Kyleigh's First Big Girl Flight....!

[StephenAndKyleigh]

Al-riiiight *creeper voice*

Stephen, you should free fly Kyleigh in the gym they said...
If she gets stuck in rafters, she will come done within an hour they said..
It'll be just fine they said...

6 hours of waiting..

Kyleigh came down.

She was never panicked at all, which is good. She preened herself, fluffed up, and even went to sleep.

I had a surprise dinner at 6...that I obviously didnt know about. Buuuuut, at 5:30 this little lady was still playing tag with the dust bunnies in the rafters. My wife told me about the dinner at 5:45, so we went to the dinner after locking up the school. As soon as I came back and yelled her name, she tried coming down but got frightened...Then she tried again...and Finally on that third time, she decided to come down to me...

Scary? Yes. But awesome. I will definitely be doing this more, and I am sure she will learn.

Caption
*No large macaws were harmed during the making of this movie. Just testing of anxiety*

[ame="https://youtu.be/sdnpaiRlYng"]Kyleigh's First Big Girl Flight - YouTube[/ame]

 

[JerseyWendy]

OH MY GOSH, Stephen!!! Those had to have been THE longest 6 hours of your life. Absolutely LOVED the video, LOVED watching Kyleigh fly so beautifully, but I know I would have called the Fire Department in sheer panic after few hours, HAHAHAHAH!!! You have nerves of steel, my friend.

PS. Were you able to enjoy dinner at all????

 

[Captsteve]

Awesome!!! I would love to get my Macs to free fly like that.

 

[Anansi]

It's amazing that you have access to such a wide open space for her to fly! (Working in a school has its perks, eh?)

Beautiful video, Stephen. You're doing a wonderful job with Kyleigh.

 

[ToMang07]

(Probably programmed, since I have a chewy-Too) but I would have been totally freaked that she would have chewed or touched some(thing) electrical.

Other than that, cool video!

 

[Allee]

Stephen, Thank You! Kyleigh's Big Girl Flight video is breathtaking! Absolutely beautiful!

It's so nice that Kyleigh has the opportunity to fly in the gym. Great progress with your girl.

 

[Birdman666]

If it makes you feel any better...

I went through the exact same scenario with Sweepea on the top of a three story building where I couldn't reach her even with a ladder...

And there were a couple of times where I had to hop in the car and follow her, because off she went when she wasn't supposed to!

And I once had to climb about a fifty foot tree because Sally was stuck in the top of it, after being on the losing end of a dogfight with some crows... she climbed up into the branches at the top of the tree and was not coming out for anything. I had to go up and get her...

So at least you were inside where you knew where she was, and knew you could recover her, eventually... but when you move outside?! Not so much.

So yeah, recall... not an exact science. Not for the timid. If it sounds like I'm trying to scare you... you're right.

Not something I recommend anymore, simply because it's too easy to lose your bird. And most folks aren't prepared for the challenges involved in the training.

I don't freefly mine anymore.

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

Well, as a lot of people on here know.. I have an anxiety disorder...So, it would make sense for this to run me wild...But for some reason, I was as calm mannered as I ever have been. I knew 2 things...She was safe.That was my main concern. All of the electrical is covered in the gym, and she wasn't showing an interest any beaking anything. Secondly, she responded to me every time I called her. "KYLEIGH!"...followed by a loud squawk or a grunt. Something that let me know I had her attention. Once she began showing signs of rest and relaxation, I was good to go!

I am glad yall enjoyed!

 

[RavensGryf]

That's a great advantage you have, being able to use the school gym. Nice big area to learn, yet she can't get lost. Still I can imagine how nervewracking it must have been! So I guess you were late to dinner lol.

 

[DexMom]

I got a little teary eyed at the end when she flew to you. I'm sappy like that.

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

That's a great advantage you have, being able to use the school gym. Nice big area to learn, yet she can't get lost. Still I can imagine how nervewracking it must have been! So I guess you were late to dinner lol.

I've got permission to fly my birds there anytime. You definitely need to make the trip to Dallas and fly with me!

And yes, I felt bad because one of my best that I hadnt seen in a while sat at the restaurant while I waited for my bird lol

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

I got a little teary eyed at the end when she flew to you. I'm sappy like that.

So did I when it happened lol

 

[Birdman666]

If she's anything like Sweepea she was very relieved to be down - Sweepea was VERY clingy after that little episode.

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

I think Kyleigh would do it again to be honest. I think she enjoyed it. We are going to go to a different gym that is smaller and doesn't have rafters, but she can still fly around. Then work our way up.

 

[Birdman666]

I think Kyleigh would do it again to be honest. I think she enjoyed it. We are going to go to a different gym that is smaller and doesn't have rafters, but she can still fly around. Then work our way up.

You're very lucky to have the gym to work with her in. I didn't have anything like that.

 

[GreatBlue320]

Kyleigh is so very lucky to have a safe place to spread her beautiful wings and fly! Thanks for sharing her flight video - I loved it.

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

It will definitely be a blessing to me and Kyleigh. Mark, this means you have to come to Dallas, sir.

 

[Mariar]

What a wonderful video!! Like everyone else, I am also envious of your gym access.

 

[Dinosrawr]

Oh my goodness, that video is amazing! I love watching birds fly. It's just breath taking. And kudos to you for staying perfectly calm! I love all of your posts about Kyleigh... B&G's are a dream bird of mine, and seeing your relationship with her progress so wonderfully is pretty inspiring for me. [emoji4]

Also, this post made me realize that as a teacher, as soon as I have a contract and get in the good books with the secretaries, I can start doing this too! I'm excited [emoji16]

 

[StephenAndKyleigh]

Oh my goodness, that video is amazing! I love watching birds fly. It's just breath taking. And kudos to you for staying perfectly calm! I love all of your posts about Kyleigh... B&G's are a dream bird of mine, and seeing your relationship with her progress so wonderfully is pretty inspiring for me. [emoji4]

Also, this post made me realize that as a teacher, as soon as I have a contract and get in the good books with the secretaries, I can start doing this too! I'm excited [emoji16]

I sincerely appreciate that!