Frightful's been at it again! New COOL sighting, post 191
- Thread starter wegotchickens
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #142
OK, dinner has been eaten and leftovers put away (whew).
Frightful was mostly quiet in the car, except for a few minutes when she tried really hard to work her way out of the box.
The rain paused and it was barely barely sprinkling as we released her. The rain came back heavy about 15 minutes later.
When I opened the box to take her out she met me claws out and wrapped her feet around my heavily gloved hands. To get her wings, I had to push against her legs (she's strong now!) and get her wings pressed against her. I carefully lifted her out but she was upside down when she was finally out. I lifted her up and she looked around for a split second. Then I could feel something change inside her. I slowly moved my fingers away from her wings and she vaulted herself out of my hands!
She clearly knew exactly where she was, and booked over the trees in a beeline to the exact spot where I got her, and where I'd seen the male Red-Tail. No hesitation, no pause for the photographers.
Look at the expression on her face:
Breezing past the neighbors house:
Hubby calls this "The Money Shot"
And a couple of her enthusiastically flying away:
Frightful was mostly quiet in the car, except for a few minutes when she tried really hard to work her way out of the box.
The rain paused and it was barely barely sprinkling as we released her. The rain came back heavy about 15 minutes later.
When I opened the box to take her out she met me claws out and wrapped her feet around my heavily gloved hands. To get her wings, I had to push against her legs (she's strong now!) and get her wings pressed against her. I carefully lifted her out but she was upside down when she was finally out. I lifted her up and she looked around for a split second. Then I could feel something change inside her. I slowly moved my fingers away from her wings and she vaulted herself out of my hands!
She clearly knew exactly where she was, and booked over the trees in a beeline to the exact spot where I got her, and where I'd seen the male Red-Tail. No hesitation, no pause for the photographers.
Look at the expression on her face:
Breezing past the neighbors house:
Hubby calls this "The Money Shot"
And a couple of her enthusiastically flying away:
Last edited:
That is beautiful. Incredible story and incredible pictures.
Go have a happy life Frightful!
Go have a happy life Frightful!
- Thread starter
- #144
Quote:
I probably would've cried, but the adrenaline was FIERCE and my heart was fluttering as fast as her wigs were beating, I think. I did get teary-eyed later, and will probably cry tonight. I'm still on a natural high (LOL).
I never saw Romeo today, but I think we'll go for a drive and look for them tomorrow.
And I'll be watching for them every day on my way to and from work. I will certainly let you know when I see them.
Funny thing: My top roo was crowing his heart out as we were releasing her, and its a sound I'm sure she's heard many times. I wonder if that helped her understand where she was? He's the reason she's never had a clear shot at the girls. He's a very watchful roo and his girls obey when he sounds a warning.
The reason they don't band the rehab birds is that they aren't likely to be recaptured for study. The banding folks apparently have their hands full with the songbirds and such that are banded and tallied repeatedly. So they'd rather not band birds we're hoping to never see again in captivity.
On a side note, a trio of Ospreys were raised and released, and the folks responsible for their release insisted on banding. Years later, a man from Spain was in South America at a market, and saw a banded bird hanging dead in stall, for sale as someone's dinner. He wrote down the # from the band and later on he contacted the US Consulate to tell what he'd seen. The info got back to the raptor center (they banded it). They were sorry it met a bad end, but also excited. Because it proved a captive-raised bird had gone on to migrate and live successfully for over 4 years.
I probably would've cried, but the adrenaline was FIERCE and my heart was fluttering as fast as her wigs were beating, I think. I did get teary-eyed later, and will probably cry tonight. I'm still on a natural high (LOL).
I never saw Romeo today, but I think we'll go for a drive and look for them tomorrow.
And I'll be watching for them every day on my way to and from work. I will certainly let you know when I see them.
Funny thing: My top roo was crowing his heart out as we were releasing her, and its a sound I'm sure she's heard many times. I wonder if that helped her understand where she was? He's the reason she's never had a clear shot at the girls. He's a very watchful roo and his girls obey when he sounds a warning.
The reason they don't band the rehab birds is that they aren't likely to be recaptured for study. The banding folks apparently have their hands full with the songbirds and such that are banded and tallied repeatedly. So they'd rather not band birds we're hoping to never see again in captivity.
On a side note, a trio of Ospreys were raised and released, and the folks responsible for their release insisted on banding. Years later, a man from Spain was in South America at a market, and saw a banded bird hanging dead in stall, for sale as someone's dinner. He wrote down the # from the band and later on he contacted the US Consulate to tell what he'd seen. The info got back to the raptor center (they banded it). They were sorry it met a bad end, but also excited. Because it proved a captive-raised bird had gone on to migrate and live successfully for over 4 years.
Shes beautiful! And yes! The look on her face in that pic said it all! I'm so happy for her..
I hope you see her and Romeo someday...
I hope you see her and Romeo someday...
This has been such a wonderful story!
I heard a hawk screeching in our big cotton wood today and thought of Frightful!
Such a happy ending!
that is just fantastic! any chance of get those pictures any larger? she is such an awesome girl!
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