Slow down for sure. They are looking at it but then you have yanked it away.
The defensive thing is right. Protecting the area and they try to beat it and kill it with a body part. I get that feel alot, kind of feels like morse code. They are there just give them more time and do more short hops and see if that triggers a good bite after they try to kill it. You are trying to piss them off.
This a normal thing that happens during spawn. Keep at it.