Free Flight Part Deux

The days have gotten shorter since the time change. On my way home from work yesterday, I could feel it getting dark. I had prepared for this in getting everything together for my attempted free-flight. I had a new pair of field jesses that I cut earlier in the day ready to go. I put a phone call into my sponsor to tell him that I was going to make the attempt. I had mentally planned the steps I needed to take to get the bird out on the creance as quickly as possible. I even covered the rabbits just in case she got around to where she could see them. Everything was ready.

I got my gear on and had Musket weighed and ready to go. She weighed 41.6 oz, a full 5oz above her flight weight from last year, this worried me quite a bit. I thought… okay, I’ll try her on the creance for a few flights to see how responsive she is. Well, she was instant! I couldn’t get 10 feet from her without her going for me. So, my heart literally in my throat, I brought her back in the house and took off her mews jesses and put on her slitless field jesses.

Trying not to think about the freezer full of hawk food that would sit for months until I could trap again, or the rabbits that I’m breeding just for her, or the 10 months of training that I had put into my bird, I stepped out the door and turned her loose. She jumped down to her perch with such gusto that I was sure she knew that she was not tied. Undaunted, I held out my fist and she came before I blew the whistle. My mind went numb and my body filled with adrenaline. She came back! I did it again, mechanically, not breaking from our routine, and she dutifully came back to me from her perch every time. I took her to the mew and asked her to fly on top of it like we had done last year. She remembered that perch and hopped up to it. I held up my hand, wary about her being up higher and getting ideas into her head, and she took one look at me and came immediately. I was thrilled! I thought I’d try it again, just one more time. The day was getting late and I know that the birds have a tendency to want to go up and roost when the day is ending. I was afraid that she would decide to find a nice comfortable tree to spend the night in instead of coming back to me. When she went back up the second time, she did sit there for a few seconds, but just a few seconds. I held up my fist and she was busy looking around. I started to panic a little even though it was such a short amount of time, it seemed like she was realizing my fear. I blew the whistle hard and she looked at me, thought about it for a second, and then came to my glove! Ahh… sweet relief!

After that, I didn’t take any chances, the sun was setting and the shadows were past being long and starting to disappear. I flew her back and forth to her perch, having her fly to me at different directions and when I was moving. She came instantly every time! I finished it up with letting her have a Day-old Chick on the glove. She mantled over it and was very satisfied with herself. With a great sigh of relief, I brought her back into the house. I had flown my bird and she had come back to me, by her own free choice. Magic!

Video: Musket was drinking out of her water dish on and off for half an hour last night. She was pretty thirsty after our free flight!