And time goes on.

It took Goblin 4 days to get brave enough to eat from the glove. I had to coax him by shoving a piece of meat in his mouth. It was fun watching his reaction to the meat hanging out of there. I could see his little tounge lightly touch the meat and then his eyes got wide as he realized what it was and he snapped it up. Then he gently reached down and eventually convinced himself that he wanted the food on the glove. The next day he was a little hesitant, but he took the food with no coaxing and the day after that he eagerly went for the food.

It took me two more days to convince him that he need to step to the glove now to take his food, but he did it! Yesterday, I got him to hop to my glove from this perch you see in the picture. He was entirely focus on the food, it was amazing. That first leap was hard, and the next two or three were similarily difficult, but I think after building his confidence (and stomach) for a few days of these excercises, I'll be ready to move him to the mew (hawk cage) for his next phase of training.

I love watching his progress as he learns that I'm not going to kill him, and now I'm feeding him. How confusing that must be for a solitary hunter. Now when I look in at him in the hawk box, he starts to smack his lips (as much as a bird can) in anticipation of feeding. He is also starting to settle down, and does not jump off my fist as much (though he still takes the leap whenever the mood strikes). But those moods are becoming less and less frequent. He's starting to feel like a falconry bird and less like a wild beastie. Now that he's letting me do things with him and I'm starting to settle into a familiar routine, it's hard to not call him Musket. He looks so much like her but in miniature. I still miss that bird.

Wish me luck as we move on the the next phase. Soon I'll be asking him to come to my fist in the hawk cage, which should be interesting...