It appears that Lee is developing a bit of a following, so while nothing of real reportable significance has occurred, neither has anything bad. He is beginning to venture out a bit more, and as far as I can tell he is staying on the property. One of the difficulties in pinpointing his location is the location of his transmitter. Since it is on his neck, when he lays down, he lays on the antenna wire. If it happens to be on something metal the signal is almost gone. Yesterday I was convinced that the transmitter had stopped since I could not get a signal in any direction. That particular transmitter is good for about 39 miles. (Checked while on my plane. ) Just in case, I walked around the place to make sure that he wasn't here. I got a very faint signal on the other side of the hangar. I could just barely hear a beep over the static. I checked in a circle to pinpoint the direction. As I turned around I could see him lying on a metal oil barrel. Once he stood up the signal came booming in. The clutter of Barrels on the West side of the Hangar has now become his go to spot.
When I get up in the morning he is ready to get picked up and go outside. Jumping up and down as a matter of fact. I had been feeding him a bit in the mornings, but he never seemed to eat much of anything, so I have stopped that. He wants to go out and explore and will come in after an hour or to to get a snack.
Yesterday I picked him up and walked out to see how the day was developing. He stayed with me for quite a while. After a bit he started indicating that he had some place to go. Not wanting him to get the idea that he could just fly off my fist, I put him down on the Hot Tub, and started to walk away. He made a straffing run on a Jack by one of the Rock Jacks. The Jack had been looking the other way. When Lee flew over him at a height of about 2 inches, the Jack jumped straight up in the air doing a flip and landing on his feet, then off like a very very "scared Rabbit".
His flights are getting a bit longer every day. I noticed him flying out to the Hack tower yesterday. There are interesting little flights and chases, but being able to record them is almost impossible except by the luckiest of circumstances.
He still has no real appetite, at least what I would prefer anyway. Food is the key to raptor training. The problem is that when he gets hot, he comes to the porch so that we will let him in the house where it is cool. He will lay on the inside window ledge and sleep until evening. How can you call something that comes in before you can call him? As the day moves into evening he starts coming in closer. I have found it quite surprising that he is not more difficult to pick up in the evenings.
I have been giving him a lure in the evenings with a leg of Quail on it. He nibbles on that, perhaps eating the thigh, then walking off. What I want him to do is eat the leg, then look to me for the rest of his food. Normally a raptor would be looking for more food, he doesn't seem to care. If I offer him my fist with the rest of his Quail on it, he will pull on it, but not step up on the fist. I have tried for three days or more to pick him up with more food. Finally last night I kept the food in my pocket and just watched him. He decided that my foot might have interest, and walked over to that. I let him alone for a bit, then wiggled a finger of the glove at him. He walked over and jumped on the fist. Then I gave him the rest of it. As I have said over and over the lesson given to me by my old Grandmother, " the more you chase, the faster they run". Of course the subject was girls rather than hawks, but it appears to hold true there as well.
He just plain likes the glove, and has more attachment to it than I would have ever thought. He likes to sit there, and of course I spend each evening after feeding him, holding him on the fist and watching the evening turn to night.
Today was Chicken day, and I spent the entire morning killing and plucking Chickens. I finally finished about noon. My back was complaining, so I went inside to rest my eyes a bit. I went outside to see where he was, and found him sitting on the pop can in the shade under the porch. I set him on the ledge and opened the window for him. I gave him a bit of Quail to snack on.
He generally then takes a nap on the ledge until about 5 PM, then go back out for the rest of the afternoon.
https://vimeo.com/173132773 password owyheeflyer
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