I stayed at the scope watching her because I didn't want to miss her departure. At 8:07, she did something I thought was really interesting. When she first comes to the opening, she generally seems sleepy and is probably letting her eyes get used to the light. As sunset approaches, she seems to become more alert, looking all around. Sometimes, something catches her attention and she stares fixedly at whatever she sees. Since I'm behind the "blind", I can't usually see what she's interested in, but last night she stared straight ahead for only a moment before straightening herself up, erecting her little ear tufts until she looked impossibly thin, then she ducked back into the box. A second later I heard the obnoxious screeches of the resident Scrub Jays who were now just above her box. I grabbed the tennis balls and prepared to hurl them at the jays, but something else got their attention and they left the yard. I could see just the top of Olive's head and her eyes looking at me, so I went back to the scope. At 8:10 she was back in the opening and at 8:12 she flew, taking an immediate left turn to fly out toward our street, the opposite direction from which she had seen the jays fly. Smart little cookie, that Olive!
