Bling

Nina and I took a little road trip today. A quick one. We drove down to Prairie du Chien, crossed into Iowa, and met up with a man named Jon Stravers. Our meeting was to acquire some jewelry, some "bling" for Nina to wear the rest of her lifetime. I met Jon last year at an Audubon meeting. He conducts research on migratory birds, more specifically on red-shouldered hawks. At that time I got his contact information and asked if he would be willing to band Nina when it was time for me to release her. That is what we did today.

As you can see, the band is rather large, so it would not have been possible for her to wear it and her anklets and jesses. I took those off that leg to receive the band. I then took off the rest of her equipment for this picture. All that remains is her Federal marker, which will come off when I let her go.

I have this weekend off. It is to get into the 60s tomorrow. 50s on Sunday, with a possibility of rain. It is time! I've fed her up on almost all of the remaining meat I have left. Just a couple frozen bunny legs are left, and I'm sure I can find someone to give those to. She weighed in at 52 oz today. Thats 5 oz over hunt weight. Her keel is nice and fleshy. She'll get one last good feeding tomorrow as I'm letting her go. She's in her mews now cropping up on a leg.

The time comes for one more 'Goodbye'! I think I will go to Wildcat Mountain State Park. There are lots of woods there, with squirrels, and it is some distance from houses. I want her first couple nights out on her own to be away from people. That's as good a place as any. The warm day tomorrow should create thermals. It will be a good place and time to send her on her way.

She's been with me since the Fall of 2005. I've had to let go of a terrible number of things and people since that time. Sometimes, I still carry and mourn the wounds received over these last few years. At least this parting is mixed with some happiness. She's a good and strong hawk. She has hunted well. She has been telling me she wants to go. I am happy to give her this freedom. It is too late in the year to hope she could find a mate for this season. But spreading her wings and flying to some place new and setting up a territory is certainly something she can do. I hope to follow her in a year, when my own training is complete, to find some new 'territory' I can exclusively call my own, and to start a new life.

The hope is that the band will tell me her fate if she is ever trapped again, or later, upon her death. She is now permanently marked as Band #1207-85575. I hope if word ever does come, it is many years from now, and maybe many miles away. My best wishes will go with her!