[Comm] Nesting

The islands were flush with new life, every little corner and inch bursting with it. Birds sang in the trees as they called for a mate, and some weaved nests carefully out of sticks and feathers and mud to hold their eggs safely. Larger, predatory birds reunited with their lifelong mates, carefully adding to the nests they built while smaller songbirds hopped from mate to mate as quick as the wind.

While dinosaurs were relatives of birds, most did not take after their descendants in terms of courtship. They had many other ways, after all. However, one of ones who did happened to be the one that resembled birds the most on the islands- the raptors. 

A courtship was in progress- a male, dark and glossy as polished wood and a grey female with a white star on her chest and rippling stripes across her body. The male, Timber, was putting on his best show. Letting out loud barks he spread his tan wings, showing off his healthy feathers to the interested female. Requiem eyed the male curiously and let out a soft hiss of approval and interest in order to egg the male on.

Timber took the encouragement well, moving closer to the grey female as he continued his dance, feathers poofed out to make him appear larger as he got closer. Dipping his head down, Timber picked up the offering he had used to lure the female to the clearing- a dead hare, fresh and plump. Carefully walking over, Timber stretched out his neck and offered the hare while making a soft cooing sound. This was the last part of the courtship- if she accepted, they would pair.

Requiem considered for a moment, still, before letting out a coo of her own and reaching out to gently take the hare from Timber’s snout. Timber barked as she took the hare from him, pleased with his courtship success. However. There was still more for them to do.

Requiem quickly consumed the meal in a single bite, reaching forward to nuzzle against Timber again before taking off in a quick trot. Timber followed at her heels, more than happy to leave this part to her to decide. It was time for them to seek out a nesting grounds, and the grey female clearly already had an idea in mind. 

They walked for around an hour, walking deeper and deeper into the thick forest. Eventually they had to start climbing over and around more and more obstacles, but Timber couldn't help but approve- the thicker the foliage, the safer the eggs and their offspring would be. 

Soon, they came across what seemed to be Requiems chosen nesting site. A small creek ran past their feet, just barely shallow enough to drink but not deep enough to be a threat to all but the youngest of hatchlings. A pile of fallen trees had long ago formed some kind of den, and Requiem was quick to crawl into one. A growl rang out as something burst out of the den, a raccoon running for their life and quickly vanishing into the forest with an angry chitter. Requiem snorted, poking her head out of the den before exiting from the den again, grabbing a pile of nearby sticks in her mouth. 

Timber quickly sprang into action, darting forward to scoop up a smooth rock in his mouth and another in his claws before following his mate into the den. Requiem had placed the bundle of twigs by the side of the den, and Timber dropped his stones there too. The inside of the den was cozy albeit a little cramped. The grey female was starting to scrape at the ground in the center of the den, using her long claws in order to dig into the ground and scoop up loose soil. Timber quickly joined her, and together they pulled and tugged at the ground. Thankfully the soil was lose, and it did not take them long to scrape out the basic form of a nest. Together they packed the soil firm, making a rim that would help keep heat trapped in the nest and stop eggs from rolling out of the shallow scoop in the ground. 

Requiem tilted her head at Timber, grabbing one of the stones he brought and pressing it into the soil around the nest. The others followed, and then the sticks, forming a kind of shield around the nest. However, much more was still needed. And a sacrifice was needed. The grey female tilted her head down, yanking at her soft chest feathers with her teeth and ripping out a chunk of them and pressing them into the nest in order to form the softness that their eggs would lie on. Wincing, Timber followed before dropping his own feathers into the nest. What they offered was far from enough, but well. It was a start. Timber made a mental note to hunt down birds tomorrow to feed his new mate- they needed more feathers if he didn't want her to pick them both bald before their offspring were even born!

Letting out a soft crooning sound, Requiem cleared the ground around the nest. The nest was large enough for both of them to curl into, albeit a tight fit. A deeper groove in the center of the nest was for their eggs, in order to prevent them from rolling out of the nest. Around this deeper section of the nest, twigs and rocks had been placed as a safety net. Carefully the female settled into the nest, sending an adoring look to where their eggs would soon be. Timber slowly settled in after her, gently reaching out and letting out a questioning croon. Requiem cooed in approval and the two began to groom each other as they settled down for the moment. The eggs would come eventually, and they would have to work soon to get the nest and den fully ready. But for now, it was time to rest and bond.