I know that I said that I was likely at this point to cut back on comments and videos due to the fact that not much new would be happening until he began to learn the use of his wings, and I began training. Well today was a bit different in that I do have some different stuff to share.
This is basically his forth day of actually doing more than sleeping in the window. He did very little flying yesterday, but today he has expanded his horizons a bit. Not much but a big step in ability and confidence for the boy.
His biggest improvement is his reentry into the house, which is the most important part of his learning to date. I still want to establish his feedings on a lure, but that seems to be a lot more possible now. The important thing is that he learn how to get back in the house, and where he needs to be. Today he got a little carried away with his flying and playing and stayed out a lot longer than I would have preferred for his lunch. When he did realize that he was starving, he wasted little time getting to where the food was. His manners are baby terrible, but that will improve with time. The main thing was to get a regular schedule established so that we both know what to expect. I am sure that sooner or later he will spend the night out, but the later the better.
He has established his schedule as follows. Breakfast first thing in the morning, usually consisting of half a Quail of which he will eat about 1/5th to a 1/4 of it. I then take him outside into the new morning sunshine, set him on the Hot tub to do as he wishes. He will flit around here and there with periods of sitting and watching. Work his way towards the dining room window about noon, come to either me or the window, get lunch which consists of the rest of the first half. Walk inside the house to the window, lay down and nap for a couple of hours. About 2 or 3 PM go back outside and fly and play some more until about 6 or 7 PM, come back for the rest of his food, and then take up his perch inside the dining room window till dark. At twilight he gets tied to his perch for the rest of the night.
I am sure that I mentioned that he likes to be with us, but I am not sure that I have conveyed just how much it helps his state of mind and satisfaction with his world. I am a bit surprised to note that he wants to be in the house quite a bit. He so far has wanted to be outside for about half of the day. The rest he sleeps, and he prefers to do that in the house or on one of the window ledges. When he gets bored, he will start fussing. If I offer him the glove, he will run over to my fist and start biting and talking, then after a short time, he stops, climbs on the glove and settles down in contentment. I can then put him back on his perch and he will be content for quite a long period of time. He thinks nothing of being on the glove and is quite happy to be there and go where ever I go. Boredom is the worst sort of damage that you can inflict on your raptor. They cannot see any reason that they should not get what they want- NOW!
When he had not come in at 1 PM today, I went outside and found him on the roof of the weathering area. He was looking towards me and the house, but he wasn't making any move to come. I went inside and got some food and the lure. I first tried the lure, but right at the moment he is keyed to the glove. I held up my fist and he soon launched off and flew to it talking for all he was worth. It was obvious that I should have looked for him earlier rather than waiting for him. No real harm, I stuck him in the window to finish his meal. When he was done, he went inside to lay down and nap.
He slept until about 3 PM. He jumped to the dining room table and I went to him, offered the fist which he accepted, and I took him back out to the hot tub. I thought that he might like another bath, but he flew over to that window ledge and took another nap.
After about an hour he again began flying around. He flew more today than he ever has. He flew around until about 7 PM then landed on the fifth wheel. I offered him my fist but my head was bigger, so he landed there. I brought him in and gave him a new quail half to work on.
https://vimeo.com/171350224 password- owyheeflyer
No comments:
Post a Comment