keep only her quarry in focus. The air whistled through her talons, tucked under body, the only sound she made as she hurtled toward the unsuspecting prey at incredible speed!

Traveling in a deep arc, still tucked up as tight as a bullet, she knew it was good. She was not going to abort.

With only milliseconds to go before contact, she jerked her wings away from her body, spread her tail feathers to balance herself. She switched her legs forward, talons spread. With a sickening crunch, she collided with the back of the duck. Bending it in half, and knocking it out of her line of attack, she killed it. Stone dead!

She spread the feathers all along her wings, slowing her dramatically, allowing her to wheel down to grab the broken prey. Her long smooth flint-sharp talons gripped easily, slipping between the shattered bones without any resistance. Breathing heavily from the exertion and exhilaration, she allowed the weight and gravity carry her to the ground. A quick glance skyward showed no interfering gulls. She felt her heart beat slow, let her breathing return to normal, before she finally looked at her prize.

She made light work of plucking the duck. She got rid of as many large feathers, lessening the drag during the flight home, before she took off again. Her mind made a quick visit to her nest and her waiting young. Without a second thought then, she once more spread her wings and took off into the sky, eager to get back.

The three chicks devoured the meat that she tore off the fast disappearing mallard. As she watched, she instinctively called for her mate. but again, only the wind rustling around the ledge answered her. She knew for sure now that the coming months were going to be tough. But the one thing she could count on, the one thing she needed no-one else for, was her hunting skills. She was fast, strong, ruthless.

She was good. She was Peregrine!