hello tweets.

i just got back from tonight's last showing of the swedish (?)
film, kestrel's eye. as has always been apparent to me, birds
are just so inherently fascinating that all one has to do is
to simply WATCH them, and the story of their lives -- even just
a brief glimpse -- is spellbinding. there were a few parts that
were amusing to this human, particularly when the adult kestrels
"did the wild thang" on the roof of the church, and when the
young kestrels burped up remnants of their lunch so it fell out
the opening of their natal home, bouncing loudly off a drainpipe
before landing on the gravel below.

also fascinating were the close looks at the adult kestrels --
mostly the male -- as they hunted voles and other rodents in the
nearby pastures. they really hit the ground HARD when they dive
onto their prey!

the sound quality was absolutely amazing, full of birdsongs that
will keep you scratching your head as you try to identify the
singers. there was wonderful footage of other birds, too, especially
the great tits who almost entered the nesting chamber of the
kestrels, nesting swallows under the eaves of the church, and a few
other bird species that are less appreciated on this side of the
ocean.

there wasn't a word of dialogue, except from the unwitting human
characters in the film who entered the domain of the kestrels to bury
their dead, tend grave sites, or marry.

overall, it was a compelling story. i would recommend that you see
it before it leaves town!

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
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