Lucsian : 613 Grams

8/31/09 : 613 Grams

Activity :
6:24 PM 613 Grams

Fed 23 grams to 636 grams.

Luscian spent most of the day on the perch in the house while Bonnie took me to Mount Princeton Hot Springs for my Birthday. Wow was that an experience ill never forget.

So when we where driving into town I could see that it had rained like hell so I was eager to get out and do some flights for our first outdoor session.

I could hear thunder but the clouds looked as though they where going to go another direction. I had gotten Luscian to jump to the fist 3 times before we started to get sprinkled on. The first 3 jumps where at 10 feet and He instantly went back to the perch to be served again. Well we got a good 6-7 more flights and all the sudden HAIL started falling on us. Luscian didnt like the idea too much and I think it was the lesser of two evils as I got him to the fist and ran for the Door! We watched as the rain and Hail fell for a good 10 minutes before I put him up on the perch to finish the storm. After the storm ended I decided that I have never worn a hat around Luscian and he really needs to know who I am while I have one on so the hat on head we went back outside to do some more flights. Well I only got about 5 more, a couple of them instant but the last 2 he came to the fist but wouldnt take the food from the glove. He was confused as to who I was, this freaky looking dude with a Hat on. Well concitering I wear a hat almost 99 percent of the time durring the hunting season I better make sure that on all of our trainings I am wearing it. As a Harris he should be able to be cool either way but durring the first part of his life with me we will work on the side of caution.

Lucsian : 607 Grams

8/30/09 : 607 Grams

Activity :
7:29 AM 623 Grams
3:50 PM 607 Grams

Fed 44 Grams up to 651grams
Washed Jack Rabbit.


This little harris took as long as a good redtail would to jump to the fist. I would expect that. What I didn't expect was for this little guy to go from 2 feet to almost 15 feet within two days with instant Flash Gordon responce by the second day of jumping to the fist. He was very interested and quickly figured out my requirement that he jump back to his perch before I got more food out. The food for today was washed jack rabbit. I just about washed the color out of the meat.

We also spent a few hours outside today. He was a little fidgity for a bit but settled down nicely. He really enjoys being in the sun and bates less outside when he is in it.

Lucsian : 622 Grams

8/29/09 : 622 Grams

Activity :
2:43 PM 626 Grams
6:48 PM 622 Grams

Fed 10 grams up to 632 grams

The day started off pretty good. First thing out of the giant hood was some touch therapy making sure to get all the spots where I would come in contact tith luscian durring the back pack instalation. Everything went smoothly as I took my time to make sure it was a perfect fit. All in all it took 45 minutes. He preened quite a bit afterwards with the occasional tug at the ribbon. By he end of the day he didn't care at all and payed no attention to the forign object hugging his body.


We did make some ground today in the hopping to the fist subject. I waited till about seven and washed some quail. Put up all but 10 grams in the freezer and went to see if luscian would work today. He got his one freebee at the fist but once I put him back to the bow I wanted a hop or no food. It took him a good 10 seconds but the desire for food was too much and he hopped. From there I had about 7 more pieces and he hopped almost instantly for each piece. All hops where from 1-2 feet. Tomorrow I'll try the first piece or two from that same distance but after that we will double the distance as needs fit.

Really is nice to have him hopping now. All I have to do now is get a little more weight off him and we will be in buisness.

Lucsian : 640 Grams

8/28/09 : 640 Grams

Activity :
6:13 PM 640 Grams

After luscians meal yesterday he really is in no hunger today to do what we need to progress. I gave him one chance to hop to the fist and he wouldn't do it. So we won't eat today.

Shortly after I pulled him from the Giant Hood and struck his hood he casted a nice little bit. Now that he has gotten that out of the way we will be going full steam into training and if I have to have tough love then that's what we will do. No eating till he hops to the fist.

While he was bathing this afternoon I wrapped my spiked bow with some new sisal rope. What a pain in the butt that was. I'll be pulling a few splinters for a couple days I'm sure. Luscian seems to like it though so I'm glad I used it and may just rewrap my indoor bow the same way.

Lucsian : 630 Grams

8/27/09 : 630 Grams

Activity :
6:16 PM 630 Grams

Fed 40 grams to 670 grams.

