First flight

[sourland]

Well, fun in the sun may be over. Lost a bird to a hawk early last week and penned the birds up until Sat. Flew Sat. and Sun. with no problems. Today suffered another hawk attack and birds are still coming in. I'm betting I lost at least one today. Didn't want to lock down yet, but I may have to. It was a great two months of free lofting. Just like it used to be prior to the passage of the Migratory Bird Act.

 

[laughingdog]

Quote:
what was i missing about the migratory bird act? also feel bad got some performing rollers from a dealer, that did little backflips when first put in cage and fed, for what seemed like the first meal they had in a weeks, that they attacked my hands, when moments before they were smashing around terrified of me. i havent even been able to fly them, as neighbors apparently had fit about the one tippler high fier/ racer. or whatever the stealth plain of birds it seems to be, that was taking out and releasing to speed back to loft. so now i have to keep them caged. i feel ashamed and like cruel to them, but they were kept in low roller cages, so not seeming to want to get out, but slowly able to do more than extend wings only less than half way. luckily my hopefully soon move to more pet friendly, and less drunk friendly apartments, area, city and state, were cops hopefully dont think ok to shoot other's animals (TN is really a crapper of a state in general anyway outside sevier county, church im in, and cool BYCers).

also the awsome rollers of my neighbor, were killed, well the female anyway a far as i know right now, as they were apparently eating a dead oppossum (id seen them either at it or the bugs probably on /in it), they were at for about a week, when the female was hit by a car.. such a waste, as right before that he had to get rid of his chickns thank god! though the huge pen wasnt wanted that bad after that apparently to let them finally raise some babies after so long of the hens eating the eggs, so now the beautiful talented babies i could get from them is ruined! why do people even want to keep something they dont care enough to take care of? though if i gave him an extra female homer, would they possibly produce decent rollers and pretty like red daddy, even with plain blue bar mom?

 

[sourland]

Well, started flying birds again this week. Something has been changed in my "flying environment". During the Oct. snowstorm part of the big maple in the front yard came down on the house. We had that tree and the other tree in front of the house taken down. The birds no longer have to bank 4 or 5 times to gain access to the loft. So far the resident redtail has tried them once each day helping with their education. Yesterday a sharpshin gave a try and today a Coopers busted the flock. So far the birds are winning. Hoping for a good year of flying. I'm overdue. Also a pair of crows and 3 of last years young have taken up residence on the back of the property. If they nest here they will give added protection. Haven't had a family of crows nesting here since West Nile wiped them out 7 or 8 years ago.

 

[sourland]

Coopers took 2 today. The redtail gave a good try, but the crows mobbed him and forced him away. I will not fly the rollers tomorrow. I'll just try the crossbreds. They are older, stronger, and more hawk savvy.

 

[gunnarwordon]

do you have any pictures?
I want to see them in action.......
good luck tomorrow!

 

[laughingdog]

hawk today tried to take one of my young fledgling squeakers, thatve been flying around the balcony, but apparently just took off or hid somewere, and havent come back yet. the father went and hid by the new two chicks, and the mamma flew off hoping with young fliers, but she came back alone.. now we are getting a bad storm, and before that, a huge loud plane was flying really low over my place! theyre probly never finding their way home if still alive. the rollers all were terrified, and apparently now my female "hawk hunter" has learned to fear them after the vulture attack when the fledlings were chicks and she chased the raptors away as well as before ever nesting even.

darn if that hawk wasnt a perfect sharp shinned speciman though!