A Little Update on Everything

I finally got word that my leashes shipped. Appearently, the one with this information is a new worker and forgot to send me my email (which I still don't have). I'm expecting the package to come within the next two business days. Otherwise, my mom wants to call and yell at them. She doesn't seem to know that once it's shipped, yelling at them doesn't do anything. They can't make it ship faster, they've already handed it over to the USPS.

I got a $15 pair of leather gloves to be my falconry glove. I just need to put an eylet or two in the cuff and it will be perfect.

I caught two more house sparrows. I put them in the aviary instead of the freezer. Last night one of them wriggled they way throught the top, then got caught in the net and choked to death trying to get back in. Now I have 3 birds in the freezer and one in the aviary. Hopefully I will catch more.

I remodeled my room to make it more falcon-friendly. Now there's a lot more space by the window and in the corner to the right of the window. That way, I can move the kestrel near and away from the window.

You have been updated.

My Review of Western Sporting Goods

I am very upset with Western sporting right now.
I ordered two books from them a while ago which came throught fine, but my last TWO ORDERS have not processed.
I have been waiting for my leashes for five weeks now. They were supposed to be here 8 days from ordering. I have called once a week for the last three weeks and they have yet to do anything about it but take my email and put me one the urgent list (which does nothing).
I was thinking about this a bit. Suppose I was not an apprentice collecting my beginner's equipment but a falconer whose leashes were starting to wear out. Suppose I had called plenty in advance to be sure that I would have them before my worn leashes were useless. It is not plenty in advance anymore and I would probably have lost my bird!
If they can fix it today, I will take the order and leave their customer pool. If they can't fix it today, I will cancel the order and leave their customer pool.
Your time is ticking Western Sporting. You have about three hours to take my 27 dollars before I leave.

More Trapping

I made another Funnel trap a while ago and set it up where there are no dogs to eat my birds. I caught three female house sparrows on the third day and, yes, I got to keep these ones. I put them in an aviary that I had all set up for them. They immediately got out. I managed to get two of the three back. I fixed the aviary so they couldn't get out then messaged Monica on facebook. Now they're in the freezer because that's what she told me to do.

A few days later I went to check my trap and it was gone. I wasn't super surprised, I had set it out in the open right next to a busy road. But I was angry. I left a note where it had been and put up a notice on the subdivision's webpage. I found it today. It wasn't in nearly as bad of shape as the other trap when I found it, but it did look like someone had run over it on their bike, which is probably what happened. I fixed it up, but now I need to find out another trapping situation for it. I think that I can set it up across the street from where it was. There it will be hidden by some trees and bushes, but I need some more bird seed. I had my mom buy some when I ran out, but the birds don't seem too keen on it.

They like penuts.

Oh, and my leashes still aren't here. I've called Western Sporting twice now and appearently my case has been marked urgent. It would be really nice if I could just get my leashes though.

Sparrow Trapping

I finally made a sparrow trap that works. It's called a funnel trap in case you're interested. It caught sparrows the day after I set it up.
Then the neighbors' dogs found it and ripped and crushed the cage until the birds were out.
Oh, and my leashes still aren't here.

The trap before it was ruined.

Frustration and Screen Perches

I ordered my leashes around Friday two weeks ago, meaning the 16th. They are supposed to arrive within 2-8 business days. So excluding memorial day and weekends, it has been 8 days and I still don't have them. It's just Wyoming to Idaho! Jumping two stinkin' state borders! If they're not here tomorrow, I'm going to call Western Sporting.

On another note... I finished my screen perch.

Waiting

Just waiting for my leashes to come in the mail.
I didn't think it would take this long for a package to get from Wyoming to Idaho.
They're not that far apart.

MAJOR update

     So....
     How's the last year treated ya?
     Sorry about the massive gap between posts there. My computer randomly became incompatible with blogspot.

Long Before April 7:

     My dad said that I couldn't get a falcon...
     I fell into depression...

April 7:

     I'm not sure that I've told you about the falconer that lives on Marteeson. I have seen them out manning their Harris', but I couldn't ever talk to them about falconry because their front yard was fenced off and their front door was removed. But I know there's a falconer that lives there.

     I met them today. I was biking to the library and passed their house just as they pulled in. She started walking to the back gate and I stepped in the driveway and called, "excuse me?"
Her reaction to "I'm Anna and I'm interested in falconry," surprised me. I expected an interrogation to figure out whether I was really up for falconry. Instead she invited me in. Her name is Kelly. She has a harris' hawk named Delta and a Finnish goshawk named Aussie. Then she gave me a list of contacts, and a list of books to collect, and a list of things to learn over the summer.
     Then she let me hold her harris hawk.
     And a hallelujah chorus started singing in the back of my head.

It was great.

     I proceeded to bike home and Facebook message every single person on the contact list. I got one reply out of six. Monica (the replier) and I met up that same week where she offered to sponsor me with the help of two or three other people. So fortunately for me, I have the unique option to have three sponsors. I accepted.
     During the rest of the afternoon with Monica, we got things figured out. I'm going to have a kestrel. I'll keep it in my room so my dad and the HOA don't complain about the mews in the backyard. I'll trap in the fall.
     That gave me roughly six months to get everything ready... and pass my test.


Since then:

Unfinished Mews

• I've built my mews
• I've bought the two falconry books my sponsor recommended (Falconry Equpments by Kimsey and Hodge, American Kestrels in Modern Falconry by Matthew Mullenix)
• I've built two sparrow traps
• I've started working on my giant hood
• I've ordered my leashes from Western Sporting
• I've gotten my hunting licence
• I've decided that this summer is going to be the longest summer of my life

Unfinished Giant Hood

The Books my Sponsor Recommended

Hunting Licence and Hat