Rosie's first flight outside *pics*

[Featheredsamurai]

Last week I took Rosie out in her harness with a 100" light rope securely tide to the end of her lead, my end was securely tied to a heavy duty stainless steal quick link that I attach to my belt. I was really supervises that she flew to me, and landed in the grass rather then keep trying to fly straight. Indoors she lands on me but I figured it was easy since the walls forced her to stay in close quarters. Outside in a field with distractions. a breeze, and wild birds I expected her to do what many pet birds do and just fly. I'm really happy to have this bond with her.


This pic is from her last flight of her first day, it looks like it will be a perfect landing but she actually gets swooped up by some wind and goes 40ft up.

Flying high right after the above shot, luckily she knows how to fly down and landed in the grass.

Here's the only video I managed to get, Sadly it was her worst flight. Her first two flights she flew past me like in the video but loops back around to land on me. In her fourth flight(pics above) she gets carried by the wind and lands in the grass. In the third flight that I recorded she is clearly tired and lands in the grass. This was her first time landing on grass and she clearly wasn't expecting it to be so deep, combine this with getting tired and we have a very sad pathetic landing.

She got breaks between each flight and was never forced to fly, I call her and she comes when she's ready.

[ame="http://youtu.be/qph6QtIhH04"]Rosie Flying outside/slow motion - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Featheredsamurai]

The second time I took her out, about a week later so she doesn't get muscle aches, I went alone which I've found doesn't work. She still doesn't have the strength to make flying fun, so it's just work. She flew a little around me but no further then 5 ft because she comes straight back. These short flights are just her getting surprised by something.

Here's one pic I managed to get.

Most of this day We just stood around, after a while I sat down and I examined how she responded to her surroundings. It kinda scares me that she has so little fear of snakes and other birds(such as crows and vultures). I may try to introduce her to one of my friends hawks or falcons to see if she reacts fearfully, better to find out in a safe environment with a restrained bird than a free flying wild bird of prey.

She preferred perching on my hand or knee rather then stand in the grass lol

 

[Eloy]

Don't mind...

 

[melissasparrots]

Great shots and it looks like she is enjoying life. Definitely keep the leash well away from trees, power poles and really everything else. If she gets snagged up in a big tree, she could be in big time trouble. If your friend keeps his hawks at hunting weight, I'd keep your little pink bird far away. For the hawk's sake if nothing else. Nothing worse that seeing a mouthwatering desert that is almost within your grasp but you can never have.

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Very beautiful. Regarding not having any fear, fear is a learned response and since she wasn't raised in the wild she did not have her flock mates teach her what to be afraid of. Right now the fear she may have is just a basic fear of the unknown. If she ever sees a hawk scoop up another bird then she may have an idea to be afraid of a hawk.

 

[MacawGuy]

ytea that great that you do that...i want to try that one day... but kinda scared to at the same time

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Great shots and it looks like she is enjoying life. Definitely keep the leash well away from trees, power poles and really everything else. If she gets snagged up in a big tree, she could be in big time trouble. If your friend keeps his hawks at hunting weight, I'd keep your little pink bird far away. For the hawk's sake if nothing else. Nothing worse that seeing a mouthwatering desert that is almost within your grasp but you can never have.

I'm flying her out in a very large open field at a park well away from those, over 200ft away .Only a idiot would do otherwise lol.

I'm still going to introduce her to them at some point, I feel it's important and I know the danger. And the birds aren't used for hunting so I'm not sure if they are as lean, they are used for abating and are fed quail.

Very beautiful. Regarding not having any fear, fear is a learned response and since she wasn't raised in the wild she did not have her flock mates teach her what to be afraid of. Right now the fear she may have is just a basic fear of the unknown. If she ever sees a hawk scoop up another bird then she may have an idea to be afraid of a hawk.

I always thought it was hard wired into their brain, most parrots I know freak if they see a wild bird soaring above them and if they see a snake call loudly in fear.

 

[GadgetGirl]

My Galah has an instinct about snakes and Hawks. I was happily sitting on the grass with her one day, watching her dig holes when she was suddenly spooked, looking to the sky and running towards me for protection.

When I looked up there was a tiny speck of a Hawk above.

Watch your bird and learn her reactions. If she has no fear right now of snakes or hawks, I would say don't introduce her to your friends bird. If she's that young she might try to make friends which would be worse than her fear kicking in.

At 24, Rascal's instinct kicked in and she flew away from a snake. We got her when she was 12 weeks old - no learned behaviour there.

 

[Mudkips]

I love seeing this kind of stuff - Just beautiful!
I think the rope is weighing her down a bit when it's dragging on the grass and making it a little harder to do her normal flight. Are you planning on free flying without the rope in the future?

 

[Shelbyrenee1329]

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!

 

[coral3]

Lovely photos.

My princess parrot was always frightened of hoses & belts...both snake-shaped, so I think there must be some degree of natural fear instincts, for snakes anyway(?)

 

[Thingamagigs]

Snakes, monitors and hawks are their only predators. And I would assume they would all be buried deep in instinct. However cockatoos are not flighty birds what so ever and are bold even in the wild. My little wild mate is a good indicator of that

Your bird is GORGEOUS and your photos are stunning! Where did you get such a long lead? I would love to do similar! Does it have elastic so it doesn't rip the bird back suddenly?

 

[Aims]

Beautiful photo's, It looks like she is having a great time.