Sailor, outside finally

[Minimaker]

I still can't hardly touch her, but my husband and son can and they've managed to get her into an aviator harness twice now so she could go outside. She is so happy outside, so excited. I can get in a couple pets out there unlike inside the house

Sailor has fallen in hard and fast love with my teenage son, tries to throw up at him every time he comes near lol. He has to walk away from her for awhile until she calms down. He is the only one in the house who can hold her close and love on her, she allows him to touch her anywhere and makes the funniest lovey noises at him the whole time he's near and he's the only one who gets those special sounds out of her. It's ridiculously cute, and makes the rest of us jealous-especially my daughter and I who can barely touch her. My husband has more luck, she allows a little petting but growls alarmingly when he does it.

Here she is, going wild outside:

These look big, sorry. Photobucket has been acting up for me lately.

Chippy beak, girl does some serious chewing and digging into her foraging cage!

 

[AJBirds]

Those images are beautiful!

 

[Minimaker]

Thanks, she's a good subject

 

[junglenutcracker]

Wow! She is truly beautiful. Love the pic with her head into her back plumage. The green really pops out. GWs are definitely one of my very favourite parrots.

 

[ShaunaR]

What a gorgeous bird! Congrats on getting her into a harness too! She looks like she is going to be a real honey in time. Keep up the good work!

 

[Doublete]

Congrats on getting her into a harness! It's so much fun to watch them outside isn't it.

 

[Weezerj]

Sailor is stunning......

 

[RavensGryf]

Yay! Some great progress with Sailor . Good to see.. She is absolutely gorgeous, look at those glowing feathers!

 

[Allee]

What a brave girl, and so gorgeous! Fantastic photos.

She looks so happy and excited to be outside! Great job getting her to wear the harness.

 

[Minimaker]

Thanks. She totally loves my son, it's clear she's picked him as her beloved person. Sadly he's about to graduate and then off to college in no time. I expect my husband will up in value to her at that time. She prefers men, which makes me sad but it's ok because it works out for my husband. Female guests to the house can't handle her much or at all, but all the men have been able to pick her up without drama. One of my son's more distant friends who she has never seen before held her as well without any trouble. He was scared to death of her and it made a funny phone photograph seeing him lean clear away from her while she was on his arm. But anyway, she is a different bird outside. Outside was the first time I was ever able to run my fingers through her feathers when she poofs them up, I have wanted to do that for so long so that was really nice to be able to touch her head finally. My husband has trained her with the clicker to touch and handle her wings and he holds them out and counts to three then lets go. That allowed them to get her harness over her wings. So anyway, I thought the photos were pretty so I wanted to show them. Have a great day everyone.

Oh and one word of advice on aviator harnesses, I ordered red from the local pet store (trying to support them instead of the internet) and they gave me blue instead. I don't know if it's the color or simply that she hates the feel of it but the harness drives her crazy and she picks at it constantly if sitting still. Someone else mentioned they had to buy their red bird a red harness because their first black one drove the bird nuts. I wonder if she wouldn't be so chewy with it if it had been red like her feathers.

 

[labell]

She is a baby isn't she? It is shocking that you are having this difficult a time handling her. At this age it is all of you that will determine if she stays more fond over one sex person than another. I am thinking the females that are interacting with her are showing or feeling fear that she is picking up on. Macaws must be treated with firm loving guidance they cannot be allowed to call the shots or once true independence hits it will be real trouble.

 

[Kiwibird]

So glad Sailor is enjoying the sunshine! She looks great BTW. I love the photos of her preening and fluffing, what a beautiful bird! And those wings raised ones show just how much she's enjoying herself and her outdoor time

 

[Minimaker]

She is a baby isn't she? It is shocking that you are having this difficult a time handling her. At this age it is all of you that will determine if she stays more fond over one sex person than another. I am thinking the females that are interacting with her are showing or feeling fear that she is picking up on. Macaws must be treated with firm loving guidance they cannot be allowed to call the shots or once true independence hits it will be real trouble.

