The male had just left its post to go hunt. An osprey flew right by where the male had perched. There would have been an aerial chase had the male been around. Twenty minutes later the female flies off the nest and grabs a red-winged blackbird 200 yards away. I guess she couldn't wait for the male to bring back some din-din. Or she knew the red-winged blackbird would be an easy catch. I've watched them chase crows and miss.