Rigel is Flying Free Too!
In the last couple weeks I have been working with my little kestrel, mostly indoors. But sometimes I'll take him outside and 'relay' him back and forth with whatever assistant I can find to help me. Usually it's my husband. But finally I took the risk, and cut him loose. He just continued to fly like he was still tethered. He doesn't want to let me out of his sight . . . because now he's conditioned to think of me as his source of food. That might be a problem as I need to get him more focused on hunting, and not getting tidbits from me.
The other day I flew him free around the yard, casting him off my hand so he was forced to fly, or take a perch somewhere, and then calling him to the fist a short time and distance later. I realized sometime later too that I was guilty of torturing my redtail while I was doing this. I was calling Rigel to the fist with my whistle, the same one I use for Pente. I had walked around my yard, and had walked in front of her mews, although some distance from it. She could see me calling the little bird to me . . . but as far as she was concerned, I was calling her . . . and she couldn't get out of the mews to get to me. She was throwing herself up against the wall, and generally having quite a fit. I'll make sure to not do that again! Rigel practically doesn't need a whistle call anyway. He's always watching my hand to see if I'm offering food.
I took him to work today, and we walked around the plant during my morning break, and at lunch. We have house sparrows in the bushes by my plant. We tried for them a couple times, and I did flush them for Rigel a few times. But he either is just not hungry enough to try for them, or possibly, he doesn't know that he can take winged quarry. I might have to set up a situation to prove otherwise to him. However, it was a nice, clear blue sky day. It was a nice walk, and even more enjoyable to have this kestrel flying around me, moving from perch to perch. Such a wonderful hobby! I'm so happy I found it . . . and found people to train me in the proper practice of it.
The other day I flew him free around the yard, casting him off my hand so he was forced to fly, or take a perch somewhere, and then calling him to the fist a short time and distance later. I realized sometime later too that I was guilty of torturing my redtail while I was doing this. I was calling Rigel to the fist with my whistle, the same one I use for Pente. I had walked around my yard, and had walked in front of her mews, although some distance from it. She could see me calling the little bird to me . . . but as far as she was concerned, I was calling her . . . and she couldn't get out of the mews to get to me. She was throwing herself up against the wall, and generally having quite a fit. I'll make sure to not do that again! Rigel practically doesn't need a whistle call anyway. He's always watching my hand to see if I'm offering food.
I took him to work today, and we walked around the plant during my morning break, and at lunch. We have house sparrows in the bushes by my plant. We tried for them a couple times, and I did flush them for Rigel a few times. But he either is just not hungry enough to try for them, or possibly, he doesn't know that he can take winged quarry. I might have to set up a situation to prove otherwise to him. However, it was a nice, clear blue sky day. It was a nice walk, and even more enjoyable to have this kestrel flying around me, moving from perch to perch. Such a wonderful hobby! I'm so happy I found it . . . and found people to train me in the proper practice of it.
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