Wow. To think that I considered not bringing my bird on this trip. We woke up a bit early again today to get some flying time in before family time. No skiing today, the kids were all worn out. The plan was for pizza and a movie later on and maybe some paintball if the troops could rally.
That left Rebel and I the morning. Laura decided to come with us for this one. It was pretty out with clear skies and much warmer temperatures than the teens we had been out in the last few days. The snow was rapidly melting though and the trails were all pretty muddy. I have to say I was regretting the loss of the snow. I loved how I could spot tracks of earthbound activity and even keep tabs on running squirrels while watching them knock snow off of branches in their flight.
Rebel was still on the lower side at 41.4 ounces despite being inside and eating pretty well the last few days. She was definitely eager to fly. We headed up to the top of the mountain with dogs in tow. As we crested the first rise, little Holly the toy poodle / mini schnauzer mix came up with a gift. She had found a rabbit leg in the snow! Fortunately Rebel had not seen it so I quickly stowed it to use later in training the dogs a bit. Wouldn’t you know that my inside dog finds the rabbit scent… oh well, Addie just needs more training =).
Apparently the theft of that leg did not go unnoticed by the locals. A very angry haggard RT came in on us screaming at Rebel as she flew back up to us from down the mountain. Her cry ripped through the silence around us, putting everyone on alert. It sounded more dinosaur than RT at first. Interestingly, Rebel did not fly after her to challenge. She simply sat her perch about thirty feet or so away from the hag and watched. She did try her version of that cry but it was again Mike Tyson-esque and pitiful. Poor bird.
The hag left us and we resumed the hunt. I was really hoping to get another rabbit flush. I knew they were here given that we had found a head yesterday and a leg today. At the op of the mountain, I headed off into the briars to try for a flush. This was a bit much for Laura who volunteered to take the little dog back to the house by way of the trail. Rebel saw something and took a few dives along the ground after what I was hoping was a rabbit. I was running up the mountain now to give chase, as fast as my wheezing lungs and aching legs (skiing remember?) would allow. I never saw the rabbit but Rebel was watching keenly.
The hag left us and we resumed the hunt. I was really hoping to get another rabbit flush. I knew they were here given that we had found a head yesterday and a leg today. At the op of the mountain, I headed off into the briars to try for a flush. This was a bit much for Laura who volunteered to take the little dog back to the house by way of the trail. Rebel saw something and took a few dives along the ground after what I was hoping was a rabbit. I was running up the mountain now to give chase, as fast as my wheezing lungs and aching legs (skiing remember?) would allow. I never saw the rabbit but Rebel was watching keenly.
I sat quietly and waited and watched with hope. Rebel seemed to lose interest and launched herself up and into a thermal. She was soaring around when out from the left came the hag. They did a few cool aerial displays that would have made the Blue Angels proud and then she came back to perch besides me. They never locked up and there was no further screaming that I could hear. It was more like they were sizing each other up and deciding that maybe there was room in that valley for the two of them after all.
I made my way down the mountain with Rebel reluctantly following. She was lagging way behind and I was pretty sure that even if I did manage to kick up a rabbit, she would be in no position to see it. When she once again took off like a shot down the mountain, I was on her tail. She had spied a squirrel and he ran up a tree frightening the three other squirrels in the tree there. Wow. I am not sure how we missed all of these on the way up, but I was happy. Rebel however, was not sure which target to dive upon. She solved this by choosing none and flying away to a distant vantage to make a plan. She finally picked the squirrel she wanted and set in. She chased him through a couple of trees and the squirrel ran to ground. For the second time this week, Rebel caught that squirrel in the snow.
Like a surgeon, Rebel had one foot around the head with one talon in the ear and the squirrel was dead almost instantly without any assistance from me. She is definitely more lethal now as her experience mounts. The trade off was easy and we headed for home. She was lagging again behind so I went to my sister’s house and called her to the lure. I loved seeing her bomb down the mountain in almost free fall with her wings tucked in close almost like a harrier jet. She hit the lure hard and set in.
I do love watching this bird fly.
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