Winter hits and bonding ramps up

Mating has started a week earlier than last year and we have noticed quite a bit of pair-bonding and scraping activity as well as a couple of prey items being brought as early courtship gifts.

Here Diamond seems a bit more interested in selecting some nice, small pebbles for her crop than bonding! The pebbles help with digestion and to scour out fat – they come out again with the regurgitated pellets).