RE: [Freeflight] Re: Winter time

["Bart Van Hoyweghen" <bart.van.hoyweghen@...>]

> Thanks for the info. I now feel more comfortable taking her out in
> low temperatures so I started taking her out for a walk early morning
> and evening again for 15-20'. It's dark and she is on the leash
> standing on my shoulder so it does not quite make-up for flying but
> at least it gives her a contact with the outside work.=20

I would never take a bird outside when it is still dark. Unlike dogs and
cats, these are prey animals who are active during daylight. I can't imagin=
e
a bird would enjoy this.

> Weather
> permitting I will try to let her fly during the WE. The bit that
> still concerns me about letting her free fly in these temperatures is
> what mentionning:
> "If she feels cold, she will want to come back inside or find a
> place to roost and fluff up her feathers"
> What is she gets up a tree and just seats there being cold ?

I fly my birds outside in very cold weather (not this year, because of
government regulations). The only thing I look at how the weather will be
during the night. I try to avoid flying outdoor when temperatures below 0=
=B0C
are predicted during the night.

My birds did fly outside in the snow. This worried me a bit because the
environment did look completely different, but my birds did not care. And
the snow was melting.

Normally your bird will learn very fast that going outside is fun, but only
for a very short time. And coming back to you is rewarded with going back
indoor where it is warm.

> Or what, if she flies away and get lost ? - she did that for the 1st
> time early Nov while we were on vacation away from home, i.e. in area
> she did not know at all. One day she passed over a line of trees and
> disappeared, it took us 3 hours to find her back. When we did she had
> been caught (and was standing on a concrete floor with a basket over
> her. It was OK because it was still 10-12 degr. C at the time but
> what if something like that happened now ?

Again this gives me the impression you threat your bird like a dog, and not
like bird should be treated.

My birds are very experienced outdoor flyers. But up to now I did not fly
them in strange places. I'm pretty sure they are able to do this. But wha=
t
will happen with a hawk attack? At home, I'm pretty sure my birds stand a
big chance of outflying the hawk, they have an airspace over several
kilometres to manoeuvre without getting lost. They are with 2 (twice the
eyes, recalling each other,...)

What if something else scares them in a strange place.

But I was never willing to take the risk to fly them outdoor in strange
places. They go with the family on holidays, but they don't fly!

And if I understand correctly, you fly a single bird outdoor.

I would not dare to do the things you do: Not with only one bird, not with
the proper preparation to fly in a strange place.

Bart