Our Journey Begins

 

3 or so weeks after fledging, Button is still fully reliant on the others for food.  But she is getting more adventurous.

So time to start her training.

I have been getting her used to Me, her extended family member.

 

When the family arrive, I have been throwing meat down to them, rather than my usual hand feeding. The hope is that she sees the others get the meat to feed her, coming from me.

It wasn’t long till she would follow them down to be fed. Still totally reliant on being fed. I could throw a piece of meat in front of her & she would just stare at it, until the others grabbed it & ate it or fed it to her.

Bully (her older sister) still has a problem sharing. This next series of photos is the consequence of her indecision.

After pulling the food back a few times, Button got a hold of one end. Bully tried to pull the treat back, but Button wouldn’t let go.

Now this came as a complete surprise to Bully. She wrested Button off the fence & still Button didn’t let go.

The result was to launch Bully off the fence arse over  (funny to watch). And still neither would  let go.

They landed unceremoniously, and still they wouldn’t let go. The tug of war continued, now out of GoPro range, I had enough time to go inside & get my other camera, and still neither would let go (and the noise they made the whole time was a hoot). I ended up throwing a piece of meat down, which distracted Bully, and Button claimed her prize.

She now explores on her own. She will visit the Tapas Bar and sample the foods on offer & makes a terrible mess of the table (I’m forever going down to reset the table).

She has a go at everything. I may have the first Vegan Kookaburra.

After a week of throwing meat to them, I went back to hand feeding.


Button watching the others getting hand fed

4 or 5 days of that & Button started to fly up to the far end of the railing to be fed by the others.

Now when the others had full bellies they would fly off leaving her alone on the rail.

This allowed my next step, which was to slowly approach her and place a bit of meat 3’ from her.

I would then retreat a few steps. She would cautiously approach, grab the meat & fly off.

She’s a quick learner & only after a day she would grab a piece that was next to my hand.
Still Grab & go, but sometimes she would grab & sit.

 

 

After a few days of this she progressed to jumping on my hand to get her treat. Most times to fly off, but sometimes staying for a minute or two.

A real bond seems to be forming. 4 weeks on, not only is she happy to be fed, but comes to visit on her own every evening now just before dark. This is our special time.

She will sit next to me or on my hand & just chill.

By now she is also comfortable with my camera, so she has allowed me to get some good close-ups.

Well that's about it for this post. There's heaps going on recently with the birds. There will be more soon.
I have decided to post smaller posts with fewer photos but more regularly , so this should help with your upload times.



Under dads watchful eye