Some Days . . .
. . . Just Don't Go The Way You Want Them Too!
Training progresses for Abby. Her weight comes steadily down, and her behavior becomes more calm, more behaved. There are still many things she must learn. I am working on 'wedding' her to the lure. She's starting to take interest, but it needs reinforcing. She also has not flown the full creance yet. Her weight is down to 2 lbs. 9.6 oz (41.6 oz), and I believe she can still go a little lower. Her response is not immediate, so that is an indication that we still have some work to do. She also still has not learned to sit calmly in the weathering yard. She just bates and bates when out there. It's good if I want her to burn calories, but I don't like that she becomes rather frantic if left out for any length of time. Time, and exposure should get her through this.
Now . . . back to the topic!
Last Sunday I was invited for a hawking outing. The day turned out to be rather warm, compared to what we've been experiencing. And this probably contributed to what usually is pretty embarrasing, and frustrating about flying an independent creature like a hawk. One of the birds, when released, promptly went up to the tippy tops of the trees, and decided she liked it there so much, she stayed up for several hours. She did move a few times, but mostly just sat, and enjoyed the fresh air, and preened, and completely ignored her falconer who tried very hard to get her to come down. Finally, in the late evening, she decided she'd had enough freedom, and much to his relief, returned to be put in her giant hood, and to be taken home. Such times can be very scary. I must never forget that working with such aloof animals, that no matter how long you've associated with them, they can fool you, and leave you standing empty-handed.
The day was not a complete waste. It was a pleasantly mild day. There was visiting with friends, and I did show off Abby's creance work. And a little hawking was possible before it got dark. But the bunnies were safe that day!
Training progresses for Abby. Her weight comes steadily down, and her behavior becomes more calm, more behaved. There are still many things she must learn. I am working on 'wedding' her to the lure. She's starting to take interest, but it needs reinforcing. She also has not flown the full creance yet. Her weight is down to 2 lbs. 9.6 oz (41.6 oz), and I believe she can still go a little lower. Her response is not immediate, so that is an indication that we still have some work to do. She also still has not learned to sit calmly in the weathering yard. She just bates and bates when out there. It's good if I want her to burn calories, but I don't like that she becomes rather frantic if left out for any length of time. Time, and exposure should get her through this.
Now . . . back to the topic!
Last Sunday I was invited for a hawking outing. The day turned out to be rather warm, compared to what we've been experiencing. And this probably contributed to what usually is pretty embarrasing, and frustrating about flying an independent creature like a hawk. One of the birds, when released, promptly went up to the tippy tops of the trees, and decided she liked it there so much, she stayed up for several hours. She did move a few times, but mostly just sat, and enjoyed the fresh air, and preened, and completely ignored her falconer who tried very hard to get her to come down. Finally, in the late evening, she decided she'd had enough freedom, and much to his relief, returned to be put in her giant hood, and to be taken home. Such times can be very scary. I must never forget that working with such aloof animals, that no matter how long you've associated with them, they can fool you, and leave you standing empty-handed.
The day was not a complete waste. It was a pleasantly mild day. There was visiting with friends, and I did show off Abby's creance work. And a little hawking was possible before it got dark. But the bunnies were safe that day!
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