Flight Club Fly Days in Tacoma!

[ravvlet]

I didn’t get many photos, but we took the kids and Kirby to Flight Club Foundation’s Fly Day! It’s fully indoors (in a gymnasium) and parrots are welcome to sit, socialize, or fly!

Our oldest made best friends with Sunny, a male eclectus, although I think her favorites were Debbie’s green wing and blue and gold macaws, Ollie and…well, I forgot the blue’s name, oops.

Kirby met a DYH who was so calm! Kirby on the other hand was dancing back and forth across his perch, whistling and chatting. He doesn’t fly and didn’t seem interested, but he did get to meet lots of new people and birds.

Birds who show up are required to have bloodwork done and vet records prior to coming, so it’s a nice and fairly safe way to let him get out of the house and meet other parrots.

This is me in my patent-pending “birds can poop on this” sweatshirt, lol!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I didn’t get many photos, but we took the kids and Kirby to Flight Club Foundation’s Fly Day! It’s fully indoors (in a gymnasium) and parrots are welcome to sit, socialize, or fly!

Our oldest made best friends with Sunny, a male eclectus, although I think her favorites were Debbie’s green wing and blue and gold macaws, Ollie and…well, I forgot the blue’s name, oops.

Kirby met a DYH who was so calm! Kirby on the other hand was dancing back and forth across his perch, whistling and chatting. He doesn’t fly and didn’t seem interested, but he did get to meet lots of new people and birds.

Birds who show up are required to have bloodwork done and vet records prior to coming, so it’s a nice and fairly safe way to let him get out of the house and meet other parrots.

View attachment 48676
View attachment 48677

This is me in my patent-pending “birds can poop on this” sweatshirt, lol!

Wow! A meet-and-greet just for parrots! What will they think of next!

 

[ravvlet]

Wow! A meet-and-greet just for parrots! What will they think of next!

It’s really fun. I came last time without a bird as they require you visit at least once before bringing a bird, and we got to say hi and handle the friendly parrots. Mali loves holding the big guys.

 

[Cottonoid]

That is so cool!!! Opie would be in heaven learning all the new calls

Kirby looks so cute there

 

[Bluberrytheparakeet]

That sounds like fun for me!! Parrots everywhere!

 

[texsize]

I like the idea but…..
I think I would end up with a bird perched up high and out of reach.
I would be overjoyed to visit.

 

[SailBoat]

I like the idea but…..
I think I would end up with a bird perched up high and out of reach.
I would be overjoyed to visit.

It is important to own a super squirter and a very long handed fish net. Years of practice with Bird Fairs. Seems like someones parrot would get out and find the highest place to sit and people watch.

 

[ravvlet]

I like the idea but…..
I think I would end up with a bird perched up high and out of reach.
I would be overjoyed to visit.

Yeah, the only person whose birds were really flying was Debbie, and hers are trained to recall really well. She even has them trained to recall to strangers etc. (those were the birds sitting on me, haha)

 

[ravvlet]

She’s been doing them for years, so I assume she has some kind of trick for convincing reluctant birdies out of the rafters. I think it helps that the indoor space doesn’t have air currents and lift like the outdoors, so inexperienced fliers would have a more difficult time getting higher.

However, I’m also certain the facility has several really tall ladders…

 

[SailBoat]

Yeah, the only person whose birds were really flying was Debbie, and hers are trained to recall really well. She even has them trained to recall to strangers etc. (those were the birds sitting on me, haha)

By the way love your sweatshirt as it is a very important part of having Parrot /Parrots on oneself!!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It is important to own a super squirter and a very long handed fish net. Years of practice with Bird Fairs. Seems like someones parrot would get out and find the highest place to sit and people watch.

When one of my Budgies flew out the door a few years ago we saw her perched on a branch about 25 feet high. We took a pressurized water tank and shot he out of the tree with the water. She got soaked and fluttered to the ground. She couldnt fly because she was so wet so she took off running into the woods. I ran after her, stumbling over fallen logs and forest floor brush wearing shorts, getting lots of cuts and bruises in the process. I finally grabbed her and she bit the web of skin between my thumb and forefinger so hard I had to pry her beak open to get her to let go as I stuffed her back in her cage. It want a good experience for anyone! So bring a water tank when. Your birds decides their favorite new perch is way too high for human comfort, or give their wings a light trim so they can't get that much lift. I'm not talking about a disabling mutilation of their beautiful wings- just a trim. Either that or never give your flying friend the opportunity to fly too high.

 

[texsize]

We have a vaulted ceiling and a duster on a long pole.
Normally all I have to do is move it a little and the birds know they have to go back.
In the beginning I got a lot of exercise chasing them around, mostly they know it’s just a matter of time and bow to the inevitable.