Back to work today so Luscian spent the better part of the day at the Bow inside listening to my iTunes library. Today I wanted to make it a point to change out his anklets so I made up the pair and started playing with his feet to get him up to speed on what I was going to do. He tends to be a little heavy footed with a hood on so I thought id try it without. Things went extreemly well. I got the first anklet off and replaced in moments and Luscian didnt bat an eye at the idea. No Sweat. The second Anklet he kept pulling his foot up not letting me work with him so I had an idea. Ive had this bird for a week and have not given him a casting. Today would be perfect. I pulled a 3 week old quail, Dispatched it and gave it to Luscian. While he was plucking and eating the top half of the bird, I got the new anklet on. Luscian didnt give me any grief for doing so. Id never would have gotten away with that with my Gos. All jessed up and bell replaced just the way I like it. These anklets keep the bells away from the feet. You dont have to worry a bit.

I also wanted to go over the weight that I got for today to start with. Yesterday I weighed him at 620 and fed him up to 625. I have been feeding him wet food and not presenting a bath pan. Yesterday after our session I presented the bathpan and Luscian drank a good 30grams worth of water. This is something that I would not have taken into account till today. Water will make a difference in the weight management. From now on ill continue to give water in the pan every day as to keep an average likelyhood known in my weight management.

Luscian ate pretty good today. He also got some casting material. From here out I am going to be not as easy going in our feeding sessions. If he does not jump to the fist he will not get fed. Im hoping that my experience with giving a good meal after days of small meals will kick start his appatite. Honestly Im not expecting a whole lot tomorrow but I will expect more by Saturday.

Lucsian : 620 Grams

8/26/09 : 620 Grams

Activity :
2:28 PM 620 Grams

Fed 5 grams up to 625 grams

This birds number must be 3. It seems that anything we do takes 3 days to either figure out or to get comfortable with. The subject I am reffering to today is outdoor manning. 2 days ago he would bate constantly outside, making us only stay out for a bit. It seems cars driving by my house got his goat. Yesterday he tollerated being outside but still acted afraid and bated now and then. Today he seems to not really care and settled down nicely. We even took our picture with the boys. My son Charles, Luscian and myself. Thank you to my wife Bonnie for shooting it for us.

Luscian is really settled well I believe. He is sitting on the perch with one foot tucked up. My son who is 3 was jumping on my bed and flew off smacking his face into the dresser. Loud crying for a minute and yes Charles is ok. Luscian never as much as dropped his tucked foot! Someone must be feeling ok.

Our feeding session today may just hopefully be playing games of 3. The past 2 days I have been trying to get this little Harris to hop to the glove. He looked mighty interested today but just wouldn't do it. The start of the session he got 2 pieces of meet on the fist before he was placed to a perch. He would not jump and I did not allow a stretch take so at 5 grams of dinner tonight maybe he will be more serious tomorrow.

Lucsian : 620 Grams

8/25/09 : 620 Grams

Activity :
8:45 AM 620 Grams

Inside luscian is doing great. He can be on the perch or the fist and do just fine. Not much seems to bother him while in the house. Yesterday we did minimal time outside, early in the day he was still paying more attention to me. Today he was more unsure outside. At first the sight of a car driving by was enough to evoke a bate. All his bates now are recovered without aid. It didn't take long before he settled down a bit while I read my emails at the parkbench in the back yard. I love my iPhone cause I can take a photo and have it put up on my blog in seconds. See the photo below. Anyhow he is calming down outside.

Today I plan on trying again to see if I can get him to eat from the fist. This time he will have to be on the fist.

4:15 PM. 616grams

Fed up to 639grams. Fed 23 grams

Feeding time was much better today. I fed at 5 PM. Luscian instantly took food while standing on the fist today. We did 5 small bean size pieces that way. Then I put him to the perch and got some pretty creative stretches to get the rest. A couple times it looked like he was wanting to jump but no, not today.

Sitting handsome.

Lucsian : 625 Grams

8/24/09 : 625 Grams

Activity :
10:05 AM 625 Grams

Fed 16g from glove to 641g

Luscian is doing different things every day. Kind of fun for a guy that hasn't manned a bird in 2 years. Last night after work we did some fist time and watched the news and stargate for a couple hours. Only 3 bates and 2 recovered on his own.

Today I'm off so I took my son to the babysitter and am spending the whole day with Luscian. We sat and watched TV for an hour or so before I got hungry and had breakfast with luscian watching me from the perch. He is now as of today jumping back to the perch after a bate though sometimes he will spend some time on the floor before returning. He is now also seeming calm enough to preen like crazy, not as much as he shakes his tail but not far either. LOL. He will put up a foot and watch me constantly and seems unbothered as I walk in circles around the perch while I talk Harris hawks with other falconers on the phone.

