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bike ride, ipod, and 2 kinds of wildlife

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Category: gardening among the rocks | Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:49 pm

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It's a glowing morning. To my right the dark outline of Mt. Rainier is backlit by the sun, which is enjoying playing with the tints in the few whispy clouds. The sun, clearly, is in no hurry to fully rise. As the Goo goo dolls fade in my ears, and my Shuffle chooses a more contemplative Nothing Compares by Third day, movement high in the trees draws my eye upwards. A large bird of some sort; it banks to the left a little, allowing the light to glint off the deep russet underneath. A redtail hawk, then. It's quickly joined by another, somewhat smaller hawk. What are they doing? Wrong time of year for breeding. As I'm watching them my bicycle tires slip off the road into the gravel. I correct myself; the hawks take no notice. I've slowed my pedaling a bit, but seem to be on the same trajectory as the hawks anyway. Suddenly something drops from the larger hawk. A mouse perhaps, or a vole, it's about that size. The bird swoops around to catch it, and angles toward the smaller bird. "There, son, see how that's done?" It demonstrates this move, clearly for the benefit of the other one. I make a note to myself, I must go look up redtail hawk breeding cycles to be sure of what I'm watching.
The hawks veer away from the road and off into the woods; I can't help but follow. I ride up a steep road that the horse-trailer-campers take to their designated campsite. I don't usually take this road, partly because I have to walk part of it (legs aren't that strong) and partly because, sadly, it really isn't safe anymore for a woman alone.
I reach the top of the road. There has been a logging operation at work here and beyond a thin, protective fringe, the hills are clear of trees for some distance. No sight of the hawks, but since my ipod has moved on to Selfish Man by Flogging Molly, the mood has changed anyway. There's a lone camper up here, an older fellow with no horse. But with a small travel trailer that he has seen fit to paint bright orange with black leopard spots. His barbecue shoots flames high above his head and the smell of slightly-burnt bacon greets my nose as I pedal quickly past him, sliding a bit in the loose gravel. My brakes give me a little grief as I ease my way back down the steep road up to the campsite, and my back tire tries to come up front to have a word with me about the abuse. If I keep up this nonsense, I will definitely have to remount my off-road, knobby tires. I somehow safely reach the bottom of the road and pedal back out of the forest as American Kryptonite by Five Iron Frenzy fuels my energy for the next leg of my bike ride. Mount Rainier is full illuminated now, the sun has made it's grand entrance, and I head for home and breakfast.


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toni wrote on Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:59 pm:

What a ride you took. I bet it was a parent Hawk teaching this years fledgling how things are done.

That is some playlist on the IPod, I have only heard of the GooGoo Dolls but not their music. Afraid I am more into Styx, Journey, Rod Stewart than the newer groups.

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glendann wrote on Mon Sep 08, 2008 5:02 pm:

Boy what a ride we took .I thought I was with you with that great narration.I hope you don't go into danderous territory often Critter.Remember right place at the wrong time .Once is all it takes.I probably would have followed too. :)

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eileen wrote on Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:56 pm:

I could see every detail of your bike ride and the antics of those hawks!! I even felt the gravel under my wheels!!
I would have followed too without a second thought just as you did Mary. It definately sounds like you saw a parent bird teaching a youngester what life is all about - how lucky you were to spot them.
I'm glad that both you and your bike made it back without any mishaps and I'm sure it's a day that will live on in your memory as something quite special for a long time to come.

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Droopy wrote on Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:15 pm:

Oh, my legs are aching! Wish I could have seen that hawk teaching the other one about hunting. Sounds like quite an experience.

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