It's nightime. Something crash-lands in our shelter. It gets up and gleefully says: "Narcissus, I was expecting you'd be here". "Hi Athena!" I say trying to look unaffectedly cool. She startles me every time. After this interruption, what was left of the night passed peacfully for me, and busily for Athena. The next morning I found Athena grumbling that she did not have a place to roost on the island. I suggested the highest tree on the nearby shore, i.e., the one with the three woodpecker holes, and let her have a good days' sleep. I continued to inspect the river shore. Under some branches I spied an abandoned nest. It was floating. Cawlin saw it too. This is our raft he shouted, and proceeding to fill it with corn he had stolen from a nearby field and with a bunch of seemingly useless shinny objects. Athena had some mice she had caught and left to dry as supplies, while Penelope and Philip made a quick meal of the horse flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs that were gathering around us and by the dead mice. They report that horeflies are the juciest. I did not dream that I'd be travelling behind floating mice carcases, but Athena is a raptor after all and she needs food. And I won't be traveling at night. I need my beauty sleep.
A Hoopoe sings close to my island. I wake up thinking of the tasty water plants I had seen in the evening. I also want to catch some of those absentminded fish. Just accross the river there is a kingfisher. He hunts like lightning. I sit just below him, and try to catch some the fish he damaged, but did not manage to eat. The Bega offered carps, catfish and lampreys this morning. After fishing, I spent the day watching the dragon flies, and grasshopers flying about. I love a cruncy snack! Cawlin spent his time with a friendly magpie. The big-beaked creature (remember, never call your friends names) wants to convince her to come to India. She answers diplomatically "How exciting! I'll come some day ... when I am a bit older". Penelope and Philip are fascinated by blue tits and grate tits and watch them catch the crawly creatures that eat leaves. I like the egrets and storks better. They catch frogs, which are a big, tasty treat. Then there are the swallows who appear to dive in the water, but, gracefully, barely touch its surface. I wonder if it's to drink beak-fulls of water or to catch bugs or both.
A hawk circles above. I go in the little room I made among the willow trees. He pounces! I hear Athena scream. I have never heard Athena scream before and let me tell you it was not a scream of amazement. He rips the thick curtain of branches and gets in. I rip some of his wing feathers and Cawlin hits him with his powerful beak. What a fight! Just as suddenly as he appeared he leaves to look for other prey that is too startled to fight back.
We'll leave for the Danube at dawn...
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