Yard Hawking . . . or Arctic Squirrel

Wisconsin currently is in the grip of an arctic blast! Let's see . . . checking my online weather site, it is currently . . . -8, with a windchill of -30. Well . . . it has warmed up a little! Was -11 this morning!

I had pretty much decided I was NOT going to hunt today. I would just give Nina the food I would have placed on the lure and let her eat. However, situations came into play that made me change my mind.

I have bird feeders outside. And right now, I try to keep them full, for the terrible cold and ice and snow on the ground, the birds need the food. Inevitably, I also attract squirrels. And I don't mind them too getting a little food, for my feeders are such that they can't destroy them in the process. However, today, I decided they would be facing a bit of danger for their audacity!

I went out and got Nina, and brought her in, and got her all ready. I too got ready. Then waited. In going out to get her I had scared the tree rats off. But, just give them time. They come back. After a bit of a wait, while I read a book, in full hunt gear, one did venture back to the feeder. Let's go!!

I donned my hat and gloves, got the bird, went out the door, removed her hood, then cooed at her like I do sometimes. Then quick, down the stairs . . . . flush squirrel . . . and off it goes . . . and off she goes!! It is really amazing that squirrels on the ground are as fast as they are . . . but they are quick! It rounded the corner of the house and she was in pursuit. I saw her arc up for the dive, but as I came around the corner saw her on the ground, and the squirrel making quick progress to the tree. OK . . . we know this game too! Nina would not come to the fist, but instead picked herself up and went for the tree. She perched rather low . . . but as I walked around the tree and moved the squirrel, she re-oriented that it was there. She then began to move up. And I moved around the tree . . . keeping that tree rat in her line of sight and focus. It wasn't long, maybe 2 to 3 minutes, maybe more . . . and Nina moved up real high in the tree . . . then made her dive down. Successfully!! However, she was caught in the crook of limbs in the tree. As she pecked at her prize, and rearranged her feet, after a bit she tumbled down. She didn't even use her wings to brace, but like in a cartoon, bounced and banged on several branches as she came to the ground. I moved in and grabbed her squirrel. But she already had a pretty good grip on it.

Now is where it all changes due to my location. I'm right at my house, right outside her mews. She isn't going anywhere with her squirrel . . . so I just picked her and it up, and put them into her weathering yard. I then went into the house . . . got a camera . . . and the game shears. A quick pic, and then make sure squirrel is dead . . . and halve it up for her. She had done well . . . and again, I wanted to not only reward her efforts, but also because it is just so COLD, let her have good moisture. I let her have the top half of the squirrel. Lots of very fresh moist meat. Lots of casting material. And a squirrel skull to work on, which is good for keeping her beak in condition. Here again, because I was at home, and didn't have to wait for her to finish eating, I just picked her up again, with her food, and put her into the new mews that was built on my property so I could hawk sit a friend's bird. Put her in there . . . and she can take all the time she wants to eat. I went inside . . . and got a shower!

That's one squirrel that will not be helping itself to any seed from my feeders anymore!