Nature can throw you a left hook sometimes.  Today, it felt like the left hook was followed up by a knock out punch.

The female was found sunning back at Glen Span Arch.  Her old cavity, the one we suspected had become a nest, was found to have a squirrel in it.  The squirrels didn’t leave her alone at the bridge either.  A squirrel came into the tree and forced her out on an open branch for about half an hour.

The knock out punch was delivered after dusk however.  The male continued to be missing, even after the female called and called (using a trill rather than her normal whinny), before giving up and going hunting.  While it’s possible he’s just taking a break, given how close this pair has been, I suspect he’s dead. 

One of the mysteries is, did he get injured defending the Bridle Path cavity or did he get injured and the female couldn’t defend the cavity on her own?