| 26 October 2010
You've been "footed" when a bird grabs you with it's talons and won't let go. It's no big deal if it's from a small song bird. It's quite different when it's from a hawk, falcon, or eagle. Feet, not beaks, are the business end of raptors.
Getting footed by a small Sharp Shinned hawk or Kestrel is tolerable, although the tip of my middle finger still tingles from a lightning quick Sharpie back in August. A bigger male Cooper's Hawk will test your pain threshold, and an even larger female can make you beg. My only female Coop footing this year was a lucky (for me) shot through the front and back of the meaty part of my thumb. She was the tenderizer and I was the cheap cut of beef - her talons went in and out so cleanly that the wicked pain never came. The worst part was figuring out how to hold her free foot in my already impaled left hand so I could pry her off with my right. I've never had a big Red Tail get a solid lock, and can't imagine being inattentive enough to EVER get it from an eagle.
Does this have anything to do with insoles? Yes indeed, because my feet have been very happy throughout this year's raptor migration. First, the back story...
For 30 years Hawkwatch International has been collecting migration data in the Goshute section of the Toano Mountains in eastern Nevada, one of the primary raptor flyways in the US. The Goshutes run north and south along the southwest side of the Great Salt Lake. Hawks wont fly over large bodies of water due to the lack of helpful rising thermals, so south bound migrants are forced to detour around the lake until they encounter lift friendly conditions produced by a mountain range. All these birds being funneled towards the same spot results in a literal river of raptors flowing over the Goshute ridges each fall.
Volunteering on this project means steep hiking with heavy packs and treacherously sharp, rocky conditions underfoot. Boots and feet get worked and abused. When a bird flies into a net you don't stroll out to get it - you sprint! Heavy boots offer nice protection from the knife edged shale, but they don't have the "nimbleness" to quickly negotiate all the trap lines that spiderweb out from the blind. It sucks to catch your foot on a line and plant your face and palms into the rocks. I love my burley, stiff Asolos, but prefer a lighter military issue desert boot in the Goshutes. They're roomy and adequately rugged, yet still nimble and springy. Unfortunately, the insoles are pure cheese. So out with the cheddar, and in with a pair of Blueprint 3.0.
The 3.0 features an extra thick layer of shock absorbing Poron that adds a super cushy feel underfoot - perfect for long hours of pounding on a big bird day. The enhanced arch creates just enough contact to keep my feet stable beneath a heavy pack, but without feeling over supportive and annoying. Plus, the soft leather of the boots stretched just a tad more than I expected and the extra thickness of the 3.0 nicely snugs the fit. I like 'em!
Voila - a transition from raptor footing to human footing in just a few short paragraphs.
There are a multitude of organizations that focus on conserving wildlife and the outdoors. I strongly urge you to affiliate with one by donating your money and/or time. It can make a difference - to wildlife and to you. Do it!
Here are three to consider if raptors are your thing:
Hawkwatch International www.hawkwatch.org
Raptor Inventory Nest Survey www.rins.org
The Peregrine Fund www.peregrinefund.org
About the closeup shot of the banded Cooper's Hawk foot: Scott Sady is a photo journalist from the Tahoe area. He visited the Goshute site last year and posted a nice blog entry with stunning pics at: www.http://tahoelight.com/blog/2009/09/hawk-migration-and-banding-in-eastern-nevada-with-hawkwatchorg/
