longwing In reply to KestrelWings [2009-04-29 23:21:35 +0000 UTC]

well actually it's worked out a lot different from what I thought!

I gave her back to the breeder before my gap year because I couldn't take her to uni. I was planning on him keeping her for the years while I was at uni and until I get settled in a nice cottage by myself in the highlands, where I could take her back.

Since then my friend has taken her on! It was a big, brave step for her but she's done a fab job. Dusk is flying very well and living it up, and I see her every time I go to see my parents. Result! It's great. Unfortunately it also means she and I will never be a team again. But she's in a good team now.

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KestrelWings In reply to longwing [2009-04-30 13:08:37 +0000 UTC]

Well, at least your friend has her, so you can still visit! ^_^ And you know she's being well taken-care of as well, which is always a good thing.

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longwing In reply to BlueFlamedPhoenix [2007-08-13 10:51:54 +0000 UTC]

No, but we'll meet again in the future. Many distance relationships work out!

I'm glad you like the bush. It wanted desperately to be in the picture and Ijust couldn't turn it away...

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longwing In reply to the-only-nighthawk [2007-08-13 10:59:04 +0000 UTC]

Yup, I'm going to have a massive hole in me until I get her back. She's unlike anyone else I know. Still, now I can get a boyfriend!

Dusk always sees things as a great big adventure designed to please her. She's such an optimist. She'll not miss me one bit, although I expect she'll wonder where I've gone and demand to see me for the first few weeks, that's what she does when I'm away lol! Also her dad has been a falconer for about 36 years and has bags of experience with buzzards. He's brilliant and, unlike a lot of falconers, he likes birds to be themselves rather than just killing machines. She will remember me when I get her back - birds of prey have fantastic memories. A peregrine at the owl sanctuary used to be a falconry bird, but ten years in an aviary and she still slipped into the hood like she last wore it yesterday!

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the-only-nighthawk In reply to longwing [2007-08-30 05:22:39 +0000 UTC]

awesome! I'm glad things are looking good for your return then. What's their average lifespan? I know there's a wild redtail in New York City that is... either 12 or 15 years old, has outlived like 4 mates and raised a bunch of kids.

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longwing In reply to the-only-nighthawk [2007-08-30 10:26:55 +0000 UTC]

Hopefully. Then I'll get an Aplomado falcon and maybe an african hawk eagle, but not certain. DFalcon and buzzard might be enough lol...

Avg captive lifespan 30 years, but they regularly go up to 40 if looked after. In the wild about 15 years, so that rt is pretty old...but a city bird will probably have enough to eat anyway, plenty of rats lol!

Thanks!

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the-only-nighthawk In reply to longwing [2007-08-31 01:54:56 +0000 UTC]

nice! nice. I remember in the documentary I was watching, the redtail was eating mostly pigeons, and thus far, had managed to not eat a poisoned one. He's outlived four mates. In the show, one of the young hawks killed a pigeon that wasn't acting right, so some spectators took the dead bird and threw it away. They didn't want the hawk to eat poisoned food.

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longwing In reply to Kit-the-rookie [2007-08-13 11:02:01 +0000 UTC]

I'm planning to go to Wales on Sunday unless they tell me not to, sorry but I probably won't be able to make yopur party much as it grieves me to say so. I did send you an email, maybe you didn't get it. It sounds like fun, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to make it.

Thanks for the comment, it's bushes like that that give the rest a bad name.

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Kit-the-rookie In reply to longwing [2007-08-13 14:27:17 +0000 UTC]

Lol. Alright hun. No I didn't get the email. I'll have to see if I can get anyone else to come...Damn I really wanted you there as well...

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