I'm disappointed

[DRC458]

You're a good man DRC458.

Aarond

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Aw, shucks. Thanks, man. Seriously, I don't necessarily care much about birds unless they're on my plate or I'm shooting at them. Until it comes to birds of prey. They've always kinda' fascinated and intrigued me. If I were a younger man, I might just get into falconry. I've watched the demonstrations from Royal Gauntlet Birds of Prey several times, and never get tired of it.

UPDATE: Adults are still showing up to feed it and it seems to be getting stronger. Spending more time on its feet, it's doing a better job of standing, and we see it spreading those wings fairly frequently. I'm hoping one of these days (SOON!) I get to watch it fly off. Mother Nature is obviously fully in charge, but I'm OK with that. I can still cheer for the underdog!


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[bigred1]

I'm totally engrossed in this story. I wish there was some way you could post a short video of it flapping it's wings and taking flight for the first time. I'm like you birds of prey are beautiful. To me that would be cool. GLWB (Bird)

 

[DRC458]

I'm totally engrossed in this story. I wish there was some way you could post a short video of it flapping it's wings and taking flight for the first time. I'm like you birds of prey are beautiful. To me that would be cool. GLWB (Bird)

Thanks. Me too. I can watch from inside the front door ... no problem, IF I'm not standing right at the door. As soon as I step outside, the adult(s) fly off and all activity stops. Maybe I'll get lucky soon.


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[Gunbuffer]

Let us know how it tastes.

Like California condor

 

[DRC458]

OK. I've never posted a video before, but I'm gonna' try. May need some help here. I've got it uploaded to youtube.



And, there have been some more/major developments since this. (If it works)
I'll expound later.

 

[xseler]

Good job on the video! Worked just fine.

 

[RickN]

Wild Heart feeds theirs mice and cut up chicken gizzards covered with bone meal and vitahawk powder. So if you want to put out some food maybe chicken gizzards with some bone meal if you can find it.

 

[dennishoddy]

Video worked for me as well. I kept waiting on a cat or something to come into the pic causing max carnage or something.

 

[DRC458]

I'll fill in the blanks tomorrow but, short story is, the bird is now in the hands of a rehabilitator. Things changed dramatically after I posted the video. Just coincidence, but the bird got more active - I think in part it was trying to get away from some noisy neighborhood kids - and I wound up delivering it to a rehabilitator about 8:30 this evening. The bird is well, but we didn't get to let things play out the way we had hoped. C'est la vie.


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[DRC458]

I'm having phone/camera/computer issues this morning. I can see all the pics & videos I shot on my phone, but not on my computer, so I haven't been able to upload any more to you tube. In the last couple of days, I started getting a
"DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION" error message now and then, so that may be part of it. I need to look into that.

ANYWAY ... the bird. The critter managed to hobble full circle around the base of the tree yesterday afternoon. Our next door neighbors have three little boys, probably about 4- thru 8-years-old. Good kids, but they're kids. They were playing in the sprinkler in their front yard late yesterday, whooping and hollering as kids will. The bird had been sitting at the base of the tree, and he started making his way away from the tree and toward our driveway. I thought maybe it had spotted a bug and was trying to get to it. My wife said she'd bet it was trying to get away from the noisy kids. When it got to the concrete, I got between it and my truck and tried to 'usher' it back toward the tree. I did NOT want it getting under my pick-up. Instead of trying to get away from me, the thing actually came toward me. I stayed between it and my truck, and I'll be durned if it didn't come straight to me and sit down between my feet! Couldn't believe it, and the wife said she wouldn't have either if she hadn't been right there watching. At that point, I had her get me some leather gloves and I picked the tike up and put him back at the base of the tree. I called the rehabilitator back and told her what was going on. She asked if I could possibly get it on a limb in the tree. She said, 'if he can stay in the tree, let's leave him there. If he falls out again, I'll take him.' So, we got a step stool and I put him on a limb about 7 or 8 feet off the ground. He stayed there for about two hours, then fell out again. So, I called her back and delivered the bird to her. I hope it's not THE End, but it's at least the end of my involvement. Now, I gotta' get some yard work done that I've been putting off because of our 'guest.'


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