After days of uncertainty and sporadic appearances, Serena surprised us with an afternoon full of focused breeding behavior — as if someone flipped a switch. After being largely absent, she returned to the nestbox repeatedly today, eagerly accepting food gifts from Ares and engaging in multiple ledge displays. In fact, we observed five or six displays in just a couple of hours, including two particularly remarkable ones where Serena clutched her food gift while performing her dance — a behavior we rarely, if ever, saw from Astrid.
There was also one confirmed mating attempt and some impressive aerial displays from Serena. Adding to the excitement, she created two scrapes inside the nestbox and settled in for a sitting session as evening fell. Perhaps this sudden shift in energy signals that she’s nearing her egg-laying window. Just yesterday, we were speculating whether she might have attached herself to another site. Now, while it’s still too early to know if this momentum will continue, we’re far more hopeful than we were just 24 hours ago.
