I walked out to the mews that day with a tidbit on my glove. The moult was almost over and Bird really needed his food to ensure good feather growth. One last Primary to go. As I walked up, I watched the top perch. No bird appeared. I looked up inside, and he was not on the mid level perch. I know I did not see him on the lowest levels. I nervously opened the mew door and stepped in. Nothing. I was just about to panic, when I happened to glance into the corner. Staring back at me was a pair of big brown eyes. (I almost expected them to bat like a cute little child...) They were mantling over a small grey squirrel. It had squezzed through the bars and been killed by the bird, who was in the process of stripping the fur off of the tail. I let him crop up...
Episode 2: The Rabbits are Running.
I stepped out of the car into the warm early-fall air. The leaves were not yet off the trees. Reaching into the car, I opened the box and the bird stepped dutifully onto the glove. Casting him into the tree, I began casing the field. He gained higher and higher perches. I made my way further and further into the field. Fairly quickly I heard bells and looked up. Quickly I heard a russle in the bushes nearby. Aquila flew overhead looking for the world like a jessed Harrier. I thrashed at the bush as best I could to unnerve its occupant into moving, but no beans. Nothing happened as he turned away and flew across a small road into the trees across the street. (this was a mistake BTW, last season by the end, he would have been right back where he started). I pushed forward again, and soon saw another bit of grass twitch. "ho! Ho! Ho!" The bird started out again but soon lost his quarry. He alighted again in good position. At this point, I was thinking that perha!
ps I had
flushed a very good old rabbit and would never catch him. Stopping at the right place is always a good way to loose a pursuer. Finally he took off agian, powering in over my head and into the brush. The last few seconds were obscured by a stand of small sumac. By the looks of it, he smashed right through the cover straight on top of an immature, lame rabbit. So I was wrong... I let him crop up, then traded him off for a bit of chicken.
Episode 3: Bigger and Better.
Total Time Elapsed: One Hour.
I drove the truck, so I had to reach up into the box to get my bird. Again I cast him into the wind. (I shouldn't have gone out today, it was a tad too windy) He rose and alighted in an immature syccamore. I broke into the cover and began beating around the brush. A few tussocs of grass twitched under the guidance of a mid length stick. Soon, the bird again took to the air. I barely heard the bells, and I lost him for the first few seconds of the flight. By the time I found him again, he was about ten feet away, upside down, wings swept back, two feet from the top of the brush. SMASH! he crushed the grass, but no dice. In a few moments, he came back up again. I worked my way around the grass until it happened again. Bird took off and hovered for a moment, harrier style, he flew overhead. Then perched, wheeled about and took off again. Straight down into the brush and WAAAAAA! He got it. It was an underdeveloped buck, a rabbit of the year, and was still fight!
ing when
I got there. Hats off to one valiant young rabbit...
There you go. My first three... well, two, kills...
