Doug Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) Last night I got the Aviator Harness so I could take Ellie outside. She wasn't intimidated by it, and she normally lets me play with her head and wings, so I thought it would be okay to put it on. (Without a lot of exposure sessions...) She was NOT happy about my fumbling with the straps and adjustments, but it went on and she calmed down. She was a bit nervous about being outside. We walked around about ten minutes and I took the pictures. I took the camera back in the house and then we went out again. Ellie in the wild! by shyzaboy, on Flickr Trying out the harness... by shyzaboy, on Flickr We walked around some more and then we waited at the end of the driveway for Dyson to come home. (One of the kids on the bus said, "Look! He's got an EAGLE!" Better than calling her a pigeon like Kelleigh does...) While we were waiting a storm started coming through. The strong winds made Ellie uncomfortable (she was huddled on my shoulder), but I had to wait until the bus got there (or they'd take him back to the school). It was a bit rough taking the harness off, but she is in good spirits. (She's been on my shoulder for the past 60 minutes or so since I took off the harness...) Hopefully the experience, on the average, was more positive than negative. I would really like to take her out every evening in the spring/summer/fall, when I like to read out on the deck... Edited February 24, 2012 by Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Sounds like it was more positive than negative because not all days will be as windy as it is here today, you got some great pics of your little lady outside and looking forward to hearing how the next time goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Great pictures and thanks for the reminder to get another harness for my CAG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 Since Ellie is a TAG, I bought the small harness (which is, in fact, the right size for her). In the accompanying DVD, it shows that you should put the harness over your hand, put your hand over the bird's head, then slip the harness over the bird's head. Ha! That might work for larger birds, but I can't even fit three fingers in the opening of the harness. Hopefully it will get more graceful before she gives up on me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWIX Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 The harness thing is interesting! What's the point of it? Do you put it on and then let the bird fly? Or you keep holding the harness in your hands while the bird is on your shoulder or on a tree? I would like to learn more about it, since i am an outdoor person and i drive in the wilderness a lot. Great photos by the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 The harness thing is interesting! What's the point of it? Do you put it on and then let the bird fly? Or you keep holding the harness in your hands while the bird is on your shoulder or on a tree? I would like to learn more about it, since i am an outdoor person and i drive in the wilderness a lot. Great photos by the way Here's their website: http://theparrotuniversity.com/aviator_harness.php THe harness is attached to a elastic cord with a loop on the end that goes around your wrist (or clips on to a retractable leash). The cord isn't too long (about 5.5 feet or 1.7 meters) so the intention is to keep the bird close to you and to have a controlled landing should the bird panic and try to fly off. If you use a retractable leash, you can fly the bird to some extent. They also make a flight line that you can use along with the harness. I'm really hoping that it works out well with Ellie. I'd love to take her outside with me. We live in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the eastern US and there are some amazing hiking trails around here - including the Appalachian Trail, which goes right past my house. (The Appalachian Trail goes along that peak in the background of the first picture.) This is what it looks like from my front door (with the road cropped out, of course) when winter finally leaves: Looking out my front door, Troutville, Virginia by shyzaboy, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have a harness for my TAG, Ana Grey, but I know it will be much too small for my Sterling Gris, CAG. I have wanted to get the flight line but have been leery because we have so many hawks in my area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have a harness for my TAG, Ana Grey, but I know it will be much too small for my Sterling Gris, CAG. I have wanted to get the flight line but have been leery because we have so many hawks in my area. Have you seen hawks attack birds like robins? (Or other birds closer to the size of African Greys?) I've certainly seen hawks around here, but never seen them attack anything in my yard. (While I was outside, naturally - I wouldn't leave Ellie on a flight line if I wasn't watching.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Pretty pictures of Ellie, I was in awe that her eyes are silver now. She is such a beauty. Often when our guy Gilbert is being funny and engaging, my husband laughs at his antics and says "can you imagine what he would be like if he had been with us since he was a fledgling?" I think he would be a bit like Ellie. She is a joy. Good to get that harness accepted while she is willing to play with you. Some folks on the forum have said to be sure to keep using it indoors during winter once she accepts it because sometimes they will balk after a long winter. You have good instincts with Ellie, you are quite a pair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 The harness thing is interesting! What's the point of it? Do you put it on and then let the bird fly? Or you keep holding the harness in your hands while the bird is on your shoulder or on a tree? I would like to learn more about it, since i am an outdoor person and i drive in the wilderness a lot. Great photos by the way You should look at the pictures posted by dhorje. He sells the Aviator Harness in Malaysia (if I remember correctly)and uses them with a bunch of different birds. Even better, he takes STUNNING pictures, so they are a joy to look at... Here are some of the threads in which he's posted pix of his birds with the Aviator Harness: Evening hike with Cocoa Sep pics of Cocoa B&W Random pics Beautiful evening Cocoa at playground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xSarahx Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 How do you know what size to buy as i have no idea how much Archie weighs,i know he is on the smaller side as i have seen a grey twice the size of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julia Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Great pictures! Well done!! I envy you a little! I couldn't put that thing on my Sylia no matter what I did. I have tried for 6 months before I gave up. I introdused it to her properly, but she never got comfortable with it being next to her, not to mention ON HER. So, unfortunately, it's no harness for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 After that, Ellie screamed when she saw the harness. If I hung it on her favorite toy (a foraging toy with peanuts - oh! Delicious peanuts!) she wouldn't go near it. Even to get peanuts. I've been trying to gradually reintroduce her to it. She's getting a little bit better. Spring is here and it is time to spend the evenings outside. Hopefully with Ellie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 How do you know what size to buy as i have no idea how much Archie weighs,i know he is on the smaller side as i have seen a grey twice the size of him I got a small for Ellie (TAG). I'd guess that a CAG would need a medium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 I took Ellie out again today. Second time on the harness by shyzaboy, on Flickr Even though I've been letting Ellie "taste" the harness and see it around, she still freaked out when I put it on her. When I took her out, I could tell she was a bit distressed - she kept her beak open a bit and "popped" her tongue against her beak. I didn't want it to end as a bad experience, so we just hung out, sitting in the sun, until she calmed down some and then we went walking. (With me chatting comforting stuff the whole time.) She started calming down after about 30 minutes and she would nibble on bits of stuff that I presented to her. Then we walked down the road and through the adjacent development. By the time we got home, she was behaving pretty much normally. She freaked a bit when I took off the harness. Then I put her on her window perch so I could get a grape for her as a reward. She seemed to freeze up somewhat. I guess, since she could see outside, that she was not sure she was safe. I put her back on her cage's playtop and she seems fine. This is a bit stressful for her, but hopefully she'll come to love it like so many birds do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 She looks good outside and I am sure with more practice she will come to enjoy her outings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariisamis Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Beautiful part of VA. I live in Va Beach. It's ok but rather live somewhere that is not so busy. Your baby is beautiful as well. After viewing your post on the things you make for her and looking at the pictures, I know she is a loved baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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