 

[StormyPica]

When one of my Budgies flew out the door a few years ago we saw her perched on a branch about 25 feet high. We took a pressurized water tank and shot he out of the tree with the water. She got soaked and fluttered to the ground. She couldnt fly because she was so wet so she took off running into the woods. I ran after her, stumbling over fallen logs and forest floor brush wearing shorts, getting lots of cuts and bruises in the process. I finally grabbed her and she bit the web of skin between my thumb and forefinger so hard I had to pry her beak open to get her to let go as I stuffed her back in her cage. It want a good experience for anyone! So bring a water tank when. Your birds decides their favorite new perch is way too high for human comfort, or give their wings a light trim so they can't get that much lift. I'm not talking about a disabling mutilation of their beautiful wings- just a trim. Either that or never give your flying friend the opportunity to fly too high.

Stormy got out once. The booger flew into the nearest tree and sang his little heart out. All my birds are recall trained, especially descent trained, and he seemed like he was about to come down, but a larger bird scared him and he flew away. Thankfully, after about 4 days of travelling, he flew down to some people at a trailer park in my area. He went to a foster home, and when I went to get him, he lit up. He sang the whole way home. I'm glad I didn't loose him, and I think the reason he was OK was because he was descent trained and desensitized to the outdoors to a good extent.

Moral of the story, recall train your birds (especially the cheeky boogers). And desensitize them. And teach them how to calm themselves down quickly.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Stormy got out once. The booger flew into the nearest tree and sang his little heart out. All my birds are recall trained, especially descent trained, and he seemed like he was about to come down, but a larger bird scared him and he flew away. Thankfully, after about 4 days of travelling, he flew down to some people at a trailer park in my area. He went to a foster home, and when I went to get him, he lit up. He sang the whole way home. I'm glad I didn't loose him, and I think the reason he was OK was because he was descent trained and desensitized to the outdoors to a good extent.

Moral of the story, recall train your birds (especially the cheeky boogers). And desensitize them. And teach them how to calm themselves down quickly.

My escapee budgie was not tame at all so recall training wasn't an option, and isn't an option for most untamed birds. What I didn't mention is that her "boyfriend" cagemate also flew away that day and we never saw him again. I walked around my property and the neighboring properties (I live in "the woods") for days hoping to spot him with no luck. He wasn't tame either. Their escapes, while accidental, was my fault for not being more careful while cleaning their cage and I was very upset and I Clcried for days.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

We have a vaulted ceiling and a duster on a long pole.
Normally all I have to do is move it a little and the birds know they have to go back.
In the beginning I got a lot of exercise chasing them around, mostly they know it’s just a matter of time and bow to the inevitable.

I have done the same but with untamed budgies it's exhausting for all to chase them around until they come down because they're tired out.

 

[ravvlet]

Tuesday fly day! Not as many folks this time as it was during work hours, so a bit more of a relaxed vibe. The kids and I had an indoor picnic while Kirby chatted to himself and the other birds goofed around. We had a male and female ekkie, a calico macaw, a green wing macaw, a blue and gold macaw, a yellow nape Amazon, a sulfur crested too, and I think that’s it? I feel like I’m missing a bird here but I’m not sure!

April 22 is the next fly day, and we are planning on bringing a floor mat with lots of toys and a floor/tabletop playstand to see if he’d be interested in playing and walking around. It’s nice to have such a huge space to hang with him in.

 

[ravvlet]

It’s fly day again tomorrow! I’m packing up the car now with all sorts of extra goodies. I’ll try to get more photos of other folks’ birds too this time!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

It’s fly day again tomorrow! I’m packing up the car now with all sorts of extra goodies. I’ll try to get more photos of other folks’ birds too this time!

This is such a wonderful thing to have- like an indoor dog park just for birds! How do they clean the gym afterwards? I imagine there must be bird poop all over the place. Are there bleachers to clean or are they stored away somewhere?

 

[ravvlet]

This is such a wonderful thing to have- like an indoor dog park just for birds! How do they clean the gym afterwards? I imagine there must be bird poop all over the place. Are there bleachers to clean or are they stored away somewhere?

Baby wipes, lol. There aren’t as many birds as you’re thinking - usually five to ten birds. Most of them don’t do a lot of flying, they just sit around and shout at each other. It’s like a brunch date if everyone was screaming.

Most folks have floor or tabletop stands and put paper under them.

 

[Niteldy]

We have a vaulted ceiling and a duster on a long pole.
Normally all I have to do is move it a little and the birds know they have to go back.
In the beginning I got a lot of exercise chasing them around, mostly they know it’s just a matter of time and bow to the inevitable.

They are not bowing to the inevitable- They are laughing and conniving with each other to see you run and dance about trying to catch them- Its that game "your It" lol
I hope you know I am joking with you- I am sleep deprived right now- feeding every 2 and 3 hours- UGH and I saw this post and couldnt resist- I have bird mentality right now! ROTFL