The subject of food for me now is that with him calming down nicely, I want him to take food from the glove. After dispatching a quail I cut up pieces the size of beans. I had about 8 pieces from part of a breast. Luscian bated from the perch as I put the garnished glove to him so I went to the floor to show him what this was all about. I ended up having to put the food to his beak and with his bite he took it. From there he took the rest of the food while standing on the ground. I did try to get him to take one while on the fist but he just wouldn't do it. I decided that he will get no more today and maybe tomorrow he will be hungry enough to bend down and eat a bit.

We are spending a good 50% on the fist and the other 50% on perch amost constantly in my sight.

The day ended off pretty well. At the beginning of the dab I had a bird that I was still fearfull to touch bare handed and bating alot on the perch. By the end of the day I was allowed to touch anywhere I wanted and the perch was held by one foot while family and myself walked by going along our daily actvities.

It's like a switch went off.

Chuck

www.ReignTheGoshawk.BlogSpot.com

www.GhostHawkPhotography.com

Luscian Getting Comfortable

Lucsian : 646 Grams

7:37 AM 646 Grams

Fed 20 Grams to feed up to 666grams

Todays session proved to be a step in the right direction. Getting Luscian on the fist today didn't take nearly as much work. Only 2 tries helping him to the fist and he stayed there with no bates. Luscian chittered at me most of the time with wings opened. I held him on the fist for half an hour before putting him on the perch. 2 hours later and I've only had to put him back once. Seems he still doesn't want to hop up to the perch on his own.

After today I have the next two days off and I plan on lots of socialization. I am also hoping to get him to take food from the fist along with hoping back to the perch if he bates off.

Luscian ended todays session, stepping to the glove from the floor and sat on the perch with minimal bates. He seems to be relaxing quite a bit as he puts up a foot on the perch.

Lucsian : 643 Grams

8/22/09 : 643 Grams

Activity :
8:55 AM 643 Grams

This morning I pulled Luscian from the Giant Hood from his slumber. His hood that he wore for the night is a perfect fit. I got it from Larry Ray. Luscian spent a good hour on the perch with the hood on inside. I'm hoping that the sounds will ease him into manning. Not sure how much I'll do that though. When I took the hood off of him he reminded me that he is CB and doesn't want to play yet. Put him on the perch only for him to bate off. I'm going to go with the leave him on the perch to get used to his surroundings. Let him relax a bit before I get too involved with him. I don't want to rush things. It really is fun to see him preen.

12:15pm 665grams Fed 25 grams

I did manage to get Luscian to stand on the fist for a good half hour with only one bate that he recovered all on his own. I was pretty happy for that but the best part was when I went to hood him up, he let me put it on with him standing. No Dodging, Ducking or Bating, Sweet!

Luscians first day in Colorado

Lucsian : 657 Grams

8/21/09 : 657 Grams

Activity :
3:07 PM 657 Grams

Luscians plane landed today at 1215 pm and it took till 115 pm till I got him in my care. I drove home to Pueblo from Colorado Springs and had him on the perch by 3pm.

Wow, what a bird with his long legs! He didn't like the idea of standing on the fist and with the long day he has had I decided to put him on the perch so we could spend some time just looking at each other. He didn't want to be on the perch either but that didn't stop him from preening 5 minutes out of the hood. I was expecting a bird that was afraid of the new surroundings but not quite like a fresh trap. Well honestly on the fist he acted that way but now that he is on the bow he seems more at ease.

I'll post more as the day goes on but for now I'm going to get the guy a little something to eat and spend some time with my new little hawk.


745pm
Well, I really had a rough time with Luscian this afternoon working on manning him. I attempted to man him on the fist a few times and had little to no luck with him working with me. I tried to get him to stand on the perch, with no avail he stood at the end of his leash. I also managed to get footed on my thumb, which took a little time to let go. OUCH, That was a bummer. Tomorrow is another day, Maybe some perch time to get used to me is in order.

TOMORROW!

Well Luscian is coming a week early and I got my schedual all set up to be there to pick him up and spend the day with him. All new equiptment is set up and ready for him including Weathering area with perch. Ive gone through a few people with ideas on exactly how Ill start him up from the time that I get him and will decide on which way ill do that as soon as I get him home and see how his attitude is.

Crossing my fingers the flight goes well!

Baby Pics

Photos of the Growing Luscian are provided by Breeder Lee Slikkers.

Luscian. One Month till Takeoff