3:30
Athena has been attacked by a grey squirrel. And now she's been missing for 4 days. And even though kestrels are feisty birds of prey, and they've been at this nest for 5 years, holding on to it is never easy. So, I'm going to see what led to this brutal attack. And it all started with Athena guarding the nest. But as soon as she leaves, rivals move in. Ever persistent jackdaws and determined grey squirrels. The squirrels waste no time and transforming it into a nest of their own. And now that they've claimed it, they're not giving it up without a fight. That evening, Athena's sent flying. And the next day, the jackdaws are sent packing.
And a few days later, the vicious ambush itself. I want to show you this attack. It's absolutely incredible. We've got Athena coming in here. And there's an actual grey squirrel up here on the branch. And just watch this. As soon as Athena lands, that squirrel is coming. Look at it in midair, flying through the air straight to Athena. And then this is the shocking bit. The squirrel's going straight in there and biting onto her leg. Now, these squirrels have got really powerful jaws and long teeth. And Athena's flying up in the air now. And that squirrel's got a hold of her there. Look, grabbing onto her leg. So, this squirrel is much heavier and more powerful than Athena. And it's got a hold of her leg. And she's managed to escape there.
And the squirrel is straight away turning, ready to go on the offensive again. And this illustrates absolutely perfectly why I'm not a fan of gray squirrels. These are a non-native species, and they're not supposed to be here. It seems the squirrels have won the battle for Ash Hollow. This is a worrying development. So, Athena usually roosts here in Ash Hollow every night. But I'm getting really concerned cuz I haven't seen her now for 4 days. So, I'm just checking through the cameras. Haven't seen her on any of the cameras. So, I'm going to have to make a trip up to Ash Hollow tomorrow and see if I can find her. And sets off to search.
The squirrels remain firmly established inside, but the jackdaws start gathering in numbers. One thing is certain, the battle for Ash Hollow is far from over. But just as I was losing hope of ever seeing Athena again, some good news. Oh, this is great. She's actually back, and Apollo's there with And then both heading inside. This pair survived no end of trials and tribulations, and it's great to see them back together at Loch Arder. It's so good to see her back at the nest.
