New Bird Tricks

Things are humming along with the birds - I keep learning new stuff and getting to do more! Yay! It is so fun and exciting. Last Saturday I had the Harris' Hawk fly from down the yard toward me and then land on my hand, three times! It is so exhilarating (and a little scary) to have this massive bird flying straight at you! You stand sideways with your left arm outstretched in front of you, thumb and fingers making a perch at about eye-level. Then, as he gets close, he dips down toward the ground then rises up to land on your hand. I can't really describe it, it is just so darn cool.


The other thing I started doing is releasing the Peregrine Falcon at the beginning of her routine. You walk to the back of the yard with her on your glove, then let her go when you get the thumbs up from the keeper. The coolest part is she is wearing a hood - a falconry device that blocks out some of the stimulation to keep them calm. A falcon in a hood is totally medieval looking. She tracks left and right like a typewriting while wearing the hood. When I get the green light, I reach up and remove her hood and, bam, off she goes! This isn't my falcon, or a particularly good photo, but it'll give you the idea: