Leaving the old home (don't look back!)

I went out in the afternoon with my binoculars to try to see the Grog's nest. I thought I knew where it was (in which tree) but wasn't certain.  After studying many points of view, voila! With a bit of corvusmorphosis, I caught a big black form shift deep in a thick density of eucalyptus. Then I could see some of the large sticks that ravens weave to make their nest.

It's particularly interesting to me that the Grogs have moved home. As Bernd Heinrich points out in his raven books, ravens seem to nest in the same spot each year. The first two years I began watching the Grogs, they nested in the cliff above the beach. When they were in their cliff home (above photo by Rick @theravendiaries.com*), I did see them chasing coyotes. Perhaps they moved to avoid the coyotes eating their young. Last year they moved to a tree near the one they have chosen this year but closer to the road. From last year's nest, six Grogs were born and one was hit by a car. Perhaps this latest move, a bit further from the road and nearer the beach makes sense. I hope they haven't become 'nest flippers'. I'll check the old nest to see if anyone's moved in.

So Sunshine will be incubating the eggs for about twenty to twenty five days. I can't know exactly when she started but in previous years, I think the nestlings appeared around the beginning of April.

*If you click on the photo, it enlarges.