When we first got her we were timid with her because she was more than ready to defend her personal space. But honestly we are so totally over it now and she doesn't scare us. Mornings used to be problematic but I got some good advice elsewhere on how to handle it and that worked out well. She's protective of her enclosure and I have to remove her before I work in there cleaning and changing dishes. That has helped immensely because our morning drama set the tone for the rest of the day. She held a grudge against me for fending her off her bowls while I changed them. Now she steps up somewhat willingly for a pine nut and I set her out on the play stand while I work and there's no more morning fight between us. She used to wait right by her bowls in the morning, and put on a display to show me how tough she was by biting everything around her fast and furious to warn me off lol. Big tough girl attacking a boing haha. Anyway with that out of the way she's better toward me the rest of the day. She still gets over excited by my daughter when she picks her up. She can pick her up and so can I, we just can't pet her much (me not at all because I was the evil bowl changer and she hasn't forgot it yet). But we're slowly improving. My daughter has no caretaking of her or her personal space so she's a little better towards her. She still gets a little spazzed out when she interacts with her, often it leads to loud "HI!"s and eye pinning and then right on into louder squawks, repeated nervous scratching and head shaking like she's trying to shake something off her beak. It's funny to watch, kinda comical. I do wish she could calm down with her though. I sit there and worry the whole time that she might get bit while she's holding her with her acting like that. I make her wear a jacket just in case for now. But no she's not afraid of Sailor at all. She's pretty good with her actually.

 

[labell]

She is a baby isn't she? It is shocking that you are having this difficult a time handling her. At this age it is all of you that will determine if she stays more fond over one sex person than another. I am thinking the females that are interacting with her are showing or feeling fear that she is picking up on. Macaws must be treated with firm loving guidance they cannot be allowed to call the shots or once true independence hits it will be real trouble.

When we first got her we were timid with her because she was more than ready to defend her personal space. But honestly we are so totally over it now and she doesn't scare us. Mornings used to be problematic but I got some good advice elsewhere on how to handle it and that worked out well. She's protective of her enclosure and I have to remove her before I work in there cleaning and changing dishes. That has helped immensely because our morning drama set the tone for the rest of the day. She held a grudge against me for fending her off her bowls while I changed them. Now she steps up somewhat willingly for a pine nut and I set her out on the play stand while I work and there's no more morning fight between us. She used to wait right by her bowls in the morning, and put on a display to show me how tough she was by biting everything around her fast and furious to warn me off lol. Big tough girl attacking a boing haha. Anyway with that out of the way she's better toward me the rest of the day. She still gets over excited by my daughter when she picks her up. She can pick her up and so can I, we just can't pet her much (me not at all because I was the evil bowl changer and she hasn't forgot it yet). But we're slowly improving. My daughter has no caretaking of her or her personal space so she's a little better towards her. She still gets a little spazzed out when she interacts with her, often it leads to loud "HI!"s and eye pinning and then right on into louder squawks, repeated nervous scratching and head shaking like she's trying to shake something off her beak. It's funny to watch, kinda comical. I do wish she could calm down with her though. I sit there and worry the whole time that she might get bit while she's holding her with her acting like that. I make her wear a jacket just in case for now. But no she's not afraid of Sailor at all. She's pretty good with her actually.

Good news.

 

[Anansi]

Wow! Sailor is breathtaking! I very much enjoyed the pics of her relishing her time outside. And it's good to hear that she's working so well with your son and husband, and slowly getting better with you and your daughter. I know how much you've wanted to improve your relationship with her.

 

[birdstheword]

WOW what a beauty!!! Love those last ones with her all fluffed up and seeing all her pretty colors on her back. It's nice she trusts your son enough to let him put on a harness so she can go outside, even if you're not there with her yet

 

[Minimaker]

Thanks Anansi, I really wanted her love and it was hard to face the fact that I may never have it. I felt like a little kid stomping my foot and whining "But I'm the one who takes care of you, cleans up after you and feeds you-and wanted you more than anyone else! I want love too!" My fit over that is over, and acceptance has set in. I'll work with her in the hopes that someday we can be pals. It was hard being a new owner of a big bird who didn't know me at all-the transition from a conure to a green wing was vastly harder than I thought. All my questions seemed dumb, but with every little thing being new and the worry that I was ruining things for myself made me ask them anyway. I thought having experience with farm birds of all kinds and wild ones as well that there was nothing I couldn't handle. I've been chased by geese my whole life, bitten by waist high turkeys. Fished eggs out from under upset hens and angry roosters who chased me out of the barn lol. Nothing prepared me for how different a macaw would be. But I think I've got a handle on it now. And she's going nowhere regardless of the outcome. Whether she likes me or lumps me, this is her home