18 Years of American Dream

An uneven season to say the least. Some moderate injuries sidelined the buzzards, but all are in generally good shape. I have now safely flown Farrah and Cisco for a combined thirty seasons. BB I flew some this past season; he's now hanging out with Ismael Cano. James Major flew BB for most of this season, but Ismael will have him for most of the next year unless something changes.  Cisco in convertible mew/field jesses BB  Farrah in convertible jesses

Cisco didn't and because my video didn't work I was spared a lawsuit from The Beatles and the readers were spared hearing my singing. Cisco is doing better it appears..... two in a row, a big deal these days. https://youtu.be/vqpEZuv29qE

This weekend is Aesha's Bushy-tail Bash, held in Aldo, TX, on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan. I couldn't afford the time or airfare, so held my own meet. Attendance pathetic, but one of the Red-tails, a seasoned buzzard, caught a squirrel. It was his first since December 12 of last year and the 11th of this season. The Team Cisco take of this season stands at 57. Two Harris’s and a Red-tail. 

BB has gone to James Major for a while. He will spend most of the winter with James. BB left in good shape, and took a few small game birds while with me. Farrah caught two squirrels in the last week or so. She also earlier caught a couple of game birds. Cisco pulled out of a major slump, consisting of six or seven hunts without a squirrel. I don't remember any normal season streak like that. His performance this morning was stellar, catching his ninth squirrel. He was flying at 899 grams net, but it was warm, high 70s I'm guessing. This is the first hunt with his being at 900 this season. Mostly he's flown heavy, an ounce or two mostly. This morning I released him, he found a squirrel, and pursued. Twice the squirrel bailed into some nasty ground vines and escaped. Cisco twice dove after it, and was thwarted. A miss in that vegetation meant escape. But Cisco caught the squirrel high in a nearby tree and parachuted down. Arnold helped too. This was an excellent performance ...

Cisco's sixth this season. He acted different today. Wandered around until he got the perfect shot. He's an ounce high. Body weight 938, well more than an ounce over his theoretical 900 gram flying weight.

I've been taking BB and Farrah out, flying serially, and they have caught a few small game birds. BB caught today, while Farrah managed a grasshopper. Cisco has been catching squirrels, taking his fifth yesterday. The last two outings he was well overweight, and it's too warm. He still got the job done. BB on the lure this morning Cisco with the fourth squirrel 

I took out Cisco this morning not expecting much. He was 2/3 oz. heavy and it was warm, overcast, and muggy. He took his now practically obligatory attack on a fox squirrel that's resident there. He made it bail, then left it alone. A solid effort against a cat squirrel yielded better.